It’s a fact, if you are not tracking your progress in some form, then you are just guessing… Sadly this will not lead you to your physique goals.
Whether you’re getting ready to compete up on stage or just looking to tone up leading into Summer… we take a look at 5 different ways you can track your progress and measure your results!
COACH: The first thing to be noted is that it is very difficult for most people to judge themselves objectively, even for long time competitors. A coach is going to be an invaluable asset in determining what progress your body is making. While we can utilize several approaches to measure body fat and muscle levels, ultimately this is a visual sport so your measurements don’t count for much if you don’t look your best. First tool to judge progress is going to be a reliable coach. Look for one who isn’t afraid to tell you the truth (this is very important as many trainers fear they will lose their clients unless they keep blowing smoke up their bottoms). Partners and friends don’t always make great sounding boards either as they may lack the experience to know what they are looking at or they are afraid to give you negative feedback.
PINCHES: This is our preferred method of evaluating body fat changes. In the hands of an experienced person calliper pinches can be a very accurate method of tracking progress.
SCALES: are a must, just not by themselves as they do not tell you about body composition. Scales are best used in conjunction with one or two other methods listed in this article.
MEASURING TAPE: Is another good way of determining what is happening with the body. As with scales the measuring tape may not tell you exactly what is happening with some body parts (measurement would stay the same if you dropped a cm of fat while adding a cm of muscle). However for body parts like hips and waist the measuring tape is pretty accurate!
PROGRESS PHOTOS: A picture speaks a thousand words, and this is definitely true of progress photos. They are an excellent way of seeing visual improvements in areas not always reflected on the scales or by the measuring tape.
In an ideal world, using all five forms of measurement are going to yield the best results. However as a rule of thumb, we recommend utilising at least two or three of these methods in order to accurately track your progress. Scales, measuring tape and progress photos are simple and easy ways of keeping track of your results at home… with monthly pinches thrown in for accuracy and impartial feedback!
Planet Max is proud to offer a wide range of coaching services from Metabolic Precision Coaching, 8 Week Transformation Challenges, to Competition Preparation Coaching. You can also book in to get your body fat percentage measured through a 9 point pinch test by qualified staff members.