Measurements shmeasurments

You kind of have to read the title exactly how it's written, and add a fed up tone to it. Do you get what I was going for? If I have to explain the title, it's probably not the best but here we are.

Tracking progress is one of the most important aspects of training for a lot of people. It makes sense though, you want to know if you’re getting results, and if you’re using the most efficient methods.

There’s just one problem with that. A LOT of people don’t understand how to properly track progress, and they don’t understand the measurements they’re reading. Quite often, beginners get caught up in scale weight or body scans, and it only has a negative effect on their training (before it has properly started). Instead of celebrating small victories like a solid routine or a full day of smart nutritional choices, our motivation goes down the drain because of a daily weight fluctuation or bloating.

When we are new to exercise and fitness, we aren't fully aware of the different components that effect our scale weight. Similarly, we would have no idea how to properly interpret a body scan that tells us the weight of our legs, how much water we carry, and how much muscle mass we have. That's why I try to steer my clients away from scans and scales. Now obviously in certain circumstances I use scale weight, and this is only when my clients goals relate directly to it.

I'm lucky enough to work with people from all walks of life, but a common denominator among majority of them is the way they've been conditioned to react negatively to scales. I've watched clients double their compound lifts and still lose motivation when they feel the scale doesn't reflect their hard work. We have been conditioned to treat our weight as a number that floats above our heads 24/7, or compulsory question on a Tinder date. What people can't fathom is that when people look at them, they aren't moving through a mental criteria to figure out their weight. Majority of the time they're thinking about how badly they need to shit, or where you got your shoes from. We have developed such an unhealthy obsession with scale weight that a 2 or 3 digit number overtakes everything else on the importance scale. Our weight is so high up on our priority list that it causes us to give up on; our health, the rush you get after you exercise, bragging about how much you lifted, and all the other small things that make us feel good. Don't even get me started on the fact that weight stops people from dressing comfortably, and feeling the freedom of wearing next to nothing in the ocean.

You're probably thinking "Wow, you're right. I've been so caught up in my measurements that I've forgotten why I started". Or you're thinking "Shut the fuck up and give me a solution". I'll go with the latter... below are methods myself and my clients use to track progress.

1. Photos & Videos - Sure, they don't tell you your weight. They don't tell you how much your left calf weighs. Why do we need to know that anyway? For most us, fitness is all about feeling good about ourselves. Before, during and after photos are so often overlooked by people in the fitness industry. They're not scientific, technical measurements but they sure as shit give you a good idea of how you're tracking. Keep in mind that if you choose photos as your measurement method, don't take them 1 week apart because you'll only hurt your own feelings. I recommend every 4-6 weeks as you give your body time to adjust and change. Something I do in my own progress tracking is take videos - it seems a bit awkward but I like not having to use the self timer or take a selfie. I set up my phone on my desk, strip down to the good old undies and give the camera a little twirl.

2. Measurements - Get the tape measure out. It's common to change tape measure measurements when we begin exercising while our weight remains idle. By using a tape measure, we can celebrate the small successes we have like 1cm on/off your thigh, rather than waiting to drop 5kg. I personally use a tape measure to track my progress because it helps me focus on size in certain areas, opposed to a scale weight which can only indicate an increase or decrease as a whole. It's important to remember too, that if you choose measurements, ALWAYS measure the same parts of your body. Measuring the bottom of your thigh one week, and the top the next, you won't get accurate readings. It can also save you losing motivation when you accidentally add 10cm to your measurement.

3. Exercise Specific Testing - You went into your program with the goal to jump onto a 1m high box, and now you're getting a DEXA body scan? Pointless. If your goal is to jump higher, run faster or do more chin ups, then use specific testing. A simple 1RM (1 repetition max) test is a great indication of how you're tracking. You can also use small increases in training intensity as a way of tracking your progress. Increasing your lift by 1.25kgs or getting to 10 lunges instead of 8 is still an indication that you're progressing. There is nothing important a body scan will tell you, that an exercise specific test can't if you're a beginner or intermediate.

At the end of the day, we aren't elite athletes. We are all just trying to develop healthy habits, and find ways to stay motivated. So rather than paying $90 for a body scan, or religiously weighing yourself after a morning sh*%, obsess over the process of changing your life and not the results.

I always tell people to trust the process. The thing with your body is that really, you can do whatever you want with it, but it doesn't happen overnight. The only way you'll stop hating exercise and 'cleaner' eating is by enjoying the way you feel over random numbers on a body chart.

It's important to remember that weight loss and muscle gain is a life long process when you take into account the maintenance. Stop looking at the scales and developing an awful relationship with your weight. Look at the scales only to weigh your morning sh*%, and use more practical and pleasant methods to track your progress.

Your coach & friend,

Maddy