Body composition is the body’s ratio of lean tissue to fat tissue. It can be difficult to figure out your own, so we asked certified personal trainer Luke Guanzon, owner of Refinery Strength and Conditioning in Rye, for some guidelines.
Skinfold measurement (the “pinch test”), which involves the use of calipers to measure your body fat, is the most common way to determine your body composition. “There are three-point and seven-point methods that use folds on different parts of the body.”
Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) utilizes a handheld device that determines body composition by measuring the “resistance to the flow of an electric current through the body tissue.”
Underwater weighing uses “water displacement and how much area your body takes up in space” to gauge your body-fat percentage. Many believe that this gives the most accurate measurement.
