Congratulations on making the commitment to improve your health and physique. It is a fun journey as you will discover new aspects about your body and possibly develop a curiosity which inspires you to reach new levels of health and fitness.
Congratulations on making the commitment to improve your health and physique. It is a fun journey as you will discover new aspects about your body and possibly develop a curiosity which inspires you to get more involved in the advanced levels of health and fitness.
Click To Enlarge. It Is A Fun Journey As You Will Discover New Aspects About Your Body.
Either way, you took this first step for some significant reason so let's help you reaffirm your decision! Before you start you should do a few quick things:
Take a "Before" picture or video of yourself
Take your body part measurements (biceps, waist, etc.)
Get an estimate of your body fat percentage
Take your weight, and make sure that you note the day of week and time of day when you weighed yourself
Get a training log (see the chapter on weight training for why this is important)
That's all you need to get started!
RELATED PRODUCT
Bodybuilding.com Presents:
12 Week Workout Log
This 12 Week Workout Log will be your best friend as it will help keep you consistant and know where you are in the gym at all times. This workout log will allow you to fill in the day's you did cardio, what exercise's you did, the weight you used and how many rep's you were able to complete and by how many sets you finished with. [ Click here to learn more. ]
How To Set Up Your Pictures
Most of us have seen "Before & After" pictures advertising dozens of supplements, exercise programs, and pieces of exercise equipment. Many of these photos can be deceptive as they have major differences between them which are not related to the effort put forth by the person in the photographs.
In order to determine your real progress, take a picture of yourself before you start your transformation. Unlike other "Before & After" photos, however, you want consistency among the photographs. That means before Day One of your transformation, be sure to:
Choose the same swimsuit or other clothing to use before and after your transformation. If you make a dramatic adjustment in your body weight (either gaining muscle mass or reducing body fat percentage) that the original outfit will no longer fit you, get the exact same outfit but in the new size
If you want to be tanned for your "After" picture then be tan for your "Before" picture. Otherwise remain without a tan until your "After" photos are taken
Note that artificial tanning methods (creams or tanning beds) may not be healthy for you. Please discuss this with your doctor
Choose a location and hold the day's newspaper in your hand for your "Before" picture. Take your "After" picture in the same location
Make sure that you have the same foot position when taking the picture. Simply by offsetting your feet and twisting slightly at the waist, you can "fool" the camera into thinking you are a few pounds lighter
Take a full-body picture if possible, head to feet
Take the "After" picture with comparable lighting to your "Before" picture
Click To Enlarge. You Want Consistency Among The Photographs.
Biceps - Record your measurements with strictness and that the tape measure (or string) is flush against your skin. No "loose" spots to enhance your measurements!
Also make sure that your recordings are done "cold." This means before doing any exercises to pump them up
LiftRite Video Exercise Guides, Episode #5: Body Measurements!
This episode of LiftRite will show you how to properly measure body parts to track progress and results. Learn the tips and tricks for making consistent measurements so you can reach your fitness goals! View the instructional video here...
Record these figures at the beginning of your training log or "Transformation Journal." You will take these measurements once a month to make sure that you are on track.
RELATED PRODUCT
AccuFitness Presents:
MyoTape
New MyoTape Body Tape Measure. Track your body measurements and progress as your muscles grow and your unwanted fat goes away is as easy as 1-2-3! MyoTape has stylish design that helps with ease of measurement. [ Click here to learn more. ]
Body Fat Percentage
In simplified terms, your body's composition is made up of muscle, body fat, and water. From week to week, the mass of your bones, organs, and ligaments will not change, so let's focus on the three aspects over which you have some control: muscle, body fat, and retained water under the skin (i.e. "subcutaneous" water).
Some easy math will help here. There is no exact way to calculate the amount of retained water in the body, so let's combine the measurements of retained water and body fat together.
Ingenious & Simple: Natural Bodybuilders Use A Tape Measure! The best way to accurately determine your state of development is with the simple tape measure. It isn't perfect, but it can tell you all you need to know. Use the following advice and regain your confidence!
Remember that these measurements are just estimates as there is no one universal way to determine body fat levels. There are several ways to get these measurement estimates:
Under water weighing. This may be done at a major university, advanced fitness facility, or health lab if they offer such services to the general public.
Height and circumference methods
Bioelectrical Impedance Analysis (either at a lab or with a handheld device)
Skin fold measurements using "calipers"
Body Mass Index (BMI)
Skin fold calipers are probably the easiest, cheapest way to determine your body fat percentage. Remember that the actual number MAY NOT BE ACCURATE due to your measurement techniques, minor errors inherent in the calculation, and when you measure yourself. To have some sort of consistency, do your body fat skin-fold caliper measurements once a month at the same time you weigh yourself.
RELATED PRODUCT
AccuFitness Presents:
Accu-Measure Calipers
Doctors, personal trainers, and nutritionists recommend the periodic measurement of body fat for maintaining proper health status. Enjoy the ability to measure body fat easily by yourself, in the privacy of your own home, with reliability and accuracy. [ Click here to learn more. ]
What you want is to be able to determine if you are progressing in the right direction; so do your body fat percentage test before starting; then every four weeks thereafter take the measurements again and note the improvements!
