4 Ways to Measure Your Client’s Fitness Progress without a Scale

Formulate an individual workout program, check. Navigate with your customer through every movement to Ensure proper lifting form and technique; Check.

provide nutrition recommendations, Giving up motivation and encouragement, and calculate each delegate – check, check and check. Think you’ve covered all the reasons when it comes to client training? not exactly.

You’re missing something: progress reviews.

Keeping track of your customer’s progress enhances the customer’s motivation to keep going. In addition, it helps you determine if any adjustments to their training program (such as training volume) are needed for better results.

Now, while metric may be an obvious choice for a progress-tracking tool, the truth is that some customers – Research shows women, in particular They will find themselves Possession of numbers.

This, in turn, leads to a more negative body image, lower self-esteem, and an increased likelihood of depression. Fortunately, there are non-large-scale ways to measure progress. This article walks you through 4 great examples.

Track your body fat percentage

Chances are, many of your clients come to you wanting to look “harmonious” and “better overall.”

In general, this will involve helping them do two things: 1) build more muscle, and 2) lose fat. Accordingly, tracking a client’s body fat percentage is a great way to determine if they are on the right track.

But wait. “Tracking your body fat percentage”? How can you do that for your customer without a scale?

As it turns out, scientists have come up with fairly accurate mathematical equations — also known as perimeter formulas — that help estimate an individual’s body fat percentage based on simple variables (such as age, gender, and waist circumference).

The well-known formula that you can use is something called Marine Seal Formula. To use this formula, you must get your client:

Omar
Height
neck circumference
waistline
Hip circumference (only applicable to female clients)

There are two different types of Navy-Seal formula; There is one for women and one for men. Make sure to use the correct when estimating a client’s body fat percentage:

men: 86.010 x log10 (abdomen – neck) – 70.041 x log10 (height) + 36.76
woman: 163.205 x log10 (waist + hip – neck) – 97.684 x log10 (height) – 78.387

While there are no standards or guidelines on how quickly an individual should lose body fat, most experts believe so Anywhere between 1 to 3% per month security.

However, use caution with clients who are already underweight (about 23% for women and 14% for men). being Too aggressive with their fat loss plan They can end up affecting their lean mass instead – and ultimately, hindering their performance in the gym.

Muscle circumference record

amazing. You now have a stepless method that will help you determine if your client is shedding fat – and how much per week. But what about gaining muscle?

You can simply track your client’s muscle measurements over time. In general, you may want to take the measurements in 3 areas: biceps, glutes, and quads. This will give you a good sense of how the client’s body is changing in response to the specific training program.

Here are some tips that will help you get the most accurate measurements:

Take measurements under the same conditions each time: If your customer flexes their biceps the first time you take their measurements, be sure to flex them for each subsequent check-in. Of course, this applies to all the other muscle groups (like the gluteus and quads) you measure as well.
Always measure around the largest area: Taking measurements from the mid-gluteal area one session – and then the lower gluteal area the next – is a surefire way to mislead you and your client about their progress.
Average 3 measurements: This goes back to Statistics principle That the average value becomes increasingly accurate as the number of measurements increases (thanks to a corresponding decrease in uncertainty – or in other words, how far your measurement is of actual value).

Having said that, it is undeniable that this method of tracking client progress is glaringly lacking. What if your client is going through a “body rehab” where they build muscle and lose fat at the same time?

You will not be able to capture this simply by measuring your client’s muscle circumference. This is where the next non-scale approach comes in.

Take pictures of progress

Asking your client to take pictures of their progress is, without your intervention, one of the best ways to help you—and your client—see the changes in their bodies from one day, a month, or even a year to the next.

Bonus: Seeing visible progress can be a huge morale booster and motivate the client as well.

As with all progress tracking methods, there are a few things to note:

Take photos at the same time of the day: Where possible, ask your client to take pictures of your presentation in the morning – before he or she eats anything. This will help reduce any meal-related bloating that is masking its progression.
Make sure to get the same lighting conditions: Lighting is everything. Your client’s body in a photo taken under fluorescent lights in a gym will look very different than if they were taken at home, in natural lighting – even if they are only minutes apart. Therefore, no matter what lighting condition the customer chooses, make sure that they adhere to it.
Wear sportswear that fits your figure: You won’t see anything if your customer is wearing loose clothing in their photos. So ideally (and depending on the client’s comfort level), your female clients should wear a sports bra and biker shorts – and your male clients should wear the shorts.
Pick up 3 angles of the body: To understand the full scope of how a client’s body changes, it is important for them to capture their face, side, and back. For consistency, always ask your customer to choose the same side each time (for example, the right side).
Have your client take photos of the progress every two to three weeks: In most cases, you (and your client) should be able to see the differences within a few months. Bonus tip: Here is a list of the best apps This will make it easy to keep track of all your customers’ progress photos.

Reassessment of fitness capabilities

All that said, it’s worth remembering that sometimes, your customer Don’t look for aesthetic improvements. Instead, they just want to lift heavier, run faster, jump higher, etc.

The fact is that your client can do all this without a corresponding change in body composition. So, how do you know — for sure — that your customer is making progress in this situation?

It’s simple and straightforward.

Just put them through The same evaluation I did When they first start working with you, compare the results afterward.

Be sure to test for cardiovascular fitness (using step test Wow 1 Mile Walk Test), flexibility (i.e. range of motion in different movements), and strength (with something like 5 times max for different exercises).

If your client’s performance improves, you can be sure they’re making progress — and on track to meet their fitness goals.

away

As you probably know by now, you shouldn’t just rely on a single, non-scope specific method to track your customer’s progress.

Each tool, when used individually, will inevitably fail to provide a comprehensive picture of what is going on in your customer’s body. For example, how their body fat percentage changes doesn’t tell you anything about what’s going on with muscle mass – is it increasing, decreasing, or the same?

Unfortunately, there’s no way to know that.

You will have to use the above methods together for a more accurate assessment. And remember: it is important to help your customer in the business A happier, healthier relationship with fitness.

Fitness is a lifelong pursuit, and focusing on short-term aesthetic goals shouldn’t be a priority for your client (or you).