BOD PODs – What Are They?
aka How In-Shape Is The Jerd?
One of the most popular articles here at the Jerd is a piece entitled “How to Measure Your Body Fat Percentage.”
In it I detail why Body Mass Index (BMI) is a really poor way to measure your health (and why doctors need to stop relying on it), what body fat percentage is, and the five major ways you can accurately measure it.
Of course you should read that first, but here’s a recap of those methods (in order from least to most accurate) if you’re in a hurry:
- Body Fat Scales
- Body Fat Calipers
- DEXA Scanning
- Water displacement
- The BOD POD
One thing that has always bugged me about that article is that, at the time of writing, I had never done anything more accurate than using body fat calipers; and as frequent readers of the site know, I pride myself on being thorough with my research.
So when my gym announced they had a BOD POD coming in to do body scans I had to jump at the chance!
Out of the three higher-end methods the BOD POD was, not only the most accurate but also, the one that intrigued me the most; I think because, after a little Internet research, I was convinced it was fueled by some sort of dark sorcery instead of science.
So let’s take a look at exactly how the BOD POD works, and what my experience was like!
If figuring out your optimal weight is difficult, then trying to understand body fat percentages can be downright impossible!