HesapHanem

Sum of Skinfolds Calculator

Enter your skinfold measurements to get the total.

How it is calculated

The tool adds the caliper readings you enter: sum = s1 + s2 + s3 + s4 + s5 + s6 + s7, each reading being the skinfold thickness in millimetres at one body site. Up to seven sites can be used, and any field left empty is simply skipped, so you can enter three sites, four sites or all seven. The only validation is that a reading cannot be negative; a negative number returns no result. If all fields are empty there is also no result. The total is shown in millimetres with two decimals. The tool does not estimate body-fat percentage or body density: it gives the raw total only, which you can compare over time or enter into a formula you have chosen. Make sure the same sites and the same protocol are used every time.

Worked example

A coach records four sites: 12.5 mm, 18 mm, 20.5 mm and 9 mm. Running total: 12.5 + 18 = 30.5; 30.5 + 20.5 = 51.0; 51.0 + 9 = 60.0. The remaining three fields are left empty and ignored. The tool shows 60.00 mm. If the same four sites measured 54.00 mm eight weeks later, the drop of 6 mm in the total would show a thinner layer of fat under the skin, assuming the technique was the same both times.

Try this example →

Common mistakes

  • Mixing different site sets between sessions. A 4-site total cannot be compared with a 7-site total, because the sum depends on how many places were measured.
  • Typing an average instead of each reading. Take the reading at each site (often a few repeats, then one value) and enter one number per site, not the mean of all sites.
  • Entering the pinch width in centimetres or the caliper reading in inches. The fields are in millimetres, so 1.2 cm is 12.
  • Treating the sum as body-fat percentage. It is a total thickness in millimetres; turning it into a percentage needs a separate equation that also uses age and sex.
  • Leaving a measured site as 0 when it was not measured. Zero adds nothing, but it can be mistaken later for a real reading, so clear unused fields instead.

Sources

About this calculator

The sum of skinfolds adds together caliper readings — commonly a 3-site (chest, abdomen, thigh for men; triceps, suprailiac, thigh for women) or full 7-site protocol (chest, abdomen, thigh, triceps, subscapular, midaxillary and suprailiac) — taken at standardized anatomical landmarks with a spring-loaded skinfold caliper. The raw total is the direct input to regression equations such as the Jackson-Pollock formulas that convert it into estimated body density and body fat percentage.

Personal trainers, strength coaches, and exercise physiologists track this sum over time as a practical, low-cost alternative to DEXA or hydrostatic weighing, since a rising or falling total tracks changes in subcutaneous fat even before a full body-fat calculation is done.

Was this helpful?

You can pick up to 3 reactions.

Comments (1)

  • Editorial team

    A skinfold total can never beat the pinch behind it. With the default readings of 10, 12, 8 and 15 mm the tool gives 45.00 mm, but a two-millimetre slip at one site shifts that as much as real change over weeks would. Measure each site twice on the same side of the body, enter the average, and keep the time of day constant. Which protocol do you follow: three sites, seven sites or another set?

Popular calculators

Loan Calculator

Monthly payment, total interest and full amortization schedule.

Percentage Calculator

Percent change, percent of, and ratio calculations.

Discount Calculator

Calculate final price, savings, and discount amount.

BMI Calculator

Body mass index from height and weight (metric or imperial).

Age Calculator

Compute your exact age in years, months and days from a birth date.

Compound Interest Calculator

Calculate the final amount and interest earned with compounding.

All Calculators