Class Average Results of Skinfold Assessment

Women

Suprailiac: 16.08mm

Thigh: 26.83mm

Tricep: 18.33mm

Men:

Abdomen: 29mm

Chest: 18mm

Thigh: 24mm

Understanding Body Composition

Body composition is the body’s relative amount of fat to fat free mass. Those with optimal body composition are typically healthier, move more easily and efficiently, and in general, feel better than those with less-than-ideal body composition. Achieving a more optimal body composition goes a long way toward improving your quality of life and overall wellness.

Body composition is divided into two separate types of mass: fat-free mass -- which is comprised of all of the body’s non-fat tissues -- and body fat. Fat-free mass includes bone, water, muscle, and tissues. Body fat is literally fat located within the body. Some fat is necessary for overall health; it helps protect internal organs, provides energy and regulates hormones that perform various functions in body regulation. However, when someone is overweight or obese, they have an excessive accumulation of body fat.

Body fat includes essential fats, such as lipids, and nonessential body fats; these fats make up around five percent of total body weight for men, and up to 12 percent for women. Nonessential fat is found mainly within fat cells and adipose tissue, below the skin and surrounding major organs. The amount of nonessential fat stored in the body is variable among individuals on factors such as age, gender, and diet. Excess nonessential fat can normally be attributed to consuming more food energy than what is burned through metabolic functions and activity.

Body fat percentage is the percentage of total body weight that is comprised of fat. Decreasing your body fat percentage, if it is too high, isn’t just about improving your appearance. A high percentage of body fat can have a negative effect on your overall well-being: Excess fat has been linked to numerous health problems such as increased risk for diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart disease. Having excess fat, specifically surrounding the internal organs, can damage your health and contribute to serious medical conditions such as liver disease.


http://weightloss.about.com/od/backtobasics/f/bodycomp.htm

How To Reduce Body Fat Percentage

There is no way to pick what part of your body you want the fat to come off of. Whether you have excess body fat in your midsection, thighs or arms, the procedure is exactly the same.

2

Eating foods that have fat in them will not necessarily make you gain body fat. The only thing that will make you gain excess body fat is excess calories. Carbohydrates and protein can make you gain just as much weight.

3

The only way to lose body fat is a combination of reducing calorie intake through your diet and burning calories with exercise.

4

The best exercise to do for reducing body fat percentage isn't sit ups, crunches or curls. The best exercise is something that will burn a lot of calories such as running, biking, swimming and most team sports.

5

Muscle tissue burns more calories than fat tissue does. You should include a good strength training routine in your workout to build more muscle that will help you burn even more calories throughout the day.

Skinfold Assessment

The next Skinfold Assessment will be held on October 10th, 2010. Please read the following for more information and directions as to what will be expected.

There will separate assesments for both men and women.

Test: The procedures of this test require myself and my team to use calipers to analyze each individual's body fat percentage and how that impacts their overall health.

Please be aware that that testing may be invasive and some may find it somewhat uncomfortable. If you do not wish to participate, please let me know so we can take care of this matter.

Safety: All calipers will be cleaned with alcoholic wipes in between each test, and all necessary precautions will be made to ensure a safe testing environment.
The men and women will be tested on the chest, abdomen and thigh and the triceps, supraillium, and thigh respectivley. We will be testing the particpants based on ACSM Standards for a 3 site skinfold test.

Please wear shorts and short sleeves shirts. Men will have to remove their shirts for the testing.

Privacy: All tests will be done in a private room away from other participants. All test scores will also remain confidential.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at thibaula@kean.edu.

Trainer-Client Contract

Goal/Purpose and Explanation of Service:

The exercise consultant’s goal is to develop a physical activity program in order to improve your overall health. Reaching the goal of optimum health, absent other non-physical activity complicating factors, requires a sincere commitment from you, possible lifestyle changes and a positive attitude. I understand that the purpose of the exercise program is to develop and maintain cardio respiratory fitness, body composition, flexibility, muscular strength and endurance.

A specific exercise plan will be given to me, based on my needs and abilities. All exercise prescription components will comply with proper exercise program protocols. The programs include, but are not limited to aerobic exercise, flexibility training, and strength training. All programs are designed to place a gradually increasing workload on the body in order to improve overall fitness.

