Body Composition
Body composition is an essential measure of health and fitness for both athletes and the general population.
For sportsmen and women, there is nothing more detrimental than carrying dead weight.
If you are considering a weight loss program, accurately assessing your body fat percentage is The most important measurement you can take. In fact...
Even if you wanted to gain weight simply measuring your body mass is not enough. Some athletes would fall into the obese category of height/weight tables despite having very little body fat!
And what about aging? There is no question that successful aging is largely in our own hands. Assess your body composition regularly and you don't have to succumb to one of the "normal" and detrimental effects of growing old.
So what is the best method for assessing body composition? What is your ideal body fat percentage? Which athletes typically have the highest and lowest levels of body fat?
Weight Management Programs
Are you on a weight loss or even a weight gain program? Calculating your body fat percentage before, during and after is THE most important measurement you can take. Here's why... Research shows that many fad diets, with little or no exercise can cause a person to lose as much muscle tissue as fat. What's more...
There is a good chance that this person will return to their pre-diet weight. Only now they gain back more fat and less lean muscle. Essentailly , they are the same weight but they now have a higher body fat percentage and less lean muscle mass. The point to remember is...
Weighing scales will not show any of these changes. Measuring your body fat percentage will. Measure it and you can manage it. If you notice you are losing considerable lean tissue mass as well as fat, you can take appropriate steps to adjust your program.
If you have ever followed a strict exercise and nutrition program you'll understand what a key role motivation plays. As with any fitness test this is one the most powerful qualities of calculating body fat percentage. Imagine this quick example...
Sam follows a proper exercise and nutrition program. After a month or so of dedication and determination she notices her weight has changed only slightly if at all... Arrgh!
Not getting discouraged Sam has her body fat percentage measured...
Before her program Sam weighed 150lbs with a body fat percentage of 30%. After 6 weeks she weighs 148lbs. But her body fat percentage has dropped to 26%. The result?
Over 6.5lbs of highly-motivating fat loss! And she has gained 4.5lbs of healthy lean muscle. This situation is so common that you should never gauge the success of a weight loss program with the bathroom scales alone.
And it's exactly the same for someone on weight gain program... only in reverse. In this case any additional weight should come from lean muscle mass. No way to tell that with the bathroom scales. Plus, what if you're weight stays the same? Maybe you put on 10lbs of muscle while losing 10lbs of fat.
So what other benefits does knowing your body fat percentage give you? Let's look at the long term picture and consider you’re healthy, strong and sexy.
Athletic Performance
No doubt about it. Excess body fat hinders sport performance.
Granted, outstanding sports men and women come in all shapes and sizes... even within the same sport. But remember, it's not your weight that matters but your body fat percentage. Here are some of the reasons why...
Excess body fat is related to injury, non adherence to training and overall reduced athletic performance. A high body fat percentage acts as "dead weight" reducing speed and efficiency of movement.
A high body fat percentage is also detrimental to jumping, agility and endurance activities.
Even those athletes who want to gain weight will harm their performance by increasing body fat too much.
Calculate your own body fat percentage and then compare it to other athletes in your sport. It can give you a great indication of whether you could make improvements or not. With that in mind let's look into...
Body composition is an essential measure of health and fitness for both athletes and the general population.
For sportsmen and women, there is nothing more detrimental than carrying dead weight.
If you are considering a weight loss program, accurately assessing your body fat percentage is The most important measurement you can take. In fact...
Even if you wanted to gain weight simply measuring your body mass is not enough. Some athletes would fall into the obese category of height/weight tables despite having very little body fat!
And what about aging? There is no question that successful aging is largely in our own hands. Assess your body composition regularly and you don't have to succumb to one of the "normal" and detrimental effects of growing old.
So what is the best method for assessing body composition? What is your ideal body fat percentage? Which athletes typically have the highest and lowest levels of body fat?
Weight Management Programs
Are you on a weight loss or even a weight gain program? Calculating your body fat percentage before, during and after is THE most important measurement you can take. Here's why... Research shows that many fad diets, with little or no exercise can cause a person to lose as much muscle tissue as fat. What's more...
There is a good chance that this person will return to their pre-diet weight. Only now they gain back more fat and less lean muscle. Essentailly , they are the same weight but they now have a higher body fat percentage and less lean muscle mass. The point to remember is...
Weighing scales will not show any of these changes. Measuring your body fat percentage will. Measure it and you can manage it. If you notice you are losing considerable lean tissue mass as well as fat, you can take appropriate steps to adjust your program.
If you have ever followed a strict exercise and nutrition program you'll understand what a key role motivation plays. As with any fitness test this is one the most powerful qualities of calculating body fat percentage. Imagine this quick example...
Sam follows a proper exercise and nutrition program. After a month or so of dedication and determination she notices her weight has changed only slightly if at all... Arrgh!
Not getting discouraged Sam has her body fat percentage measured...
Before her program Sam weighed 150lbs with a body fat percentage of 30%. After 6 weeks she weighs 148lbs. But her body fat percentage has dropped to 26%. The result?
Over 6.5lbs of highly-motivating fat loss! And she has gained 4.5lbs of healthy lean muscle. This situation is so common that you should never gauge the success of a weight loss program with the bathroom scales alone.
And it's exactly the same for someone on weight gain program... only in reverse. In this case any additional weight should come from lean muscle mass. No way to tell that with the bathroom scales. Plus, what if you're weight stays the same? Maybe you put on 10lbs of muscle while losing 10lbs of fat.
So what other benefits does knowing your body fat percentage give you? Let's look at the long term picture and consider you’re healthy, strong and sexy.
Athletic Performance
No doubt about it. Excess body fat hinders sport performance.
Granted, outstanding sports men and women come in all shapes and sizes... even within the same sport. But remember, it's not your weight that matters but your body fat percentage. Here are some of the reasons why...
Excess body fat is related to injury, non adherence to training and overall reduced athletic performance. A high body fat percentage acts as "dead weight" reducing speed and efficiency of movement.
A high body fat percentage is also detrimental to jumping, agility and endurance activities.
Even those athletes who want to gain weight will harm their performance by increasing body fat too much.
Calculate your own body fat percentage and then compare it to other athletes in your sport. It can give you a great indication of whether you could make improvements or not. With that in mind let's look into...
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