Have you ever wondered if you’re making progress in training and fitness? Do you know how to evaluate your evolution and performance? Would you like to know the best ways to know if you are improving in sport and physical activity?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, this article is for you. In it, we’ll explain why it’s important to measure your progress in training and fitness, what factors influence your progress, what types of indicators you can use to measure it, and what are the 8 most effective ways to do it.
In addition, we will give you some tips to improve your progress, answer the most frequently asked questions on the subject and recommend some tools that will help you follow your development. By the end of the reading, you’ll have a clearer view of how to measure your training and fitness progress and be able to apply what you’ve learned to your own routine.
Why is it important to measure your progress in training and fitness?
Measuring your progress in training and fitness is important for a number of reasons. The first is that it lets you know if you’re achieving your goals and if your training plan is right for you. This way, you can adjust your intensity, frequency, duration, volume and type of exercises according to your needs and level.
The second reason is that it helps you stay motivated and engaged. By seeing your results and improvements, you’ll feel more satisfied, more confident, and more proud of yourself. This will encourage you to keep training and improve yourself every day. Plus, you’ll be able to celebrate your accomplishments and reward yourself for your efforts.
The third reason is that it prevents you from possible injury, overtraining, stagnation, or boredom. By measuring your progress, you’ll be able to detect if you’re pushing your body too hard, if you’re training below your capacity, if you’re not varying your exercises enough, or if you’re not enjoying your physical activity. This way, you can take steps to avoid these problems and take care of your physical and mental health.
What factors influence your progress in training and fitness?
Your progress in training and fitness depends on many factors, both internal and external. Some of the internal factors are:
- Your age: As you age, your metabolism slows down, your muscle mass decreases, and your ability to recover is reduced. This makes it harder to progress in training and fitness, but not impossible. With the proper adaptation of your training plan, a good diet and enough rest, you can continue to improve your physical condition at any age.
- Your gender: Men and women have physiological differences that affect their progress in training and fitness. For example, men typically have more muscle mass, more strength, and more testosterone than women, making it easier for them to develop hypertrophy and potency. Women, on the other hand, tend to have more flexibility, more endurance, and more estrogen than men, which helps them prevent injuries, recover faster, and burn more fat. These differences do not imply that one sex is superior to the other, but that each has its advantages and challenges when it comes to training and improving their fitness.
- Your genetics: Your DNA largely determines your potential for progress in training and fitness. Some people have an easier time gaining or losing weight, building muscle mass, or resisting physical exertion than others. This is due to factors such as the type of muscle fibers, basal metabolism, body fat distribution, lung capacity, or anaerobic threshold. However, genetics is not an excuse to give up or settle. With proper training, a balanced diet, and a positive attitude, you can improve your fitness and achieve your goals, regardless of your genetics.
Some of the external factors are:
- Your diet: Your diet is critical to your progress in training and fitness. What you eat and drink influences your energy, recovery, body composition, performance, and health. Therefore, it is important that you eat a varied, balanced diet adapted to your needs and goals. You need to consume enough calories, protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals, and water to nourish your body and optimize your progress.
- Your rest: Your rest is just as important as your training and your diet for your fitness progress. When you sleep, your body regenerates, repairs itself, and adapts to the physical stress you put it under. In addition, your mind relaxes, clears and prepares to face the next day. That’s why it’s important that you get 7 to 9 hours of sleep each night, follow a regular sleep routine, and avoid stimuli that can disrupt your rest, such as light, noise, alcohol, or caffeine.
- Your stress: Your stress is a factor that can negatively affect your progress in training and fitness. Stress is your body’s natural response to a situation that it perceives as threatening or challenging. However, when stress becomes chronic or excessive, it can lead to adverse effects on your body, such as increased blood pressure, decreased defenses, sleep disturbance, increased appetite, decreased libido, loss of muscle mass, or increased abdominal fat. That’s why it’s important to learn how to manage your stress and practice activities that help you relax, such as meditation, yoga, deep breathing, or leisure.
What types of indicators can you use to measure your training and fitness progress?
