How to Calculate Body Fat Percentage – and how Crossfit and The Zone are changing mine

by Colin McNulty on 25 March 2007

I’m doing 2 things new this year: one is to get fit by exercising the Crossfit way the other (which is actually a result of Crossfit) is to try the Zone Diet Book, by Dr. Barry Sears (UK).

So I figured it would be a good idea to monitor my percentage body fat, here’s how I calculated my body fat percentage based on figures 2 months ago, and figures now (now being after 2 months of Crossfit and 2 weeks of The Zone). I used the method described in the Dr. Barry Sears Enter The Zone (USA) diet book. The method for men is this (women is different, you’ll have to buy the book):

1) Measure the circumference of your waist across your belly button, the tape measure must remain level with the ground.
2) Measure your wrist, where your wrist bends, in the space between your wrist bone and your main hand hand.
3) Subtract the wrist measurement (2) from your waist circumference (1).
4) Weigh yourself.
5) Look up the figures (3) and (4) on the chart in the book, and see what your percentage body fat calculation is.

Two months ago, my body fat calculation went like this:

1) 42.5 inches waist
2) 8 inches wrist
3) 42.5 – 8 = 34.5 inches
4) 14 stone 10 = 206 lbs
5) 29% calculated body fat percentage

Now after 2 months Crossfit, and 2 weeks on the Zone, I’ve lost an inch round my waist but maintained weight (implying I’m putting on muscle), so my body fat calculation goes like this:

1) 41.5 inches waist
2) 8 inches wrist
3) 41.5 – 8 = 33.5 inches
4) 14 stone 10 = 206 lbs
5) 27% calculated body fat percentage

Which I have to say I’m quite pleased about. In fact just this morning I tried on 3 pairs of 36 inch jeans I haven’t worn for over 3 years, and they all fit (I normally wear 38 inch)! My body fat percentage has dropped 2%, my waist is thinner, I’m in jeans I haven’t worn for 3 years. And it’s all down to Crossfit and Dr. Barry Sears’ The Zone Diet Book.

{ 6 comments… add one }

Lumsdoni 26 March 2007, 11:25 am

Good work Colin, you will find it very effective keeping a note of the exercise as it maintains motivation having to write something down each time.
Colin McNulty 26 March 2007, 11:28 am

Cheers Pete, You can find my training log here
fewAssopsyLof 16 November 2007, 10:01 am

Two new studies show why some people are more attractive for members of the opposite sex than others.

The University of Florida, Florida State University found that physically attractive people almost instantly attract the attention of the interlocutor, sobesednitsy with them, literally, it is difficult to make eye. This conclusion was reached by a series of psychological experiments, which were determined by the people who believe in sending the first seconds after the acquaintance. Here, a curious feature: single, unmarried experimental preferred to look at the guys, beauty opposite sex, and family, people most often by representatives of their sex.

The authors believe that this feature developed a behavior as a result of the evolution: a man trying to find a decent pair to acquire offspring. If this is resolved, he wondered potential rivals. Detailed information about this magazine will be published Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.

In turn, a joint study of the Rockefeller University, Rockefeller University and Duke University, Duke University in North Carolina revealed that women are perceived differently by men smell. During experiments studied the perception of women one of the ingredients of male pheromone-androstenona smell, which is contained in urine or sweat.

The results were startling: women are part of this repugnant odor, and the other part is very attractive, resembling the smell of vanilla, and the third group have not felt any smell. The authors argue that the reason is that the differences in the receptor responsible for the olfactory system, from different people are different.

It has long been proven that mammals (including human) odor is one way of attracting the attention of representatives of the opposite sex. A detailed article about the journal Nature will publish.

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How to Calculate Body Fat Percentage – and how Crossfit and The Zone are changing mine

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