Sunday, October 08, 2006

BODY COMPOSITION

The measuring tools to determine body composition can be very confusing. Any fitness hobbyist should learn how to correctly use skin calibers to determine the skin fold and plug it into a formula. Skinfold measurements also have a large degree of variation and should only serve as a guide, relative to bodyweight, about overall leanness. Measurements get more and more inaccurate as one gets leaner. The overall theme should be in a reduction of fat mass with an increase in strength and lean mass. This can be a great strategy against aging and lack of mobility as well. Lack of mobility as well as loss of lean body mass is associated with aging. Simple measurements with appropriate nutrition and senseable exercise are effective tricks of the trade.
Body Mass Measurements

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

good points but I would add that it's not always necessary or even desireble to add lean mass. I certainly don't want to add any to my frame at this later point in my life.

Now granted I have more than normal but even with my clients I try to focus on the fat loss and the activation of muscle mass they already have to achieve the tone and strength they want.especially with the women.
this goes back to our discussion earlier of what constitutes not maximal muscle mass but optimal levels for a "basic" ( read non competitive) human.

Tom Furman said...

Good point. That is why I included "strength" , and the battle against loss of lean body mass.

I told Udo Erasmus that health was the ability to hunt and kill prey. He thought it was funny, but true.