There are many types of indicators you can use to measure your training and fitness progress. Some of the most common are:
- Anthropometric indicators: These are based on your body measurements, such as weight, fat percentage, body mass index, or waist circumference. These indicators allow you to assess your body composition and cardiovascular health.
- Performance indicators: These are based on your ability to perform a certain physical activity, such as strength, endurance, flexibility, or speed. These indicators allow you to assess your physical condition and training level.
- Well-being indicators: These are based on your mood, satisfaction, motivation or self-esteem. These indicators allow you to assess your mental and emotional health and quality of life.
To measure your training and fitness progress effectively, it’s a good idea to use a combination of these indicators, track them regularly, and compare them to your goals and starting point. This way, you will be able to have a more complete and objective view of your evolution and your results.
8 Ways to Measure Your Training and Fitness Progress
Here are 8 ways to measure your training and fitness progress, based on the indicators above. Each of these ways has its advantages and disadvantages, so we recommend that you use them in a complementary way and adapt them to your personal characteristics and goals.
1. Body Weight
Body weight is one of the most widely used indicators to measure progress in training and fitness. This is the amount of mass your body has, including bones, muscles, organs, water, and fat. To measure your body weight, you only need a scale, preferably digital and with good accuracy.
Body weight is a useful indicator to assess your cardiovascular health, as excess or deficit weight can increase the risk of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, high cholesterol or heart attacks. In addition, body weight can reflect changes in your body composition, especially if you’re on a diet to gain or lose weight.
However, body weight also has its limitations as an indicator of progress in training and fitness. Body weight can vary due to many factors, such as time of day, food and fluid intake, menstrual cycle, stress, or fluid retention. Also, body weight doesn’t distinguish between the different components of your body mass, so it can be misleading. For example, you may weigh more because you’ve gained muscle mass, or you may weigh less because you’ve lost water or muscle.
That’s why it’s important that you don’t obsess over the number on the scale and interpret it cautiously. To measure your body weight effectively, we recommend that you do it once a week, always at the same time, preferably in the morning and on an empty stomach, and that you use the same scale. In addition, we advise you to combine it with other indicators, such as body fat percentage or waist circumference, to have a more complete view of your progress.
2. Body Fat Percentage
Body fat percentage is another of the most widely used indicators to measure progress in training and fitness. This is the ratio of fat your body has to your total weight. Body fat is necessary for the proper functioning of your body, as it fulfils functions such as thermal insulation, organ protection, vitamin transport or energy reserve. However, too much or too little body fat can be detrimental to your health and performance.
Body fat percentage is a useful indicator for assessing your body composition and cardiovascular health, as it lets you know how much fat you have and where you have it. Body fat can be classified into two types: essential fat and storage fat. Essential fat is that found in vital organs, brain, nerves, bone marrow, or cell membranes, and is essential for life. Storage fat is the fat that accumulates under the skin, in the adipose tissue, and it is the fat that can be modified with training and nutrition. Within storage fat, there are two subtypes: subcutaneous fat and visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat is the fat that can be felt and determines your physical appearance. Visceral fat is found around internal organs, such as the liver, pancreas, or heart, and is the most dangerous to your health, as it can lead to inflammation, insulin resistance, cholesterol disruption, or hypertension.
To measure your body fat percentage, there are several methods, which can be classified as direct, indirect, and doubly indirect. Direct methods are those that measure body fat accurately and reliably, but they are expensive, invasive, and inaccessible. Examples include anatomical dissection, interstitial fluid removal, or dual X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA). Indirect methods are those that estimate body fat from other measurements, such as body volume or density, and are cheaper, less invasive, and more accessible, but also less accurate and more variable. Examples include hydrodensitometry, plethysmography, or bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA). Doubly indirect methods are those that calculate body fat from mathematical formulas that use other variables, such as weight, height, sex, age or body circumferences, and are the cheapest, simplest and most practical, but also the least accurate and most dependent on the population to which they are applied. Examples include body mass index (BMI), waist-to-height ratio (WHI), body adiposity index (BMI), or skinfold equations.