The Math Behind Weight And Muscle
To keep it simple, let's assume that you are a woman who is 5' 4" and weighs 140 pounds. Here is a breakdown of what your muscle mass would be if you measured your body fat at different percentage levels:
Example at 35% Body Fat:
140 pounds x 35% (Body Fat + Retained Water) = 49 pounds of body fat and retained water. You would then have 91 pounds of muscle, bone, etc. (140 pounds - 49 pounds = 91).
Example at 30% Body Fat:
140 pounds x 30% (Body Fat + Retained Water) = 42 pounds of body fat and retained water. You would then have 98 pounds of muscle, bone, etc. (140 pounds - 42 pounds = 98).
Example at 25% Body Fat:
140 pounds x 25% (Body Fat + Retained Water) = 35 pounds of body fat and retained water. You would then have 105 pounds of muscle, bone, etc. (140 pounds - 35 pounds = 105).
Example at 20% Body Fat:
140 pounds x 20% (Body Fat + Retained Water) = 28 pounds of body fat and retained water. You would then have 112 pounds of muscle, bone, etc. (140 pounds - 28 pounds = 112).
Example at 15% Body Fat:
140 pounds x 15% (Body Fat + Retained Water) = 21 pounds of body fat and retained water. You would then have 119 pounds of muscle, bone, etc. (140 pounds - 21 pounds = 119).
** Note: Even though you see lessened amounts of "retained water" in these examples, it does NOT mean you should reduce the amount of water you drink!! Drinking adequate amounts of water will help to "flush out" waste products and actually help your body REDUCE "retained water" under the skin. Please make sure that you understand this!! **
Just Drink Water, Backstage At A Competition! Several times a year, while covering contest, I have to deal with individuals who have pushed themselves too far. They have dehydrated themselves to the point of lightheadedness and even passing out. Learn why you need to just drink water!
Steak Versus Butter (Or Why Muscle Weighs More Than Fat)
You have probably heard the expression, "muscle weighs more than fat." Let's translate that so you know what it means in terms of helping you fit into your jeans!
The expression means that one pound of pure, lean muscle is denser than one pound of pure fat, so the muscle will take up less space than body fat. To determine this easily, simply find one pound of the leanest steak you can find. Compare this to one pound (4 sticks) of butter. You will note that the lean steak takes up less space (volume) than the butter. For you to have equal amounts of space (volume) of butter and steak, you need to have more ounces of steak than butter. That is where the expression, "muscle weighs more than fat," gets its origin.
Going back to the body fat math in the earlier section, you will note that the woman's scale pounds (her weight) did not change one ounce! Yet she increased her muscle mass (because the bone mass weighs the same) as she reduced her body fat/retained water percentage.
FAT LOSS ARTICLE
Women - Weight Train And Burn More Fat!
Women, if you want to get rid of the fat on your body, lift weights and build strong active muscles! Gain dividends with the following facts, ideas, and training tips to burn that fat off! [ Click here to learn more. ]
Since one pound of muscle takes up less space than one pound of pure fat, she "weighed" the same but actually took up less space (volume). This means (you guessed it!) a reduction in clothing size even though she didn't "lose" a single pound on the scale.
Please make sure that you understand this concept, as it is possible to stay the same weight, or even gain a slight amount of weight on the scale, and still "get smaller" due to your increased muscle mass and reduced body fat/water retention levels.
Your Weight Fluctuates Every Day
Did you know that your weight fluctuates every day? An obvious example is if you weighed yourself just before sitting down to Thanksgiving Dinner, and then weigh yourself immediately after the last morsel of dessert! While this is an extreme example, the point is that your body weight fluctuates within the day based off several factors:
Soft drinks or other foods with chemicals which "trap" water under the skin
The time between trips to the bathroom
How much you exercised during the day
Perspiration due to exercising in hot weather
This is just a very simple list as other factors come into play as well. If you must weigh yourself do so once a week at roughly the same time of day; first thing in the morning is as good a time as any.
After Your Transformation
If you made it through the full transformation, take note of what you accomplished! Congratulations on making it through the whole process and making terrific strides. Hopefully you are healthier (your first priority) and made terrific progress in your other goals. Go back to the section about what to do WHEN you reach your goals and reevaluate.
Click To Enlarge. Congratulations On Making Terrific Strides.
Assuming you have made proper eating, exercise, drinking more water, and getting good information into long-term habits then you will be ready for the next phase. Ask yourself:
In what areas do I want to improve?
In what activity or sport have I always wanted to participate?
How can I have more fun exercising?
These questions, and any others that you ask, will guide you to the next phase of your transformation. Just remember that "body building" includes your mind, so be sure to include some "mind building" exercises in whatever you decide!
Conclusion
Thank you for following this guide and we hope that you can use your transformation to inspire others and make health and fitness a priority in the lives of your friends and family.
Discounts & Deals - Sign Up!
Click To Enlarge. 
(5 characters minimum)