Personal Training

What is hydrostatic body fat testing?

Hydrostatic body fat testing, or underwater weighing, is the immersion of the body in water to get the most precise measurement of body fat percentage. Based on the Archimedes principle, hydrostatic testing is a more exact measurement because bone, muscle and connective tissue, known as lean mass, sinks while body fat floats, giving you a more accurate measurement than with traditional body fat testing methods.

Why should I take this test?

Traditional scale weight can not determine how much muscle (lean mass) or fat mass you have. When working out, especially with weight training, a traditional scale may not show the kinds of results that you might be expecting. This can be caused by muscle gain and fat loss cancelling each other out. A body fat test can show your progress much more effectively and realistically. You’ll be able to track how much muscle you’ve gained and how much fat you’ve lost, which is much more encouraging!*

What can I expect when doing the body fat test?

The hydrostatic body fat test is done in a four-foot by eight-foot tank of water at our facility. The water is kept somewhere between 90 and 95 degrees farenheit, so it should feel very comfortable. Your height, weight and ankle will be measured before you enter the tank. Inside the tank is a scale for measuring your underwater weight. You will lay face down on this scale and at your own pace will exhale all the air from your body so that you sink towards the bottom of the tank, completely submerging your body in the water. Once the Rawmana Fitness professional takes a reading on the scale, they will tap you on the shoulder and you can come up for air. This is usually done between three and five times to ensure an accurate test result.