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Omron Body Fat Analyzer
fooling the mOron
I did some really extreme experimenting with the Omron Body Fat analyzer,
or as I lovingly refer to it, the mOron. I used it almost daily, seeing how it would change depending on what I'd eaten the
night before, how hydrated I was, before exercise, after exercise, arms high or low, tight grip, loose grip, arms locked.
I seem to get my lowest Omron readings in the morning, post-workout, with sweaty palms and a lot of water in my
stomach.
It's always going to be several percentage points higher than calipers.
It's usually about 3-4% higher on me but people with breasts will see a monster difference between caliper readings and Omron
readings. The Omron sends an electrical current through your upper body and will read the fat in your breast tissue. That's
never taken into account with calipers.
Here are a few pointers for using it. Since it *always* reads
a few percentage points higher than calipers, I don't consider this cheating, I consider it helping. If you want to "help"
your mOron...
1) Hold the sensors with a nice relaxed grip. Squeezing the hell out of it only seems to drive the reading
up.
2) Don't lock your elbows. I'm not saying bend your arms (you cheater, you!). I'm just saying don't lock them
out. This is a biggie. Several tenths of a percent on the line right here.
3) Hold it as low as you can get away with
while still having your arms straight out in front of you. Aim for boob level as opposed to shoulder or eyeball level.
4)
The lower your weight, the better your reading. This is the exact opposite of calipers. With calipers, a higher scale weight
usually gives you more lean mass and a lower percentage of body fat. With the mOron, enter a higher weight and it just assumes
you're fat.
Soooo, if you really want to fake one of these things out: hold it loosely, hold it low, don't lock your
arms, and lie through your teeth about what you weigh... or at the very least, give it your naked in the morning weight, not
what you weigh at the gym with shoes, sweaty clothes, and a gallon of water in your stomach. I can knock off .5 to 1.5% by
making these minor adjustments. It's not much, but every little bit helps. Oh,
yeah, and it helps to eat a filet mignon the night before. It seems to think that's new lean mass. :-)
Now, I realize that I talk a lot of smack about my mOron, but I really do love the stupid thing.
Once you understand its little quirks, it's the easiest body fat reading ever conceived. If the numbers are dropping,
you know you're on the right track. I'm only willing to subject myself to caliper readings every 4-6 weeks
but I use the Omron all the time. It sidesteps the mental anguish associated with having rolls of
your fat clamped in giant pinchers.
Omron Body Fat Analyzer
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