The exercise consultant is not trained to provide medical diagnoses, and no comment or recommendation should be construed as being a medical diagnosis or medical opinion. Since every human being is unique, the exercise consultant cannot guarantee any specific result from a recommendation.

Expectations of the client are to be committed to making lifestyle changes by eating a healthy diet, following nutritional advice, no/very little alcohol consumption (no alcohol for minors), and no lack in effort. There is no excuse for laziness or complaining.

Expectations of the trainer are to be prepared with a workout for the client for their specific needs. The trainer will not let the client quit and will make sure the client succeeds in becoming a more healthy being, surpassing their goals for training. The trainer will provide varied nutritional information and varied workouts for each clients needs.

Risks:

I understand, and have been informed, that there exists the possibility of injury or bodily harm when engaging in a physical activity program. I have been informed that these changes could include abnormal blood pressure, fainting, disorders of heart rhythm, stroke and very rare instances of heart attack or even death. I have been told that every effort will be made to minimize these occurrences by proper screening and by precautions and observations taken during the exercise session. I understand that there is a risk of injury, heart attack, or even death as a result of my participation in an exercise program, but knowing those risks, it is my desire to partake in the recommended activities.

Benefits:

I understand that participation in an exercise program has many health related benefits. These may include improvements in body composition, range of motion, musculoskeletal strength and endurance, and cardiorespiratory efficiency. Furthermore, regular exercise can improve blood pressure and lipid profile, metabolic function, and decrease the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Physiological Experience:

I have been informed that during my participation in the exercise program, I will be asked to complete physical activities that may elicit physiological responses/symptoms that include, but are not limited to the following: elevated heart rate, elevated blood pressure, sweating, fatigue, increased respiration, muscle soreness, cramping, and nausea.

Inquiries and Freedom of Consent:

I have been given an opportunity to ask questions about the exercise program. I further understand that there are also other remote health risks. Despite the fact that a complete accounting of all these remote risks has not been provided to me, I still desire to proceed with the exercise program. I acknowledge that I have read this document in its entirety or that it has been read to me if I was unable to read. I consent to the rendition of all services and procedures as explained herein by all program personnel.

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Date

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Participant’s Signature

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Witness’s Signature

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Trainer’s Signature

SkinFold

The Skinfold Assessment will be held on Monday, October 18th. We will be conducting the ACSM 3 Site Skinfold Measurement Assessment.

There will be seperate assessments for both men and women. The women will be tested at the following 3 sites:
-Triceps (Vertical fold; on the posterior midline of the upper arm, halfway between the acromium and olecranon processes, with the arm held freely to the side of the body.)
-Suprailium (Diagonal fold; in line with the natural angle of the iliac crest taken in the anterior axillary line immediately superior to the iliac crest.)
-Thigh (Vertical fold; on the anterior midline of the thigh, midway between the promixal border of the patella and the inguinal crease (hip).)

The men will be tested at the following 3 sites:
-Chest (Diagonal fold; one-half the distance between the anterior axillary line and the nipple.)
-Abdomen (Vertical fold; 2 cm. to the right side of the umbilicus)
-Thigh (Vertical fold; on the anterior midline of the thigh, midway between the proximal border of the patella and the inguinal crease (hip).)

This test may be invasive, but it is very safe, and will cause no harm to the body. The skinfold calipers will be wiped down with alcohol wipes between every test. As the student is being tested, the test will be done in a private room. The test scores will remain confidential.

The Skinfold assessment is the most common way of testing body fat percentage and composition. This test determines the thickness of certain lcoations on the body, measuring subcutaneous adipose tissue lying under the skin. Skinfolds are taken on the right side of the body with a caliper, pinching the skin at certain sites, and pulling the skin away from the muscle to be able to get the correct measurement of the skin and fat. The skinfold thickness is measured in millimeters. Two measurements are recorded to take the average.

Preparation: You must come prepared wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Men may have to remove their shirt to properly assess the skinfold of the chest.

The skinfold assessment is 98% accurate. There are certain formulas for calculations to measure body fat percentage and composition. The second time the assessment is done, the measurements must be taken in the same areas and conditions as they were taken the first time.