In order to achieve “new definitions” this year, we must first determine our starting line. Establishing a complete “before” picture of yourself and your body today will set you up to see immediate progress from your efforts all year long. And you can do it at home, by yourself!
Every time I sit down with a new client I take body composition measurements. They are not glamorous, definitely not fun, and can be downright discouraging for a lot of us. I know this. BUT they are the single best way to track your progress and keep you motivated throughout the year as you work towards your goals.
As you progress with your weight loss program, you will be losing inches on different areas of your body. Oppositely, if your goals include gaining muscle size, you will actually be gaining inches. Either way, these are the changes we’ll want to track with circumference measurements – literally measuring the circumference of different body parts. Common areas of measurement include the waist, hips, chest, thighs, etc.
Circumference measurements, in particular, are my favorite method of tracking changes in body composition because most people see a difference within only a few weeks. They are also the easiest and least expensive tool for assessing change over time. Additionally, there are no “standards” to compare yourself with (or to discourage you!), since each person’s body is different. You take your own measurements to start (creating a standard for yourself) and every measurement moving forward is compared to your benchmarks. You are your only competition!
All you need to measure yourself is a non-elastic cloth or fiberglass tape measure (something bendable, like what you’d use for sewing). When you are measuring, make sure not to pull the tape too tight – you want it taut enough to stay in position without causing any indentation of the skin. So no cheating to get smaller numbers! Accuracy is critical at this stage of the game – remember, you’ll be tracking your progress all year!
I’ve written before about how to take circumference measurements, so I’ve included a few clips from that article below. The important thing to keep in mind is to be consistent in your measurements.
Where to Measure
To ensure the accuracy of your readings, it is helpful to associate anatomical landmarks with each reading (like taking your abdominal circumference at the level of your belly button). This practice keeps your recordings consistent and reduces the chance for error. The list below contains specific measurements and their landmarks.
Circumference Locations & Landmarks
Waist: the narrowest point between the bottom of your rib cage and the top of your hip bones
Hips: with your feet together, the point where your butt sticks out the most (not our favorite measurement, I know…)
Abdominal: at the level of your belly button
Chest: the very center of your chest, across the nipple line (without a padded bra ladies!)
Upper Arm: with your arm extended, you want to measure the largest part of your upper arm (the belly of the muscles)
Forearm: with your arm extended, the largest part of the lower arm (usually right below the elbow)
Wrist: with your arm extended, the narrowest point above your hand
Thigh: stand with one leg in front of the other, measure the front leg at the largest part of the thigh (again, the belly of the muscle)
Calf: measure the front leg at the largest part of the calf (the lower portion of the leg)
The important thing is to take your measurements in the same place every few months. Make notes if you decide to measure elsewhere, so you’ll remember to do the same later on. For example, perhaps you have a birthmark on your upper thigh and you decide to measure at that level. It’s perfectly fine to do this – you’ll be losing weight across your whole body so all of these measurements (and more!) will work to follow these changes. Whatever you decide, just be consistent.
If you’d like to read more on body composition measurements, check out my previous articles on the subject:
The Secret to Seeing Weight Loss Results
Do-It-Yourself Body Composition Measurements
Your Guide to At-Home Body Fat Analysis
The next several posts in this series will go into more detail on setting benchmarks. Now that we have circumference measurements, it’s time to begin assessing your fitness level. There are a number of fitness tests designed to evaluate your strength, stamina, speed, balance, cardiovascular health, and flexibility, and we’ll go into a few of them here on Trainer Confidential. Again, everything can be done at home with little or no equipment, which makes these tests easy and accessible for all of us.
Remember, it’s a new year, the start of a new decade, and it can be the beginning of a healthier you, if you make the decision to change. So choose your health, take some circumference measurements today, and together we’ll work towards achieving new definitions in 2010!
