| Author |
Message |
Gregory Chriest (Gchriest)
Junior Member
Username: Gchriest
Post Number: 2
Registered: 1-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, April 10, 2007 - 9:11 pm: |       |
I was wondering about the skin fold test. In many physical education classes, I have been told it is one of the most accurate tests for percent body fat. However, I recently spoke with a friend of mine, who is a physical therapy major, and he told me that it is an inaccurate, flawed test that he will not perform. What is the deal with the skin fold test? |
Emily C. Kelly (Ekelly400)
Junior Member
Username: Ekelly400
Post Number: 3
Registered: 9-2007
| | Posted on Tuesday, October 02, 2007 - 9:15 am: | |
As a personal trainer, I feel the skin fold test can definitely be accurate, however, there are certain common mistakes one must try to avoid. First, there's basic human error. If you don't have a lot of experience and you don't pinch in the correct spot, the results may be flawed. Also, if a person has too much body fat, it may be difficult to perform the test. You also have to take into consideration the quality of the calipers; of course, the most accurate ones are going to be more expensive. And also, keep in mind that with the skinfold test, you need to be careful because it is more invasive than other methods of measuring body fat, and some students may not feel comfortable with it. I have had my body fat percentage taken using a variety of methods within a close period of time, and for the most part, the results were generally close to one another. I feel in most cases, it doesn't matter if you have an exact percentage, but rather something close that will give the person an idea as to where they are according to the recommendations. |
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