Eric Armstrong said:
>>Over the weekend, I got another version of the Tanita scales -- this one
with athlete mode. The box says the scales have high correlation with the
most accurate forms of measurment (e.g. immersion), but there is a huge
difference between "athlete" mode and"normal" mode.

People who train with weights and have more lean mass than the average Joe
or Jane will have what sounds like a high body weight relative to height.
With electrical impedence (scales or hand held meters), they will sometimes
get very innacurate (over-blown) readings.  A case in point--a 62 year old
body builder here in Toledo who is very strong, very muscular (he looks
great), and very lean.  When he was preparing for a contest last year or the
year before the electrical impedence device at our gym said his body fat was
21% when he was so darn lean (from contest dieting) and had much less than
10% body fat.  His lean to fat ratio was so out of the ordinary that the
scale was not calibrated to accurately measure it.

You can use the anthropometric charts (e.g. in Barry Sears' books) to get a
close approximation of your body fat.  You use measurements, weight, height,
etc. in some simple formulas.

>>>(I wish I knew of someone who does full immersion testing.
Maybe I could try correlating with the chart at the back
of the Zone book??)

Call the hospitals in your area.  In my area, one hospital in town does
hydrostatic (that's underwater) weighing in the exercise physiology dept.
It costs only $20.  They also us calipers.  Using two methods is good for
cross checking and giving you a base line reading, particularly if you are
aiming to increase your lean mass (WHICH EVERYONE SHOULD BE INTERESTED
IN!!!)

Muscle is THE metabolically active tissue.  As we age, if we don't work to
increase lean mass, we lose it (esp. if we've done low protein-high carb
diets, chronic low calorie dieting, or yo-yo dieting, if we've not done
weight training, etc).  Less muscle = lower metabolic rate and more flab.
More muscle = a higher metabolic rate even at rest and a better shape.
Muslcle gives everyone (women included) better curves and a more pleasing
look.  It helps improve posture and carriage.  It also helps us many other
things with ease.  It can also, if done properly, build bone mass!  You are
never too old to lift weights and benefit from it.

Rachel Matesz

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