Who is Francis Holway?Francis Holway grew up on a farm in Argentina. From a young age he had an interest in the human physique, due to his Interest in the film ‘Tarzan’. He would watch and wonder “How could I achieve such a sculpted physique?”.From the mid-1990s, Holway worked as a personal trainer. He attended a lecture on the topic ‘muscle-to-bone-ratio’, also known as MBR, which shows how much muscle mass a skeleton is carrying. When athletes know this information about their body, they can reduce the amount of injuries they occur and reach their peak physique. From this lecture, Holway learned how to calculate a person’s MBR using specialized tools. He works to a ‘Five-to-one’ ratio; for each pound of bone a body carries, it can support five pounds of muscle. After that, a body will only add fat.Holway went on to produce measurements for thousands of athletes including Football players and Boxers. He has travelled the world consulting with the Military, Olympic Committees and many well known sports teams.What is a Skinfold Caliper?A skinfold caliper is a device used to measure the thickness of skinfolds at specific locations on the body to estimate body fat percentage. The tool typically consists of a pair of caliper arms with a dial or digital readout that shows the measurement in millimeters.Here’s how it works:Pinch: The examiner pinches a fold of skin and the underlying fat at a specific site on the body.Measure: The caliper is then applied to the pinched area to measure the thickness of the skinfold.Record: The thickness is recorded, usually in millimeters.Common sites for skinfold measurement include the triceps, biceps, subscapular (under the shoulder blade), suprailiac (above the hip bone), and thigh. The measurements are often taken at multiple sites, and then formulas are used to estimate the overall body fat percentage based on these readings.Skinfold calipers are a popular tool in fitness assessments because they offer a relatively inexpensive and non-invasive way to monitor changes in body composition over time. However, the accuracy can depend on the skill of the person taking the measurements and the specific formula used for calculations.
