Learn About the Best Body Fat Monitor and Scale
Interested in learning about the best body fat monitor and scale? Want to buy one but do not know
where to start? No problem, let our scale guide show you the way.
No doubt exists that body fat measuring scales are one of the easiest ways to calculate body fat
percentage. They are convenient and do not have to cost you an arm and a leg.
Many people do not have access to a facility that performs underwater measurement of body
density and body fat. And for those of you who do, you will find out it can be time consuming and not
so cost friendly.
With these scales, you can check you body fat percentage whenever you want to without
incurring an extra cost each time. You also do not have to hassle with body fat calipers. You can obtain
body composition without the help of an expert.
How a Body Fat Monitor and Scale Works
Body fat scales work using Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (BIA). Sounds confusing, but what
this basically means is that the scale sends a small electric current through your body. The current
passes through fat tissue slower than it does muscle.
So?
More Fat = More Resistance = Higher Body Fat Percentage
Sounds pretty simple but this is where our first disadvantage comes in. The scale does not measure
body fat percentage but rather measures body density. The scale then uses a formula to calculate body fat.
Unfortunately, there are a number of formulas that can be used to do this.
Different formulas factor things in such as age, gender, body size, and fitness level. Using the
wrong formula could give you the wrong results.
The Bottom Line
If you want a body fat monitor and scale all rolled into one, then body fat scales
are a great way to measure progress. As long as you use the same scale with each
measurement, you can monitor changes in body fat over time. If you keep seeing a decrease in your percent
body fat, you can take that as real change.
Remember?
The number may not be "true" but changes are.
Whenever you measure yourself, you want to keep things as similar as possible. Food intake, water
intake, physical activity and temperature can affect results. You should keep a few things in mind before
stepping on a body fat scale to keep your readings as consistent as possible.
Always performs measurements around the same time of day
Wait at least an hour after physical activity
Drink water consistently throughout the day
Perform measurement at same room temperature
Is A Body Fat Scale Better than a Weight Scale
I would recommend you throw out your old scale at home. A problem with a lot
of "weight loss programs" is everyone concentrates on weight. Why is this wrong?
Sometimes making progress in your workout routine makes you gain weight. Yes!!!
I said gain weight.
Muscle weighs more than fat. If you are building muscle in your body, chances are
you may end up weighing more but having a much lower percent body fat.
You can check your scale's accuracy by having an expert perform a skinfold caliper
test on you. Then you will know how far your scale is from reality.
I recommend making a body fat scale part of any fitness program. Extreme
Fitness Now highly recommends
Tanita BC554 Ironman Elite Series Scale
. Tanita is a leader in making a great body fat monitor and scale all wrapped into one. So please check
out their products when you start your search.
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