Okay, it's true, the word "calipers" sounds like something out of a textbook of medieval history...nobody uses that kind of stuff anymore, right?  Wrong.  In fact, body fat calipers are a 21st century way to truly know what's up with your body's fat to muscle ratios. Here's why.

There are a number of measurements you can use to try to figure out your areas of success in weight loss.  You can go by the BMI (body mass index) used by physicians.  You can track your weights over a period of time and make a graph.  You can take digital pictures of yourself and try to guess when your weight loss plan is taking off.  Or, you can use actual tools to see how different areas of your body are responding to training.

Serious workout enthusiasts who are looking for specific fixes will want to do the latter, and get a good pair of body fat calipers.  These tools simply take measurements of certain skin folds at different points on the body to give an individual a good picture of what their body fat ratios look like.  Professional trainers can instruct you on just how to handle these measurements, and detailed handouts available over the web can make you an expert in deciphering body fat ratios in 'real-time'.  That’s a valuable skill for people who need to keep close track of their bodies, like anyone whose job involves going on television, or in front of a camera: and in today’s world, that’s a lot of us.  Using tools like calipers lets us see what the world sees, rather than just relying on numbers.

Rather than asking "How fat am I?", people using calipers are asking "What specific body responses am I getting from my 100 ab crunches/free weight training/miles on the treadmill/etc..."  So your method of measurement should match what matters to you.  If you're obsessed with just getting your 'magic number' lower, go with the scales, but keep this in mind: tricky habits like loading up on water, eating before sleeping, or anything else that can affect day to day weigh-ins won't be caught by a scale.  And besides that, some kinds of achievements won't show up on those scales either.  A simple weight doesn't reflect everything that's going on with your body, nor does it show the true responses to all of the various fitness goals you have set for yourself.

So pick up a pair of calipers and study them closely.  Don't be afraid; they're not torture instruments.  They're just part of your fitness closet.  And don't think you have to go high-tech: body fat calipers aren't like your Polar heart rate monitor or your GPS-enabled exercise bike.  They're like a ruler for your body.  Use them every day, and you'll see a different you, a better map of the way to success.  And that can motivate you to do what you need to do: to take care of yourself with carefully cultivated fitness routines.