To measure your body fat percentage effectively, we recommend that you choose the method that best suits your possibilities and goals, that you do it with the same frequency and conditions as your body weight, and that you compare it with the reference ranges according to your gender and age. In addition, we advise you to combine it with other indicators, such as body weight or muscle strength, to have a more complete picture of your progress.
3. Body Mass Index (BMI)
Body mass index (BMI) is another of the most widely used indicators to measure progress in training and fitness. This is a value obtained by dividing the body weight in kilograms by the square of the height in meters. BMI is a doubly indirect indicator of body fat percentage, as it assumes that there is a proportional relationship between weight and height, and that weight is a reflection of the amount of fat.
BMI is a useful indicator for assessing nutritional status and risk of weight-related diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease or cancer. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), BMI can be classified into the following categories:
- Underweight: BMI less than 18.5
- Normal: BMI between 18.5 and 24.9
- Overweight: BMI between 25 and 29.9
- Obesity: BMI greater than or equal to 30
BMI is a simple, quick and easy to calculate indicator, which can be applied to the majority of the adult population. However, BMI also has its limitations as an indicator of progress in training and fitness. BMI does not distinguish between different components of body weight, such as muscle, bone, water, or fat. In addition, BMI does not take into account the distribution of body fat, which is a more relevant factor for health than the total amount of fat. Because of this, BMI can overestimate or underestimate body fat percentage and disease risk in some people, such as athletes, the elderly, children, pregnant women, or people with edema.
That’s why it’s important that you don’t just rely on the BMI number and interpret it judiciously. To measure your BMI effectively, we recommend that you measure it with the same frequency and conditions as your body weight, and that you compare it to the reference ranges according to your gender and age. In addition, we advise you to combine it with other indicators, such as body fat percentage or waist circumference, to have a more complete view of your progress.
4. Waist Circumference
Waist circumference is another of the most widely used indicators to measure progress in training and fitness. This is the measurement of your waist circumference, at the height of your navel. Waist circumference is an indirect indicator of body fat percentage, as it reflects how much visceral fat you have.
Waist circumference is a useful indicator to assess your cardiovascular health, as visceral fat is the most dangerous to your health, as we have already explained. According to the WHO, waist circumference can be classified into the following categories:
- Normal: Less than 94 cm in men and less than 80 cm in women
- Enlarged: Between 94 and 102 cm in men and between 80 and 88 cm in women
- Abdominal obesity: Greater than or equal to 102 cm in men and greater than or equal to 88 cm in women
Waist circumference is a simple, quick and easy to measure indicator, which can be done with a flexible, non-elastic tape measure. However, waist circumference also has its limitations as an indicator of progress in training and fitness. Waist circumference can vary due to many factors, such as posture, breathing, food and fluid intake, menstrual cycle, stress, or fluid retention. Also, waist circumference doesn’t distinguish between visceral fat and subcutaneous fat, or between fat and muscle, so it can be misleading. For example, you may have a high waist circumference because you have a lot of muscle mass, or you may have a low waist circumference because you have little subcutaneous fat.
That’s why it’s important that you don’t just rely on the number on the tape measure and interpret it judiciously. To measure your waist circumference effectively, we recommend that you measure it once a week, always at the same time, preferably in the morning and on an empty stomach, and that you use the same tape measure. In addition, we advise you to combine it with other indicators, such as body weight or body fat percentage, to have a more complete picture of your progress.
5. Muscle Strength
Muscle strength is another of the most widely used indicators to measure progress in training and fitness. It’s about the ability of your muscles to generate tension and overcome external resistance. Muscle strength is a basic physical quality that allows you to perform daily, sports and work activities with greater ease, safety and efficiency.
Muscle strength is a useful indicator for assessing your fitness and training level, as it lets you know how much you can lift, push, pull, or hold. In addition, muscle strength has benefits for your health, such as improving your posture, preventing injuries, increasing your metabolism, protecting your bones, improving your balance or delaying aging.
To measure your muscle strength, there are several methods, which can be classified into static and dynamic. Static methods are those that measure muscle strength without movement, such as blood pressure or dynamometry. Dynamic methods are those that measure muscle strength with movement, such as the 1RM test, the maximum repetition test, the load-speed test or the alactic anaerobic power test.
