Monitoring Weight Loss

The majority of people, if not all of them are focused on the number they see on a scale. Weight loss is there target and the one way of measuring it is through the number that they see on that scale when they step on it. Weight fluctuates and to me is one way of monitoring progress but it isn't the gold standard.

There are a number of ways that i think should be used alongside measuring weight and i will discuss them here along with great ways of tracking these methods with links to some products that may be useful.

For me, the greatest way to track body transformations is through measurements. Through the right implication of a training and nutritional program, body fat percentage should drop as well as an increase in lean muscle tissue. A pound of muscle has a smaller surface area to a pound of fat, this is where numbers on a scale can be deceiving. A scale may show no weight loss but through tracking inches you may find a decrease in fat and increase in muscle resulting in a reduced number of total inches. Below is an image that shows the difference between 5lbs of muscle and 5lbs.

So although your scale may say that theres been no change this week, it could be lying to you! In order to combat this i suggest you use a simple, yet effective tool known as orbitape. This allows you take quick and simple measurements by yourself. I suggest, like i would with any method of training you need to take measurements as soon as possible so they are your baseline. I would measure the following areas

- Right Bicep

- Left Bicep

- Hip

- Waist

- Right Thigh

- Left Thigh

Once these are measured add them all together and there you have it, your total inches. Take the same measurements each week and track your total inches. This coinciding with you tracking your weight, will give you a much clearer picture on how your training is going. Below is a picture of the orbitape, Available for under £10 online.

Another way of monitoring progress that i would recommend to 100% of people trying to make an improvement on their physical image is to take progress photos. Try and use the same mirror and same lighting as this can have an affect and may produce unreliable pictures but this should provide you with a clearer image on how your progress is coming along. When you see yourself day in day out you don't notice the changes that are happening to your body but by having these photos and comparing them it allows you to see how far you have come. 

In regards to frequency, i would suggest to take weight and inches each week but to take photos at this frequency is too much. To see changes every week would be incredible but i would normally suggest at the start of each month take your progress photo. If you notice a difference be proud, show them off! You should be proud of your achievements and happily share them with friends and family.

If no progress is being seen in all 3 of the methods of monitoring improvement then something isn't working. Be it your nutrition, your training intensity or any other factor that may affect your progression. If this is the case then its time to change things up, by monitoring progress you monitor your effectiveness of your training. If you don't know how to change your training or cant identify what your doing wrong id suggest getting a personal trainer. Make sure that what your doing today is getting you to where you want to be tomorrow.

For more info follow me on twitter @RCFitness_

Dynamic Warm Ups

Ever since i began physical activity i was advised that it was essential for me to "warm up". No one ever told me what a warm up should be apart from " go have a jog around" and "do a few stretches". This trend followed on to the first moment i walked into a gym where i was advised to spend 5 minutes on a piece of CV equipment to get warm, this time i was told it would reduce my risk of injury, me being the inexperienced, guidable 18 year old i was thought what a great idea! After all I didn't want to get injured!

For years i spent 5 minutes peddling away thinking this was the right thing to do and how helpful the instructor was to keep me injury free for all these years! I developed a passion for fitness and decided that this was a career i want to pursue, following this i attended university to study a bachelor of science degree in just that. Whilst here i learnt to not just take peoples word for things but find reasons and justifications for what i was doing and my 5 minutes on a bike was the top of my list!

The american college of sports medicine has this stance on warming up...

"Every workout must begin with a warm up and end with a cool down. A warm up is necessary to prepare the body for exercise by increasing heart rate and blood flow to working muscles. The warm up should start slow and easy and consist of a general cardiovascular exercise such as walking, jogging or biking. The goal is to break a sweat. After 5 to 10 minutes, the warm up should focus on muscles and movements more specific to the exercise or planned activity. " (N, Madelen, 2012)

 Ok so from this my 5 minute bike ride wasn't too bad, granted i may have missed a few warm ups on the certain muscles involved in the work out but my heart rate was increasing, blood flow must have been going to the working muscles! Not to bad, well done me!

Then reading on i found this assumption may have come too soon...

"Flexibility is a vital part of every good warm up. Once the muscles are warm they become more elastic and are ready to be stretched. Weather you choose to perform static stretches (by holding each position for 10-30 seconds) or perform dynamic stretches (by moving the body through functional range of motion) flexibility prepares the muscles, tendons and joints for work by allowing them to move freely through a full active range of motion. The more prepared the body is, the less likely it is to get injured" (N, Madelen, 2012)

Ok, so my warm up was an embarrassment to any good gym program! So what does the perfect warm up contain. Well going by the recommendations it needs to raise my heart rate and increase blood flow to working muscles. Flexibility needs to be a key part of the warm up in either a static or dynamic method. Research suggest that static stretching can hinder performance with one study concluding that an acute bout of stretching impaired the warm-up effect previously achieved ( Behm et al, 2004) so dynamic it is!

So dynamic movements that increase heart rate as well as increasing blood flow to working muscles is the gold standard warm up! Whilst at university i was introduced to the idea of a method dubbed  movement preparation, this involves a routine of dynamic movements that start easy and work there way up to big full body movements! So all that is needed now is to find if any research supports this method of warming up!

Mark Verstegen and Pete Williams did exactly that in 2005. They aimed to improve long term mobility and flexibility of muscles rather than stretching a muscle and then having it return to its pre warm up length and level of tension. Benefits of the movement prep is strengthening muscles in a new range of motion that help stabilise the tiny muscles around all the joints. It improves posture and performance along with decreasing the risk of injury.

Movement prep will increase core temperature, elongate muscle actively to help make long term flexibility gains, improve balance and pro prioreception as well as building mobility, flexibility, stability and strength. It requires no equipment and takes minimum time.

Here is a link to a website containing all the movements and information you need to start beginning movement prep, try and perform this 2-6 times a week. Performing this routine straight after getting out of bed is a great way to start the day on rest days, sounds crazy but give it a go and you'll understand!

http://www.coreperformance.com/knowledge/workouts/a-better-warm-up.html

For more info follow me on twitter @RCFitness_

References

BEHM,D,G.,A,BAMBURY.,F,CAHILL.,K,POWER.2004. Effects of acute static stretching on force, balance, reacton time and movement time. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 1397-1402

VERSTEGEN,M.,P,WILLIAMS.2005. Movement Prep. Core Performance. Rodale Press, Chapter 5, 33-53

NADELEN,M,D.2012. Basic Injury Prevention Concepts. (online) (viewed 20/05/2013) Available from: http://www.acsm.org/access-public-information/articles/2012/01/10/basic-injury-prevention-concepts