9 Ways to Measure Progress (That Aren’t Weight Loss”
Scale weight and obsessing on numbers (albeit necessary for awareness at certain times) isn’t the be all and end all. And in fact, can be super detrimental to your progress if you attach too much value to them, or if actions don’t always match expectations.
Here are some example on what you can measure to build some wins into your fitness journey without stepping on scales for gratification.
WEIGHT LIFTED/STRENGTH
Can you lift heavier this month than last month? Congratulations that’s progress.
Strength progress is empowerin. While it may not be your goal to win a powerlifting competition, getting stronger will increase your lean mass, decrease your fat mass, help you burn calories more efficiently & increase bone density.
RECOVERY
How do you feel between sets? Are you able to bring your heart rate down quickly and bounce back in? Being aware of what’s happening between sets is a useful way to measure progress.
Let’s say you’re doing 1-minute intervals with equal rest time. If after the first few minutes you feel like death and can barely peel yourself off the floor when the rest is over, your ability to recover isn’t where it could be.
If the next month you are able to stay standing and feel like you’re ready to jump in after the rest, that’s progress.
We can only progress as fast as we can recover, so recovery is a great measuring tool.
REPS WITHIN TIME
Doing work for time is called density training. It refers to the volume and duration of your workout. If over several sessions you can do more work in the same amount of time or the same amount of work in less time, that’s progress.
Two Examples:
Task: Complete this ladder as quickly as possible.
- 5 of each down to 1 of each.
- Deadlift, KB Swing, Goblet Squat, Push Press
- If the first time you do it, you complete the task in 7:53 and the next time you try it you get 6:22, that’s progress. You’ve done the same amount of work in less time.
Time: Complete as many rounds of this as possible in 10 minutes.
- 20 Squats, 15 Push Ups, 10 Pull Ups
- If the first time you do it, you do 5 rounds and the second time you try you get 8 rounds, that’s progress. You’ve done more work in the same amount of time. Give yourself a high five
RESTING HEART RATE
Your resting heart rate (RHR) is the number of times your heart beats per minute. If your RHR is low, your heart is more efficient. It tends to be a healthier heart.
If your RHR is high, your heart has to do a lot of work to get blood distributed throughout your body while you’re not doing anything. Imagine how hard it has to work if you exert any effort.
If you don’t have a heart rate monitor (like
Myzone which we use in the gym), an easy way to find your RHR is right after you wake up in the morning.
The average adult has a RHR of between 60-100. If you are a trained athlete, that number can be anywhere between 40-60 beats per minute. If you’ve been training (eating well, hydrating, sleeping, and monitoring stress) and your RHR goes down, hell yes. Progress.
AEROBIC CAPACITY
Your aerobic window is the difference between your resting heart rate and your anaerobic threshold. The anaerobic threshold is the level of intensity where lactic acid builds up in the body faster than it can be cleared away. What the heck does this mean?
Have you ever taken a HIIT class and been able to cruise along for a while when all the sudden your muscles start to burn, your heart is pounding out of your chest, and you can’t go hard anymore?
That’s your anaerobic threshold.
The aerobic window is how long your body can use oxygen to do the work before you crossover into the anaerobic (without oxygen) system. Once you cross over, it’ll only be a hot minute before you’ll have to slow down or stop. If you can increase the time you can do work with oxygen, this is huge progress.
MOBILITY
Mobility is a great measure of progress.
Can you reach your arm straight over your head without arching your back or shooting your face forward? If not, start to observe where your end ranges are while keeping your core engaged and spine neutral.
If you notice you can get more range of motion without getting false range from other parts of your body (usually the spine), that is badass.
Being able to move your joints freely through their end ranges is not only a super important part of training, but of life. Your future self will thank you for it.
ENERGY & SLEEP
How do you feel during the day? Are you gulping coffee at regular intervals to stay awake, or do you have a consistent energy and spring in your step?
If you’re finding that you aren’t crashing out midday or reaching for the extra dose of caffeine (or cookies, or anything else no judgement here! ????) that’s progress.
Have you tossed and turned in the past but notice that you’re sleeping through the night and waking up rested?
There are, scientifically, one million ways that sleep affects your emotional, mental, and physical well being. If you are progressing in your sleep patterns, it’s likely you are progressing & feeling better about life.
CLOTHING
Yes, there is potential that weight loss has occurred if your clothing is fitting differently, but if you are increasing lean mass while you’re decreasing fat mass, there might not be a lot of movement on the scale.
Using clothing to measure progress is a great way to feel good about yourself without diminishing the feeling by the number on the scale.
CONFIDENCE
How do you feel about yourself? If you are starting to feel more confident, you’ll show up differently at your job, in your daily interactions with your peers, in your relationship & with your general mood day to day.
Feeling more confident is a measure of progress that gets overlooked but is a huge influencer in all you do and how you show up in life. You don’t need a scale to deflate that.
If you would like us to help you with your health and fitness
And give you that kick start you need within our Elite 360 Program at DM Elite
Hope this helps
Dan