It can be nearly impossible to maintain an objective perspective when evaluating self, and the opinions of loving friends and teammates can be hampered by various subjective considerations. Knowing this limitation, I have a list of three ?Must Have? tools that give you the honest feedback to keep you on track to achieving health and fitness goals.
?Must Have? #1: Omron Bioelectric Impedance Device
The Omron is a hand-held body fat calculator. It does the same thing as the calipers used in the pinch test at your local gym ? except without the pinching and without the trainer AND without making an appointment! This handy little device not only tells you how much your body fat composition is changing throughout your weight loss or training routine, but simple math can tell you so much more!
One of the biggest problems with calorie restriction diets is that you are typically not restricting fat generating nutrients. It is almost always true that you are depleting your body of all types of nutrients to some degree. Here, we are talking about trace minerals, vitamins, antioxidants, (probably) fats, and so forth. What typically happens as a result is that weight losses on the bathroom scale are more often than not associated with lean tissue catabolism. Lean tissue is everything in your body that is not fat (such as muscles, bones, vital organ tissue, etc.). Catabolism is a fancy word for degeneration.
Your body is full of nutrient storage facilities. Most of all minerals in your body are stored in your bones. Sugar, in the form of glucose, is stored in your liver and muscles. Proteins are stored as muscle fibers, and larger sources of energy are stored as fat. Although most people have no issues with depleting fat stores, weight loss is seldom isolated to fats. To make matters worse, when you lose vital nutrient stores during a calorie restricted diet, returning to a ?Normal? diet quickly serves the purpose of restoring those nutrients in whatever way possible ? which inevitably means re-gaining back all the weight you just lost. So here is where this handy little device can fix the problem!
Lets say I am a 5?4? female who turned 35 years old this year. Most of my day is sedentary because I work in front of a computer. I hopped on the bathroom scale and weighed in at 140#. After plugging all this information in to the Omron, it spits out that I have 23% body fat.
140# x .23 = 32.2# of fat in my body
140# ? 32.2# = 107.8# of lean tissue
Now I?m going to change my routine: start a new diet, get some exercise; and I?m going to stick with it for a month. At the end of that month, I repeat my assessment. I?m still 5?4?, female, and 35, but I am weighing in on the bathroom scale at 138. I plug this all into my Omron and this time it tells me that my body fat is 19.5%. Okay, that is change, but where did it come from?
135# x .195 = 26.33# of fat
135# ? 26.33 = 108.6# of lean tissue
I would be pretty excited as this scenario confirms that I lost 5.8# of body fat and actually gained almost a pound of muscle! But what if the Omron had reported my re-test body fat at 21.5%?
135# x .215 = 29.03# of fat
135# ? 29.03 = 105.97 of lean
Even though we lost weight on the scale, and still lost a little over three pounds of fat, we also lost 2 pounds of lean tissue. Although many women will gladly sacrifice bulging biceps, back muscles, and legs for life in the skinny lane, the idea of sacrificing bone health is another story all together. This is your first clue that your diet is not well matched with your level of physical activity!
The Omron can be found online for under $50.
?Must Have? #2: Blink Heart Rate Monitor
Heart rate monitors have been around for a quite a few years. Many elite endurance athletes use them to calculate their optimal performance in races such as marathons, ultra-marathons, bike races, and triathlons. This latest entry into the pool of heart rate monitors is a must have for everybody else.
The Blink is based on a three-zone color system and a patented training system called Zoning. A simple test that you can do yourself to identify your heart-rate thresholds dials the blink into your exact fitness zones. Blue, Yellow, and Red then help you to reach your fitness goals by taking the guesswork out of how hard you are working. Whether your goal is weight loss, speed, or just getting started off the couch, this little tool gives you an objective value that tells you exactly what is going on with your heart. With that information, you can tailor your exercise and activity to help achieve your goals faster.
Did you know that your calorie burning potential is highest in your yellow zone?
Sign up for our upcoming class, Get in the Zones ? Basic Cardio Training Workshop ? Arvada CO and receive a free Blink!
?Must Have? #3: Foam Roller
This is another unsung hero in the personal wellness arena. The foam roller will work every muscle in your body as an on-demand masseuse, physical therapist, flexibility partner, and strength coach. I frequently introduce clients to the foam roller when knee pain becomes a problem.
I always start my clients out on the 36? long foam roller with 6? diameter like the one to the right, but you can also find them in 12? long ?travel? sizes as well as 4? diameter. They range in density from the relatively soft white foam rollers to the extra-firm high density black. You can even find the 12? long rollers cut in half length-wise for calf and forearm exercises. Beware of the soft foam as they lose their shape relatively quickly and are difficult to roll.
You can find the best selections of foam rollers online and range in price from $12 up to $40 on average. I have also found a good selection at my local Better Back Store.
Related posts:
- Physical Inactivity and the Heart Rate Monitor
Source: http://fitnessnutritiondenverboulder.com/three-must-have-tools-for-physical-perfection/
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