Acumeasure Fitness 3000 Fat Caliper with Myotape, Body Measuring Tape

Customer Reviews

Great inexpensive way to get r' done!

2008-05-15
Some have said this product is cheap and breakable. Im a large man and have no problems with this. It works perfectly and for the price what do you want? It functions and does so well. Do not pay all the extra money for these other high end BF calculators. This works perfect. You just have to master pinching the exact same spot every time.

accurate with a learning curve

2008-04-06
I still haven't been able to master how to use this device (the Fat Caliper) with any degree of consistency. I've had it about a month now. But my trainer seems to know exactly how to use it and gets accurate measurements with it each time. So apparently, once one has learned how to use it properly, it will aid quite well in measuring your body fat percentage. It's easy enough to read - but it's the actual measuring that leave a lot of room for error.

Perfect Buy at this Price

2007-09-25
The caliper is *great* and the myotape can be useful, too. Both are easy to use.

Some reviews have said the caliper is too simple to be effective, but they are mistaken. Their problem is not with the caliper, but the way they are using it (see more below). This product is recommended by the pros, and there is no reason to pay any more.

Caliper: It's a little tough to get a consistent reading, but with practice it gets easier. The product has a great "click" feature so you can never push too hard. Do not use the instructions or the chart that comes with the product, however, as it will decrease the accuracy and consistency of your body fat measurements. A much more reliable method is to use the internet (see below).

Myotape: Very easy to use and good compliment to caliper.

How to maximize this product using the internet:
1) EXRX dot net has a page which lists the skinfold sites to measure under /Testing/BodyCompSites.html and a calculator page under /Calculators/BodyComp.html that will give you the appropriate fat %. I use the 3 site method since the 7 site method requires the help of another person, and it's not necessarily that much superior, anyway.
2) gain-weight-muscle-fast dot com /body-tape-measurements.html lists further regions to measure
3) Each time you measure (weekly, monthly, etc), do it the same time of day in the same exact spot. This will help minimize error.

Note, the instructions which come with the caliper do work, it's just that it isn't the best method, which is why some fitness freaks were complaining. Consistency across measurements is the most important thing when measuring body fat, and the suprailiac is terribly tough spot to hit consistently. Veer just a little off and the reading will change. But if you use the other method I listed, these problems will be alleviated. Also, the 3 site method is more accurate, with minimal additional effort.

A bit tough to get the hang of

2007-06-27
The skin-fold caliper is a quick easy way to assess where you are at regarding body composition. The trick is measuring at the same time of day in the exact same location every time. Results can vary quite a bit if you are measuring even an inch off the original measurement site. Consistency is the key to success. Also, how far you pull the skin away and how far down the fold you measure are important. It's best if you have someone else to do the measurement for you and if you measure and record data for several different places on your body. The guide only tells you one site, but there are 8 different sites you can measure from (just Google skinfold caliper measurements).

Mislabeled

2007-01-10
his is actually the "Accu-Measure" Fitness 2000 caliper, and it is the same caliper sold on Amazon with that name. As far as I can tell, there is almost no difference between this and the Accu-Measure 3000, except that this appears to be a discontinued model. These calipers are very flimsy but they are fairly accurate. It comes with:

# An original Accu-Measure Personal Body Fat Tester
# Body Fat Measurement Instructions
# Men's and Women's Body Fat Measurement Charts
# Body Fat Tracking Charts with the Right Way to Weigh
# Questions and Answers on Body Fat and Calipers
and Body Fat Tips.