If you are not sure which metrics to look at when assessing progression, check out the article below.
You will see the key components on the scan to check are highlighted in yellow.
Whilst people always look at body fat percentage as a show of progression, the reality is that it is only a percentage of your total body weight and not always a reflection of how much body fat has changed. The best way to track body fat is to track Body Fat Mass in kilograms or pounds.
The largest margin of error can be seen by checking Total Body Water. Being a component of Lean Body Mass, this is where you can identify whether the scan result has been affected by a human factor that is influenced by something that has altered Total Body Water. This is why it is imperative to control the scanning conditions as much as possible.
This is also where it is important to note anything that can have an effect on Total Body Water such as –
- Inflammation from training load
- Medications prescribed, ie. blood pressure medication or non-prescribed ie marijuana, CBD
- Supplements such as cell volumizing products ie creatine, beta-alanine, pre-workouts etc.
- Carbohydrate dense foods
- Sodium
- Hormonal changes
- Severe temperature changes
- Caffeine
- Dehydration (it is common for people to not want to drink water before a “weigh in”)
- Alcohol