Body composition monitors

[toxicated]

Hi

Anybody have experience with the body composition monitors on the market? Happy to spend around £100 - there seems to be a lot of variation in the price from £40 up to a few hundred. I want one that is reliable and accurate, rather than all the bells and whistles. I've used a handheld one before which seemed pretty erratic so I'd prefer to pay more and get something useful.

Any suggestions?

Cheers

[Rocksteadyeddie]

They are pretty erratic IME. The weight bit is ok of course. The other bits seem a bit hit and miss. I refuse to believe my fat % varies by 2% up and down in a week. (I'm about 8% on average according to the machine)

[ewenm]

IME the only decent way to get a reliable body fat reading is to get it done with the calipers. As said above, the machines vary dramatically.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

ewenm said:

IME the only decent way to get a reliable body fat reading is to get it done with the calipers. As said above, the machines vary dramatically.

Or a hydrostatic test (dunk yourself in the bath basically).

[ewenm]

Rocksteadyeddie said:

ewenm said:

IME the only decent way to get a reliable body fat reading is to get it done with the calipers. As said above, the machines vary dramatically.

Or a hydrostatic test (dunk yourself in the bath basically).

How does that work? Water displacement gives your body volume and you obviously have the weight. How do you get from that to body fat %age? Buoyancy?

[Rocksteadyeddie]

ewenm said:

Rocksteadyeddie said:

ewenm said:

IME the only decent way to get a reliable body fat reading is to get it done with the calipers. As said above, the machines vary dramatically.

Or a hydrostatic test (dunk yourself in the bath basically).

How does that work? Water displacement gives your body volume and you obviously have the weight. How do you get from that to body fat %age? Buoyancy?

All explained here:

http://www.getdunked.com/home/default.asp

Basically fat floats. Everything else doesn't

[ewenm]

Interesting. Thanks.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

Never done it. I'm not that arsed. But then you're ever so slightly better than I am!

[ewenm]

I tend not to care. Mine comes out at "too low for a normal person" when I've been training properly anyway - the actual figure doesn't really matter.

Cheers,
Skeletor.

[Rocksteadyeddie]

[hides behind sofa]