Weight Loss Tips: How To Properly Judge Your Workout Progress

How do you measure your workout progress? Do you measure it in terms of weight loss using a scale or do you calculate your progress in terms of fat loss using a precision instrument such as Skin Caliper?

As I spend time in the gym, I see people who use a weighing scale every after workout to measure how much progress they have achieved. And I often see variety of expressions when the scale finally gives their exact body weight. Some would give happy smiles, in which I figure they are having success. Some would give frowns, to which I can tell right away that the results were not as expected. And yet some would be surprised to see that they got heavier! I actually heard one said to a gym instructor, "Is this scale defective? I couldn't believe I got heavier!"

Oftentimes the scale becomes our standard of measurement in determining if we are fat or not. But does it really give the correct gauge of your workout progress? Check out if the answer below will surprise you.

The most effective way to judge your workout progress is to measure it in terms of fat loss, instead of weight loss. Yes, you’ll eventually lose weight as you work out and pursue healthy eating, because you will build strong and lean muscles that will fight off body fat later. But the critical part is your early days of workout, where your body is still adjusting and starting to develop muscles. During this period, going to the scale to measure progress could be tricky, because it can give you up-and-down results.

It’s true that the weighing scale can play tricks on you by giving you fluctuated results, which can lead you to believe that you are not making any progress at all. This feeling can easily upset you and make you stop exercising. I’m sure you’ve heard stories of people who stopped working out because they didn’t lose weight after spending ample time and effort.

But if your workout and nutrition are not giving you any success at all, don’t hesitate to change your fitness program with one that can deliver the exact body you want. A good fitness program is one that combines both complete nutrition and strategic workouts.

One major thing to consider here is that muscle is at least 20% heavier than fat. This is one of the reasons (if not the very reason) why you will see only little to no results, when you measure your body weight, during your early days of workout, because you are still beginning to build strength and muscles and excess body fat is still dominant. But don't get discouraged because once lean muscles develop, they can work wonders for your metabolism, which leads to consistent and healthy weight loss - and this is the stage where you will thank you the weighing scale.

Now, a lot of women get scared of the thought of developing muscles during workout. This is very unlikely to happen. A woman cannot develop muscles to that of a man because there is a big difference between their testosterone levels, muscle structure, muscle belly length, and so on. Don't let this feeling hold back your weight loss efforts.

As soon as you start burning fat, you can check your progress with the use of Skin Caliper – one of the most precise methods in measuring body fat. Now, most men are happy to keep 12-15% body fat, while, women between 16-20%.

One thing worth noting is that we are all genetically different, and you can only compare yourself with you. Your body may not look like the models in a fitness magazine but it's all right, as long as you have a strong, lean, and healthy body that is truly capable.

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