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Essential
items for
Weight Control
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What do you want? Less fat? More muscle perhaps,
or all of these? It's all possible of course
but what you need first is a goal, an achievable
goal that you can see yourself developing
towards. All muscle build, weight loss programs
are going to take time, so make your plan.
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A
great way to start your exercise program is
to get yourself a set of Calipers. (See picture).
This instrument measures your body fat and
lean muscle mass ratio. It is important to
have an accurate measurement of your fat/lean
muscle ratio from the very beginning of your
program, rather than relying on the bathroom
scales. |
(see
article for body shape influencers)
Scales
are inaccurate because they do not let you know if
you have replaced body fat with lean muscle, they
give you the same reading regardless of dramatic changes
in the body. You could ask your gym to do this, as
they will have the correct instruments to measure
you.
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When
you are training you need motivators to keep
you on your plan, with Calipers you can see
any results immediately. Check your progress
on a monthly basis. This will allow you to see
any changes and plot progress. Don't check yourself
any more than this as there are natural changes
in the body throughout a period of a month,
depending on whether you are retaining water
from food you have eaten, or whether a female
is menstruating. It is best for females to check
themselves after their period has finished.
Try to stick to the same part of the month when
you record your fat/lean muscle mass ratio.
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So,
how do you measure your body mass? The Calipers are
used to measure the thickness of a fold of skin. There
are 4 places on the body where a measurement should
be taken, because of where these places are someone
else must do this for you. They are,
·
Centre of the back of arm (the triceps)
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Centre of the front of arm (the bicep)
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The back, just below the shoulder blade at a 45% angle.
·
The waistline between the hipbone and the naval horizontally.
You
can also purchase electronic Calipers you will get
a table and instructions on how to convert your measurements.
By recording your fat/lean muscle ratio regularly
you can see positive changes in your exercise routine
that you wouldn't normally see with a set of weighing
scales.
Action
Plan 1
Set your achievable
target weight or shape up routine.
Action
Plan 2
Use Calipers
to work out fat and lean body mass ratio or ask your
gym to measure you (see picture).
Measure four
folds of skin and work out your body fat/lean muscle
percentage.
Action
Plan 3
Work out a
diet plan. Remember, you don't have to starve, just
eat the right foods.
Action
Plan 4
Work out an
exercise routine incorporating stretches, a cardiovascular
routine and weight training for all the muscles. (See
the routines in the men and women's section or the
beginner’s guide)
Action
Plan 5
Check your
improvements on a monthly basis, no more than this.
It will encourage you on when you start to lose heart
or waver.
Action
Plan 6
Stick to it,
even if you have a bad few days just start again.
digital calipers on sale now
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