Why it's important to not just use body weight as a measurement of progress

[muskate]

I ask all my clients for the following each week:
1. Weight difference since last week
2. Waist measurement/how your clothes feel
3. Energy levels
4. Strength and performance in the gym
5. Sleep quality
6. Hunger levels (up or down)
7. I need to know about anything which might impact any of these things
8. If you want to make any changes in terms of your diet, workout program etc.


9. And most importantly -> photos from the front, side and back in a bathing suit or similar type of clothing.


The problem with weight is that it's just a number on the scale. It's a quantitative measurement, not qualitative. It doesn't necessarily tell the whole story. You could be gaining muscle and loosing fat at the same time which would show no change in scale weight.


I am a perfect example. There is exactly 18 months between the two photos. The difference in body weight...1.5 pounds.

 

[EZ_E]

Scale = useless

 

[stevesmi]

I think newbs get so excited when they first start that they just want the scale to move.

although it is important to keep an eye on your weight to flag anything, really the mirror is going to be the key. unless you are a competitor that has to be in a certain weight class of course, obsessing over weight is pointless

 

[muskate]

Scale = useless

I wouldn't go quite that far but take the scale weight with a grain of salt. Pictures are always priority number 1. Photos don't lie. At the end of the day, no judge at a bodybuilding stage will ever ask you how much you weigh, what measurement your waist is etc etc. It's all about how you look.

 

[EZ_E]

I wouldn't go quite that far but take the scale weight with a grain of salt. Pictures are always priority number 1. Photos don't lie. At the end of the day, no judge at a bodybuilding stage will ever ask you how much you weigh, what measurement your waist is etc etc. It's all about how you look.

100% agreed....I'll be more specific; if you're an average guy/girl trying to make a lifestyle change then there's a small place for the scale.

Competitors: unless you're a BODYBUILDER the scale is useless. MPD, figure, bikini; scale is useless.

 

[muskate]

100% agreed....I'll be more specific; if you're an average guy/girl trying to make a lifestyle change then there's a small place for the scale.Competitors: unless you're a BODUBUILDER the scale is useless. MPD, figure, bikini; scale is useless.

100%For bodybuilding, the scale is somewhat important because unless you are competing at the professional level, you have weight classes you need to fall into.

 

[Lev Butlerov]

I agree 100% - weight is just part of the story, and many other factors should be taken in consideration when making assesments of one's shape. Personally, I rarely ever look at the scale, and focus mostly on what I see with my eyes in the mirror. This happens to most people who are on SARMS - they see that the scale does not move, but they do notice positive changes in their physique, since they are recomping. This is a very good thread to bring people's attention to this aspect of bodybuilding.

 

[MasonicBodybuilder]

It is very easy to move the scale if you just blow up on water. You would look terrible though. The scale is not important. What should matter is how you look and how your clothes fit.