Dec 3, 2019

 by Bryan Preston

Do You Have Results That You Can Measure?

Ever feel like you have spent an endless number of hours in the gym but have no idea if you really have made any progress? Many times when people start a new workout, it’s exciting and they get caught up in something new. Then, as time goes on that wears off and you don’t have something you are working towards it can be tough to stay motivated.

Having progress and results that you can measure is a very powerful thing. It can help us stay focused and on track towards our goals. Too many times we see people just “winging it” and working out aimlessly. They never end up getting anywhere or have very little results to show for all their hard work.

We need ways to measure our progress and show that all of our hard work is paying off. Here are 5 ways that you can measure your progress with both your fitness and nutrition.

The scale. This is not evil or bad like it is often made out to be, the important thing to remember is not to make this our only focus. It is however, a tool like any other way we measure our progress. If your goal is weight loss, the scale can be a direct reflection of that. Where it falls short is body composition. The scale is a great way to measure progress when used with one or more other measures.

How do your clothes fit? This is one of my favorite ways to measure progress. It is subjective, yes but when you notice that your pants won’t stay up anymore without a belt, that is a direct reflection of losing weight. You can also set a goal to fit into that smaller dress size or pants. A smaller waist is a result of reducing your body fat.

Body circumference measurements are another great way to measure a reduction of body fat. Common measurement sights include the waist, thighs, hips, chest and arms. Ideally, the more measurement sights, the better but we should take a minimum of 3 measurements. This will give us a more accurate picture of our progress.

Body composition testing is one of the best ways to measure your progress. Skin fold calipers are very common and can be a great way to measure progress. The biggest issue with skin fold testing is that they are only as accurate as the quality of the calipers and the skill of the tester. High quality calipers can be expensive and user error can skew results. Bioelectrical Impedance is widely used and is easy and fast to do. The quality of the equipment is important as well as controlling variables with testing. We used a medical grade body composition tester at Martial Arts Fitness Center, the Inbody570. This is one of the highest quality body composition testers in the area and highly accurate. It is one of the best ways to measure your body composition and track your progress.

Have a fitness goal. Too often, people only focus on what the scale shows or losing weight. There are many other great ways to measure your progress and get the body you want. Setting a goal to run a 5k, do a pull up or complete 10 push ups are all great goals to work towards. Maybe your goal is to bench or squat 300 pounds? All these things will tie in with your nutrition and help you get the body you want. Marital Arts Fitness Center is the area’s only FitRanX facility. FitRanX is a fitness ranking system and give you real measurable fitness goals to work towards. Each time you pass a level test, you can see your progress. It is just another great way to have a goal that motivates you and keeps your improving every day.

So set your goals and have a plan. Make sure you have ways to measure your progress and see all your hard work pay off. See the results of your hard work pay off by measuring, tracking and knowing your progress. It feels really good to hit your goals, let’s crush them together!