How to Estimate Body Fat

Covert Bailey advises that you can estimate your fat ratio by seeing how well you can float on your back in a regular swimming pool:
  • Above 25% fat, people float easily;
  • People with 22-23% fat (a healthy level for women) can usually float while breathing shallowly;
  • At 15% fat (low for a woman, healthy for a man), one will usually sink slowly even with a full chest of air;
  • At 13% or less fat, one will sink readily even with a full chest of air, even in salty ocean water.