If you’re someone whose palms sweat and heart races when it’s time to step on the scale, then this article is for you.

Every 4-weeks we ask our clients to step on our In-Body scale, jump on our force plates and do a 2-mile bike test. Although some of them would disagree, we don’t do this for our own sick pleasure. In fact, we do this because we firmly believe that these three measurements are true indicators of our clients health and well-being and it’s important to check-in. Here’s why we like these tests.

In-Body Body composition (muscle mass vs. body fat %) is accessible and is a more indicative measurement of health compared to body weight. Albeit easily influenced by day-to-day factors (i.e. hydration and activity prior to testing) it still creates a reliable trend that we can track over time.
Vertical Jump Lower-body power is something that decreases as we age. Preserving lower-body power can make the difference between continuing activities we love or saying “I just can’t do this anymore”. It can also be the factor that saves you in the event of a possible fall. As we age, falls become one of the biggest influences of future disability.
2-Mile Bike Test Aerobic capacity is a measurement of your bodies ability to sustain work over time. This is what makes us feel energetic throughout the day, be more metabolically flexible (burn more fat) and helps us recover from strenuous activity so we’re not defeated after a hard workout. You probably notice that you don’t feel quite as crushed after a 2-mile test as you did before!

In-Body

“…I’m almost never surprised by my clients results when I see them step on the scale.”

Too often I’m greeted by nervous clients who are reluctant to step on the In-Body. I get the notion that they’re feeling judged by what the numbers say. To be honest, I’m almost never surprised by my clients results when I see them step on the scale. The faster a client gets over that fear, the faster we can start using that data to make informed actions going forward. Think of these results as check-points that you can use to test out if different strategies are working for you.

Here are some helpful tips if you’re looking to take control of your body composition progress

Don’t obsess over body weight

You may have heard me ask, “if you weighed as much as you do now but you looked like Beyoncé, would you really care about your weight?”. The truth is, body weight isn’t a great indicator of health especially if you’re lifting weights. In fact, some of my clients that have received the most praise for their progress actually lost very little weight.

Progress takes time

If getting into awesome shape was so easy then you would see a lot more hot people walking around. Unfortunately, most people need to work at it and it might not be realistic to think you’re going to be in tip top shape all year round. Dedicate periods where you’re able to spend more time getting into shape and acknowledge times that you know aren’t the best for starting new habits. These might be better times for sustaining ingrained healthy habits.

Be honest with your habits

If you’ve been coming to the gym a few times a week and haven’t really changed your eating or lifestyle habits; you really shouldn’t be expecting dramatic progress on the scale. Initially, you might notice some pleasant changes as your clothes might feel loose, you feel better or people at work are telling you that you “look good”. This might be exactly where you want to be and that’s okay. However, if you’re looking for holy sh!% progress you’re going to have to take more action.

Use these 4-week check-points as mini experiments

Instead of being perplexed by doing the exact same thing and expected different results, take action! I often encourage frustrated clients to focus on one or two things over the next 4-weeks to see if that brings a positive change. Choose something that seems easy and build on it in the next cycle. For instance, over the next 4-weeks I’m going to add another workout to my routine or I’m not going to buy (insert guilty pleasure) at the grocery store. Let’s see if this moves us in the right direction.

Vertical Jump

“You probably know someone who can no longer climb the stairs, play with their grandchildren or participate in sports.”

I originally studied Clinical Exercise Physiology in school which took an in-depth look at how people age under different circumstances. It was really eye opening to see the difference between the average person versus people who maintained high levels of activity throughout their 40’s, 50’s & 60’s.

**Muscle loss (sarcopenia) as we age.** *Notice how the "Older + Active" photo has more dark coloring (muscle) compared to the "Older" photo. You can see that fat (white) has penetrated the muscle tissue.*

It becomes increasingly more difficult to build and maintain muscle as we age. This can have a domino effect on other health measures (strength, metabolism, etc). Muscle mass and strength have a positive correlation with lower-body power. I’ve had clients mention that they’ve had close-calls with a fall but were able to catch themselves and prevent a disaster. They credit the agility ladder for keeping them nimble and the box jumps, squats & deadlifts for making them strong enough to get out of a bad situation. Also, as we get older we change our lifestyle because we don’t feel confident that we can safely participate anymore. You probably know someone who can no longer climb the stairs, play with their grandchildren or participate in sports.

Here are some helpful tips if you’re looking to take control of your vertical jump progress

Show up

I’m proud to say that most of my clients come to the gym when they’re scheduled, but there are still people who don’t show up every time. Missing a workout isn’t the end of the world but it’s a missed opportunity the get stronger.

Challenge yourself

There are definitely times when I encourage my clients to stay where they are with a weight for different reasons; pain/discomfort or unnecessary risk. However our most recent cycle featured AMGRAP (as many good reps as possible) DB Press’ & Squats which shined a light on clients that clearly could do more. If you feel like an exercise is too easy, don’t be afraid to speak up. We’re here to challenge in a safe environment.

2-Mile Bike Test

“A 2-mile score above 1.0W/lb could be your ticket to being a line leader.”

For most clients, getting on the bike is the best part of the workout (not). Alright this test kinda sucks but we’ve taken you into consideration and tried to find the least suckiest option while still getting the info we want. Hey, running was another option. We like the Assault Bike because it’s no-impact, easy to use and works both your upper- & lower-body.

When analyzing your results, average power is the most important number we get off the screen. Next, because body weight is a positive influence (i.e. the heavier you are the easier the test), we use your body to score the test. A 2-mile score above 1.0W/lb could be your ticket to being a line leader.

DMPFIT 2-MILE STANDARDS

≥ 1.0W/lb Good

≥ 1.5W/lb Great

≥ 2.0W/lb Elite

Here are some helpful tips if you’re looking to take control of your 2-mile progress

Staying active outside the gym

There are a few strategies for training for the 2-mile. We believe that a mix of easy, long walking/biking and interval training is a good strategy. Easy, long training looks like +20-minutes of continuous movement at a pace you could sustain a conversation without awkward breathing. You may remember us doing sessions where you rode the bike for 10-minutes at a really easy pace. Interval training involves alternating between challenging paces just above your Aerobic Capacity (Average Watts) and an easy pace (i.e. walking or rest). These are our 10/20’s, 20/10’s and 15/15’s. If you feel like you’ve been utilizing one strategy and that hasn’t helped, ask us for advice!

Pay attention to your targets

Coming out too hot in a 2-mile is a sure way to burn out. Instead, try to pace yourself using the targets (RPM) given to you by your coach. We recommend sticking with your target for the first 1.5-miles and then pushing a few RPM’s higher to the end.

Come prepared

Hydration and sleep play a huge factor in challenging tests. Having an off-night sleeping or being dehydrated is a recipe for a tough ride. We schedule our tests in advance so prepare the best you can.

Conclusion

“Life changing results involves changing your life.”

If there is one lesson that you take away from this article, I hope it’s that results happen when you engage in the process. Life changing results involves changing your life. Your coaches can definitely help you navigate but you’re going to have to be the captain of your ship.

Also, it’s important to note that these 3 measurements aren’t the end-all-be-all. Progress presents itself in different ways. Being able to fit into an old dress, getting off a medication or just remembering to drink more water are all great signs of growth. We always encourage our clients to create their own definition of progress. Just remember to SHARE IT WITH US!

Want more help? We offer 30-minute consultations where we help you understand your results and go over strategies for future progress.

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Life Changing Results Involves Changing Your Life