7-Site Skinfold Body Fat Calculator

About this calculator

The Jackson-Pollock 7-site skinfold method estimates body fat percentage by measuring the thickness of skin folds — using calipers — at seven standardized locations on the body (chest, midaxillary, triceps, subscapular, abdomen, suprailiac, and thigh), since the thickness of subcutaneous fat at these sites correlates with total body fat. The sum of the seven measurements, combined with age and sex, is plugged into a regression equation developed by researchers Jackson and Pollock to estimate body density, which then converts to a body fat percentage.

This calculator applies that equation to your seven-site skinfold sum, age, and sex. It's a long-standing method used by personal trainers, strength coaches, and exercise physiologists for tracking body composition changes over time — it's more accurate than simple BMI-based estimates and doesn't require specialized equipment like a DEXA scan, though results depend heavily on measurement technique and are best used to track trends rather than as a single precise reading.