Age
Record in yearsThis is a recorded input rather than a body measurement site.
Enter your current age alongside the physical measurements.
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Method guide
Jackson & Pollock 3-Site Body Fat Calculator
Uses age and a gender-specific set of skinfold measurements.
Calculate
- Accuracy
- ±4-5%Typical error against a reference method
- Equipment
- skinfold calipers
- Measurement count
- 4
Counts include age, weight and height when required.
How to measure
How to take the measurements
Equipment and Good Technique
Use skinfold calipers on bare, dry skin. Mark every landmark before starting. Grasp skin and the fat beneath it between thumb and forefinger, lift the fold away from the muscle, and keep holding it while the caliper jaws close slightly below your fingers. The jaws stay perpendicular to the fold even when the fold itself is diagonal.
Required Inputs and Measurement Locations
Measure every item listed for your calculation. Labels show when an input applies only to men or women.
Chest Skinfold
Men onlyRecord in mmOn the chest, between the armpit and nipple.
Fold direction: diagonal.
Mark the midpoint between the front of the armpit and nipple, then follow the natural diagonal fold.
Tricep Skinfold
Women onlyRecord in mmOn the back of the upper arm, halfway between the shoulder and elbow.
Fold direction: vertical.
Let the arm hang, mark the midpoint behind it, and lift vertically without tensing the triceps.
Abdomen Skinfold
Men onlyRecord in mmOn the abdomen near the navel.
Fold direction: vertical.
Relax the abdomen, mark the same point beside the navel, and lift the fold away from the abdominal wall.
Thigh Skinfold
Record in mmOn the front of the thigh, halfway between the hip and knee.
Fold direction: vertical.
Unweight the measured leg, mark the midpoint, and lift the relaxed fold vertically.
Suprailiac Skinfold
Women onlyRecord in mmJust above the upper edge of the hip bone.
Fold direction: diagonal.
Find the hip bone’s upper edge, mark just above it, and follow the natural diagonal fold.
Measurement Protocol
Follow this sequence
- Choose the correct gender-specific site set, then mark every site on the right side of the body.
- Measure on bare, dry skin while standing with the measured area relaxed.
- Take one reading at each selected site, waiting briefly before recording the caliper value.
- Rotate through the selected sites for repeat readings so each fold has time to settle.
- Average readings only when they are consistent; if they disagree, reset the landmark, fold direction and caliper position first.
Accuracy and mistakes
How accurate is the Jackson & Pollock 3-Site method?
Jackson & Pollock 3-Site has an estimated accuracy range of ±4–5% with proper technique. Use that range alongside the method’s practical limitations when deciding whether it suits your measurements.
Who it suits: People who want a shorter caliper session and can follow the correct gender-specific site set.
The trade-off: There are fewer folds to collect than in the longer Jackson & Pollock protocols, leaving less room for a poorly placed reading.
What This Method Measures
Uses age and a gender-specific set of skinfold measurements.
Jackson & Pollock 3-Site combines age with a gender-specific skinfold set. Men measure the chest, abdomen and thigh; women measure the triceps, suprailiac and thigh. Everyone also enters age.
This shorter protocol suits someone who wants a quick caliper routine and can reliably identify the correct landmarks. Its main tradeoff is that each reading carries practical importance in a compact input set, so speed should not replace careful placement and repetition.
- Required inputs
- 4 per calculation, with gender-specific inputs labelled below.
- Equipment
- Prepare skinfold calipers.
Common mistakes that change the result
- Mixing the men’s chest and abdomen sites with the women’s triceps and suprailiac set.
- Pinching the thigh while the measured leg is carrying body weight.
- Using a horizontal fold at a site whose direction is vertical or diagonal.
- Rushing because the protocol has a short site list.
- Keeping the first reading when repeated values suggest that placement changed.
What the estimate means
The calculator turns the recorded inputs into a body fat percentage estimate. For Jackson & Pollock 3-Site, the estimated accuracy range is ±4–5% with proper technique. A range is not a promise that one reading is exact.
Treat the result as an estimate. When tracking changes, compare readings collected with the same method and procedure. A changed tool, landmark, body side, timing or operator can make readings less comparable. The number does not diagnose health or replace qualified advice, and formulas with different inputs are not interchangeable.
How this compares to other methods
Ordered by typical error, lowest first. Counts include age, weight and height when required.
| Method | AccuracyTypical error against a reference method | Measurement count | Equipment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parrillo | ±3-4% | 10 | skinfold calipers, a body-weight scale |
| Jackson & Pollock 7-Site | ±3-4% | 8 | skinfold calipers |
| Jackson & Pollock 4-Site | ±3.5-4.5% | 5 | skinfold calipers |
| Durnin & Womersley | ±3.5-5% | 5 | skinfold calipers |
| Jackson & Pollock 3-SiteCurrent method | ±4-5% | 4 | skinfold calipers |
| Covert Bailey | ±4-5% | 5 | a soft tape measure |
| U.S. Navy | ±4-6% | 3 for men · 4 for women | a soft tape measure, a reliable way to measure standing height |
| Modified YMCA | ±4-6% | 2 for men · 5 for women | a soft tape measure, a body-weight scale |
| YMCA | ±5-7% | 2 | a soft tape measure, a body-weight scale |
Where to Go Next
Read the evidence guide
Review the sources and limitations behind Jackson & Pollock 3-Site on its paired research page.
View research →Use the calculator app
Take your prepared readings to Body Fat Calculator, select Jackson & Pollock 3-Site, and enter the measurements listed for your calculation.
PRO+ includes measurement history and progress tracking in the app. You can also sync app results with Apple Health on iOS when you enable the integration and grant permission.
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