How to measure body fat

Good enough

Navy tape (waist and neck, plus hips for women) is cheap and repeatable. Photos in the same light are honest. DEXA is nicer if you will pay. Calipers work if the same person does them.

What to do with the number

Use it to pick a goal, not to panic. If you want visible abs, you need to be lean enough - see that guide. Then buy the blueprint that matches the look, not a new gadget.

Pick one method and marry it

Switching from a cheap scale to calipers to a friend’s DEXA every month is how you stay confused. Pick navy plus photos, or DEXA twice a year, and leave it. The training and the diet do not care which lie you chose, as long as the lie is consistent.

Then buy the plan that matches the look, not a more expensive measurement. Measurement is a compass. It is not the walk.

One method, repeated, beats a gadget drawer

Navy plus photos, or DEXA twice a year. Leave it. Switching tools every month is how you stay confused. Every cheap method is a bit wrong. The useful ones are consistent.

Smart scales are okay-ish for trend and bad for truth. Ignore 0.3 percent swings. Monthly is enough. Weekly waist tells you more about the week.

Use the number as a lane, not a panic

If you want visible abs, you need to be in a leaner lane. Then buy the week that matches the look, not a more expensive measurement. The compass is not the walk.

Photos in the same light are honest. Calipers work if the same person does them. DEXA is nicer if you will pay. Pick one and stop shopping.

What the number cannot do

It cannot make you cook. It cannot add a squat. It cannot replace a deficit. If you are already lean and unhappy, the next point of body fat is often a photoshoot problem, not a new scale.

See the navy guide and the calculator. Then lift and eat. Another decimal will not uncover a midsection.

FAQ

Are smart scales accurate?

They are consistent-ish for trend, bad for truth. Do not treat 0.3% swings as science.

How often should I measure?

Monthly is plenty. Weekly waist is more useful day to day.

Is DEXA worth it?

If you will repeat it and you like the extra data, yes. If you will do it once and obsess, no. A tape and photos are enough for most people.

Can I measure after lifting?

Water and a pump will lie. Use a quiet morning and the same routine.