Are You Tracking Your Fat Loss Progress Accurately?
Tracking your fat loss progress accurately is absolutely essential if you want to reach your body composition goals. The main problem here, however, is that too many people are using the wrong method, a weight scale, to track their progress.
What is the big deal with weight scales? They do NOT take into account all the positive variables that can change while weight stays the same or even increases. So if you are serious about staying on track please do not use a weight scale as the end all be all to your success.
And not all body fat tests are created equal.
So here is a quick summary of the different methods for measuring levels of fat:
1. Fat fold tests. Performed with skin calipers, fat fold tests are relatively accurate when done by an experienced professional. The key here is to make sure that the same person takes your measurements every single time. And also keep in mind that I have seen even the most highly skilled testers come up with skewed measurements.
2. Hydrostatic testing. Fat and lean tissues have different densities. And this test measures the density of your body to determine how much fast and muscle you have. Unfortunately, the preparation and the number of variables involved that can go wrong make this method not so attractive to the average person.
3. Conductivity. You have seen the machines that perform this test all over the place. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. They send an electrical current through your body to determine just how much body fat you are holding. Unfortunately, they are extremely inaccurate.
4. The absorptiometry machine. Also known as DEXA, this method provides extremely accurate readings and requires very little preparation. It sends some x-rays through your body and measures levels of body fat and lean tissue. The one major drawback? Expense.
Of the methods described in this article, I would recommend staying away from electrical tests, they are simply too inaccurate. Other than that, the main factor affecting accuracy will be the skill of the technician performing the measurements. So use the same reliable person over and over again. - 17274
What is the big deal with weight scales? They do NOT take into account all the positive variables that can change while weight stays the same or even increases. So if you are serious about staying on track please do not use a weight scale as the end all be all to your success.
And not all body fat tests are created equal.
So here is a quick summary of the different methods for measuring levels of fat:
1. Fat fold tests. Performed with skin calipers, fat fold tests are relatively accurate when done by an experienced professional. The key here is to make sure that the same person takes your measurements every single time. And also keep in mind that I have seen even the most highly skilled testers come up with skewed measurements.
2. Hydrostatic testing. Fat and lean tissues have different densities. And this test measures the density of your body to determine how much fast and muscle you have. Unfortunately, the preparation and the number of variables involved that can go wrong make this method not so attractive to the average person.
3. Conductivity. You have seen the machines that perform this test all over the place. They are relatively inexpensive and easy to use. They send an electrical current through your body to determine just how much body fat you are holding. Unfortunately, they are extremely inaccurate.
4. The absorptiometry machine. Also known as DEXA, this method provides extremely accurate readings and requires very little preparation. It sends some x-rays through your body and measures levels of body fat and lean tissue. The one major drawback? Expense.
Of the methods described in this article, I would recommend staying away from electrical tests, they are simply too inaccurate. Other than that, the main factor affecting accuracy will be the skill of the technician performing the measurements. So use the same reliable person over and over again. - 17274
posted by X - Men at
12:30 PM
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