Body Fat Chart (One Pinch)
The lookup chart that comes with personal one-site calipers: take a single pinch at the hip, find the column for the millimetres and the row for the age, and read the body fat percentage where they meet. Took three skinfolds? Don’t add them into this chart — use the skinfold calculator with chart.
Enter an age and a skinfold reading to find it on the chart.
| Age \ mm | 2-3 | 4-5 | 6-7 | 8-9 | 10-11 | 12-13 | 14-15 | 16-17 | 18-19 | 20-21 | 22-23 | 24-25 | 26-27 | 28-29 | 30-31 | 32-33 | 34-36 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Up to 20 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 6.2 | 8.5 | 10.5 | 12.5 | 14.3 | 16.0 | 17.5 | 18.9 | 20.2 | 21.3 | 22.3 | 23.1 | 23.8 | 24.3 | 24.9 |
| 21-25 | 2.5 | 4.9 | 7.3 | 9.5 | 11.6 | 13.6 | 15.4 | 17.0 | 18.6 | 20.0 | 21.2 | 22.3 | 23.3 | 24.2 | 24.9 | 25.4 | 25.8 |
| 26-30 | 3.5 | 6.0 | 8.4 | 10.6 | 12.7 | 14.6 | 16.4 | 18.1 | 19.6 | 21.0 | 22.3 | 23.4 | 24.3 | 25.2 | 25.9 | 26.5 | 26.9 |
| 31-35 | 4.5 | 7.1 | 9.4 | 11.7 | 13.7 | 15.7 | 17.5 | 19.2 | 20.7 | 22.1 | 23.4 | 24.5 | 25.5 | 26.3 | 27.0 | 27.5 | 28.0 |
| 36-40 | 5.6 | 8.1 | 10.5 | 12.7 | 14.8 | 16.8 | 18.6 | 20.2 | 21.8 | 23.2 | 24.4 | 25.6 | 26.5 | 27.4 | 28.1 | 28.6 | 29.0 |
| 41-45 | 6.7 | 9.2 | 11.5 | 13.8 | 15.9 | 17.8 | 19.6 | 21.3 | 22.8 | 24.7† | 25.5 | 26.6 | 27.6 | 28.4 | 29.1 | 29.7 | 30.1 |
| 46-50 | 7.7 | 10.2 | 12.6 | 14.8 | 16.9 | 18.8 | 20.7 | 22.4 | 23.9 | 25.3 | 26.6 | 27.7 | 28.7 | 29.5 | 30.2 | 30.7 | 31.2 |
| 51-55 | 8.8 | 11.3 | 13.7 | 15.9 | 18.0 | 20.0 | 21.8 | 23.4 | 25.0 | 26.4 | 27.6 | 28.7 | 29.7 | 30.6 | 31.2 | 31.8 | 32.2 |
| 56 & up | 9.9 | 12.4 | 13.7† | 17.0 | 19.1 | 21.0 | 22.8 | 23.5† | 26.0 | 27.4 | 28.7 | 29.8 | 30.8 | 31.6 | 32.3 | 32.9 | 33.3 |
† Values are exactly as printed on the manufacturer's chart. Cells marked † break the smooth progression of their row and column and are likely printing errors — worth pointing out to students as a reason to understand where a chart's numbers come from.
Formulas
Body fat % = chart value at (age row, millimetre column)
Readings between columns round down (13.5 mm → 12–13 mm)
Above 36 mm: add 0.25% for every millimetre over 36
Bands: Lean · Ideal · Average · Overfat (shift right with age)
How It Works
There is no equation to apply — the chart has done the regression for you, which is why it is popular for self-testing. Measure at the site your caliper's instructions specify (for Accu-Measure-style calipers, about an inch above the hip bone on the right side), and take the average of two or three pinches.
A good class exercise: measure the same person with this chart and with the 3-site equation, and discuss why one site carries more error than three.
Sources
- Manufacturer’s lookup chart supplied with Accu-Measure-style personal body fat calipers (values as printed).
- Jackson AS, Pollock ML (1978). Br J Nutr 40(3):497–504 (the multi-site method it is usually compared against).
Questions
How do you read a body fat caliper chart?
Find the column for your skinfold in millimetres and the row for your age. The number where they meet is your estimated body fat percentage, and its colour shows the band.
What if my skinfold is over 36 mm?
Use the 34–36 mm column and add 0.25% for every millimetre above 36, as the chart instructs.
From Classroom to Clients
When your students start coaching, TrainerQ runs these same calculations on real clients — with programs, progress reports and bookings in one place. Free for coaches.