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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.
A great way to start your weight control and exercise
program is to get yourself a set of Calipers.
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. 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.
When you are training
you need motivators to keep you on your plan, with Calipers you
can see any results immediately. Check on 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 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.
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)
· Centre
of the front of arm (the bicep)
· The back,
just below the shoulder blade at a 45% angle.
· The waistline
between the hipbone and the naval horizontally.
a
variety of calipers are available in
store now!
When you purchase
your 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.
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.
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