Are BF% Calipers Accurate?

[hokiefan23]

My company has a health center with a full time personal fitness trainer on staff that's available to us anytime that we need him. He's trained high profile celebrities and is built like a truck.

I had him use the caliper on me to find out my bf% and he came up with the number of 12.6%.

This was shocking because I believe that I'm at 16 or 17 percent and he claims it's accurate

So are these calipers for the most part accurate?

Here is a recent pic of me, sorry this is the best one that I have. Also i do have some excess skin on my abdominal area from loosing over 130 lbs

I am about 200 lbs flat, 5 foot 8 age 21

View image: IMG 20150324 101746

 

[RegisterJr]

Number may be close but I'm a horrible guesser.

Yes, calipers are very accurate. That doesn't always mean the person using them is accurate. At least if it's the same person each time you have a better chance of gauging progress.

 

[hokiefan23]

he took 4 different measurements… he definitely knows what he's doing, it's just the number seemed really low.

 

[TheMovement]

With BF calipers its all in the individual using them. If hes as good as you make him seem to be then Id go with it and be happy. Now id stick with him as well as another individual can pinch slightly away from where he did and using the same person increases reliability.

 

[GNO]

No offense but you don't look like you are 12.5%.
He may have measured incorrectly. It looks like you have a fair amount of muscle so keep grinding bro.

 

[hokiefan23]

I feel like i'm 15-16% so i agree.

 

[peter01]

I'd say your estimate is closer. 12% is fairly lean. Your abs would clearly be visible at 12% or so.