Is it important to keep track of your measurements while working out?

Taking measurements is an important aspect when you are training for body composition, and shouldn’t be ignored. How will you see if what you’re doing (be it through diet or training) is actually working or not? Sure, changes in the way you look and how your clothes fit give you some idea about your progress but having concrete numbers in terms of measurement and comparisons removes any doubts. It helps you see subtle changes and can provide valuable insights and motivation.

It helps you determine body composition

The numbers on a weighing scale do matter, but not as much as you think. For example, a person who weighs 86 kgs with 10% body fat percentage is fitter than a person who weighs 75 kgs with a 20% body fat percentage. The smart weighing scale or body fat callipers can help determine the sum of your fat and lean body mass by taking into account body fat percentage, you will know about your body composition in detail. Progress is relative and there is much more to do than just getting to know how much you weigh.

It helps you determine goals

Your measurements can help you determine if you want to gain more muscle mass or do you want to lose some more body fat percentage. Training for different goals obviously requires different approaches, so the objective of training should be determined first rather than training randomly. By measuring body composition and weight, you can easily align your goals and your workout routine.

Figure out when to change

If your measurements reach a plateau, become stagnant and do not show further improvements, you instantly know it’s time to change your workout routine, diet or a combination of both.

Determining the diet

In order to increase muscle mass or reduce body fat percentage, it is critical to follow a diet and operate under either a calorie surplus or a calorie deficit. By tracking progress effectively, your coach or nutritionist can determine the nutrition needed for the coming week, making sure you are on the right path.

Measurements act as motivation

Seeing the decrease in body fat percentage or increase in lean mass percentage will keep you motivated to keep pushing harder and chances of your staying committed towards your workout routine automatically increase.

Records for future

Many of us may take a break from our training and diet routine. In such cases, these numbers are especially helpful if you need to know what your previous rate of progress was, what your previous body composition was, and what changes worked for your body. Having these records in place not only show you how far you’ve come but help you and your coach set the future pace for your workout routine

Now that we have established the importance of measurements, how frequently should you measure your weight and body fat percentage? 

Taking into account convenience as well as efficient tracking, it is advisable to take measurements once every week, or at least biweekly. You can take the help of your coach or facility at the fitness centre to get these measurements done.

There are a number of ways in which you can take your measurements. The DEXA scanner is the most accurate and are found in hospitals, and not in gyms, reasons being the technical usage and cost of setup. The most common instruments are electrical impedance scales and body fat callipers. Scales are simple and easy to use, but results derived are often not hundred percent accurate. Body fat callipers are more accurate but require more skill to use. A combination of the above two will enable you to track your measurements in our gym

We, at Invictus Athletic Club strongly believe that measurements are not limited to the number of kilos on the weighing scale but as a combination of your workout progress, your weight and body fat composition.

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