To measure your muscle strength effectively, we recommend that you choose the method that best suits your possibilities and goals, that you perform it with the right technique, the appropriate equipment and the supervision of a professional, and that you compare it with the reference ranges according to your gender, your age and your sport. In addition, we advise you to combine it with other indicators, such as body weight or body fat percentage, to have a more complete picture of your progress.
6. Cardiovascular Endurance
Cardiovascular endurance is another of the most widely used indicators to measure progress in training and fitness. It’s about the ability of your heart, lungs, and blood to deliver oxygen and nutrients to your muscles and organs over an extended period of time. Cardiovascular endurance is a basic physical quality that allows you to perform moderate-intensity, long-duration activities, such as walking, running, swimming, cycling, or aerobics.
Cardiovascular endurance is a useful indicator for assessing your fitness and training level, as it lets you know how long you can sustain a physical effort without getting fatigued. In addition, cardiovascular endurance has benefits for your health, such as improving your circulation, lowering your blood pressure, strengthening your heart, increasing your lung capacity, preventing obesity, improving your mood, or slowing down aging.
To measure your cardiovascular endurance, there are several methods, which can be classified into direct and indirect. Direct methods are those that measure cardiovascular endurance accurately and reliably, but they are expensive, invasive, and inaccessible. Examples include maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), maximum heart rate (HRmax), or anaerobic threshold (AU). Indirect methods are those that estimate cardiovascular endurance from other variables, such as distance traveled, time spent, average speed or average heart rate, and are cheaper, less invasive and more accessible, but also less accurate and more variable. Some examples are the Cooper test, the Course-Navette test, the Rockport test, or the Harvard test.
To measure your cardiovascular endurance effectively, we recommend that you choose the method that best suits your possibilities and goals, that you perform it with the right technique, the appropriate equipment and the supervision of a professional, and that you compare it with the reference ranges according to your gender, your age and your sport. In addition, we advise you to combine it with other indicators, such as body weight or body fat percentage, to have a more complete picture of your progress.
7. Flexibility
Flexibility is another of the most widely used indicators to measure progress in training and fitness. It’s about the ability of your joints and muscles to perform high-amplitude movements. Flexibility is a basic physical quality that allows you to perform activities that require elasticity, agility, and coordination, such as gymnastics, yoga, ballet, or martial arts.
Flexibility is a useful indicator for assessing your fitness and training level, as it lets you know how much you can stretch, bend, twist, or twist your body. In addition, flexibility has benefits for your health, such as improving your posture, preventing injury, relieving pain, relaxing tension, increasing range of motion, or improving circulation.
To measure your flexibility, there are several methods, which can be classified into static and dynamic. Static methods are those that measure flexibility without movement, such as the Wells test, the Leighton test, or the Schober test. Dynamic methods are those that measure flexibility with movement, such as the sit and reach test, the trunk flexion test or the neck rotation test.
To measure your flexibility effectively, we recommend that you choose the method that best suits your possibilities and goals, that you perform it with the right technique, the right equipment and the supervision of a professional, and that you compare it with the reference ranges according to your gender, your age and your sport. In addition, we advise you to combine it with other indicators, such as body weight or body fat percentage, to have a more complete picture of your progress.
8. Mental and emotional well-being
Mental and emotional well-being is another of the most widely used indicators to measure progress in training and fitness. It’s about your mood, your satisfaction, your motivation, and your self-esteem. Mental and emotional well-being is a physical and psychological quality that allows you to do activities that make you feel good, such as leisure, art, music, or humor.
Mental and emotional well-being is a useful indicator to assess your quality of life and happiness, as it allows you to know how you feel, what you like, what excites you, and what makes you proud. In addition, mental and emotional well-being has benefits for your health, such as improving your immune system, reducing stress, preventing depression, increasing your creativity, or improving your social relationships.
To measure your mental and emotional well-being, there are several methods, which can be categorized into objective and subjective. Objective methods are those that measure mental and emotional well-being based on external indicators, such as income level, level of education, marital status, or human development index. Subjective methods are those that measure mental and emotional well-being based on internal indicators, such as self-evaluation, self-esteem, self-efficacy or life satisfaction.
