Sarah Feist proudly holds her Bod Pod test results. She dropped over 6% body fat in 6 weeks, which is an incredible result and proof of her dedication to her diet and workout plans.
I firmly believe you can increase your chances of getting in shape 80 percent simply by taking the time to set a goal and then periodically testing yourself to see if you are making progress. To do this, you need the most accurate, up-to-date information available to guide you along your way. Unfortunately, the average person uses only the scale to determine the success and failure of their fitness program, but the problem is, the scale only tells one side of the story.
Why the scale lies to you
Don’t get me wrong – if you’re overweight there’s no doubt you’ll need to drop some pounds, but it’s important to understand just because that number on the scale goes down doesn’t mean you’re getting in better shape. Too often people eat incorrectly, do too much cardio or drop weight too fast. They’re losing valuable muscle mass, making them less healthy, slowing down their metabolism and making it more likely they’ll put the weight back on within the first six to eight months.
Body fat testing is key
Remember, its quality, not quantity, so your goal should be to burn off unwanted fat and preserve lean, tight muscle. To accomplish this goal, you’ll need to see what happening on the inside as well as monitor weight loss. The best way to do this is to find a reliable way to test your body fat every three to four weeks to make sure you’re on the right track. This is extremely important, because the more fat you burn and lean tissue you preserve, the faster and stronger your metabolism will function. That makes it easier to look great and stay in shape all year long.
What is the Bod Pod?
In the past, people used several different methods such as calipers and electronic scales to test body fat, but none of these techniques were practical or accurate enough to rely on the results. The Bod Pod is the most technologically advanced way on the market today to test body fat.
It does this by using air displacement to test the amount of fat and muscle a person has in his or her body and uses this information to calculate the individual’s body fat percentage. It’s quick and easy, and will track and compare each test you take, so you can see exactly how much body fat you are losing and if you are preserving or gaining muscle mass.
It also calculates the change in your metabolism, telling you exactly how many calories are needed so you can continue losing weight and getting lean. The Bod Pod is also connected to an extremely accurate scale that must be calibrated every time you take a test, to ensure your weight is 100 percent accurate.
How does the test work?
To take a test, you first step on a computerized scale and then you sit in a pod-shaped chamber for two 50-second tests. During this time, the Bod Pod uses air displacement to calculate the amount of body fat and lean tissue and sends the highly accurate information to the computer. You’ll be very comfortable and won’t feel a thing.
When the tests are over, the computer will print out a complete and easy-to-read assessment of your body composition including your weight, body fat percentage, and pounds of muscle and body fat.
Watch Jessica explain how Bod Pod testing is helping her to achieve her goals:
CrossFit Rehoboth’s Jessica Perez-Beebe shares her Bod Pod experience
Who uses the Bod Pod?
The Bod Pod is used by the NFL, “The Biggest Loser” TV show, the Mayo Clinic, and United States Special Operations Forces. It’s also used by several major college and university nutritional programs and sports teams, and is considered the gold standard of body fat testing.
How to schedule your test
Don’t use the scale alone to gauge your progress, or you may be missing valuable information that could be the difference between the success and failure of your program. If you are looking for an edge to motivate yourself to get results by using state-of-the-art equipment, you want to see how you stack up to the pros or if your company or office is holding an annual weight loss challenge and you’re looking for someone to test and officiate the results, contact Rehoboth Bod Pod at RehobothBodPod@gmail.com or call Melanie at 443-223-9137. The Bod Pod is mobile and can test on site if requested.