Have you recently taken out some time to determine your fitness level. Despite all problems due to being an overweight, people find very little time to check up where they stand in terms of fitness. Here are four simple ways to measure your body fat levels.
- Body fat percentage
- Total body weight
- Body Mass Index (BMI)
- Body Measurements
These simple measurements will tell you exactly where you stand. Also, is a free tool to aid you in the same process. I will define each of them and then how to measure them and track them.
Body Fat Percentage:
Your body fat percentage is simply the percentage of fat your body contains. If you are 150 pounds and 10% fat, it means that your body consists of 15 pounds fat and 135 pounds lean body mass (bone, muscle, organ tissue, blood and everything else).
A certain amount of fat is essential to bodily functions. Fat regulates body temperature, cushions and insulates organs and tissues and is the main form of the body's energy storage. The following table describes body fat ranges and their associated categories:
Body Fat Guidelines from American Council on Exercise
| Classification |
Women (% fat)
|
Men (% fat)
|
|---|---|---|
| Essential Fat |
10-12%
|
2-4%
|
| Athletes |
14-20%
|
6-13%
|
| Fitness |
21-24%
|
14-17%
|
| Acceptable |
25-31%
|
18-25%
|
| Obese |
32% plus
|
25% plus
|
Total Body Weight
Your total body weight and total body size are also major factors in the number of
calories you require. The bigger you are, the more calories you’ll require to move your
body.
Body Mass Index
Total body weight correlates with the number of calories you require, but separating your
total weight into its lean and fat components allows you to calculate your calorie needs
even more accurately. The higher your lean body mass , the higher your body mass index will be. This is very
significant when you want to lose body fat because it means the more muscle you have,
the more calories you will burn at rest. Muscle is metabolically active tissue, and it
requires a great deal of energy to sustain it.
Body Measurements
Body measurements are an easy way to track your progress. They give you a fast clear indication if you are gaining or losing weight. You should track size of all your major body parts and monitor them to see if you are gaining or losing fat.
Free Tracking Software
There are a lot of resources available online to measure or track your body progress, however none of them provide tracking. That is you can't really keep a record of where you were last month unless you are doing it manually. The following Free Fitness Software does this job for you. You can track your body fat, body mass index, total body weight and body measurements all at one place. You can track them using this software to see the direction you are going into. In case you are already proactive enough and doing regular workouts. You can even schedule your workouts and track their progress along. This is free, however if you wish to express support then please use the links given in software.
The ideas on which this software has been developed are taken from the book "burn the fat, feed the muscle". If you happen to use this program (its our top most recommendation) then please do so from the link on this page. That will be taken as an expression of support and thanks.