To measure your mental and emotional well-being effectively, we recommend that you choose the method that best suits your possibilities and goals, that you do it with honesty, sincerity and trust, and that you compare it with the reference ranges according to your gender, age and culture. In addition, we advise you to combine it with other indicators, such as body weight or body fat percentage, to have a more complete picture of your progress.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve explained why it’s important to measure your progress in training and fitness, what factors influence your progress, what types of indicators you can use to measure it, and what are the 8 most effective ways to do it. We hope you found this information helpful and that you apply it to your own training and fitness routine.
Remember that measuring your progress is a way to motivate yourself, adjust your training plan, prevent problems, and celebrate your accomplishments. However, you shouldn’t obsess over numbers or compare yourself to others. The most important thing is that you enjoy your physical activity, that you feel good about yourself and that you take care of your health.
If you liked this article, we invite you to share it with your friends, family, or workout buddies. We also encourage you to leave us a comment with your opinion, your doubts or your suggestions. And if you want to continue learning about training and fitness, we recommend you visit our website, where you will find more articles, tips, resources and tools to improve your fitness and quality of life.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I measure my training and fitness progress?
There is no one-size-fits-all answer to this question as it depends on your goals, your training plan, and your type of indicator. In general, it is recommended to measure your progress every 4 to 6 weeks, which is the approximate time it takes for your body to adapt to the training stimulus and show significant changes. However, some indicators, such as body weight or waist circumference, can be measured more frequently, for example, once a week, as long as it is done under the same conditions and interpreted with caution. Other indicators, such as muscle strength or cardiovascular endurance, can be measured less frequently, for example, every 2 or 3 months, as they require more preparation and recovery.
What to do if I don’t see progress in training and fitness?
If you’re not seeing progress in training and fitness, the first thing you should do is review your training plan, diet, and rest, and make sure they’re right for you and your goals. Sometimes, the problem may be that you’re training too much or too little, that you’re eating poorly, or that you’re not getting enough sleep. If so, you need to correct these habits and you’ll see your progress improve.
If your training plan, diet, and rest are correct, but you still don’t see progress, you may have reached a point of stagnation or plateau. This means that your body has become accustomed to the stimulus of training and no longer responds with the same intensity. If so, you should change your routine and apply the principle of variation, which consists of modifying some of the elements of your training, such as the intensity, frequency, duration, volume, or type of exercises. This way, you can surprise your body and break the stagnation.
How can I improve my training and fitness progress?
To improve your training and fitness progress, you should follow a number of basic guidelines, such as the following:
- Define your goals in a specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and time-bound way.
- Develop a personalized training plan that adapts to your characteristics, needs and goals.
- Eat a balanced diet that meets your caloric and nutritional requirements.
- Get plenty of rest, both between training sessions and during the night.
- Avoid stress, tobacco, alcohol, and other substances that are harmful to your health.
- Warm up before training and stretch after training to prevent injury and improve recovery.
- Drink water before, during, and after training to stay hydrated.
- Wear appropriate clothing and footwear for your physical activity, which provide comfort and safety.
- Train with a professional, a partner or a group, who will guide, motivate and support you.
- Have fun with your workout and fitness, and look for activities that you enjoy and feel good about.
What tools can I use to track my training and fitness progress?
There are many tools you can use to track your training and fitness progress, both physical and digital. Some of the most popular are:
- The scale, which allows you to measure your body weight.
- The tape measure, which allows you to measure your waist circumference and other parts of your body.
- The caliper, which allows you to measure your skinfolds and estimate your body fat percentage.
- The heart rate monitor, which allows you to measure your heart rate and estimate your cardiovascular endurance.
- The stopwatch, which allows you to measure your time and speed in different performance tests.
- The mobile app, which allows you to record, analyze, and share your training and fitness data.
- The training journal, which allows you to write down, reflect and evaluate your training and fitness sessions.
- The mirror, which allows you to observe, appreciate and value your physical appearance and your mental and emotional well-being.