Before You Start: Establish a Baseline

Before you choose what the best way to get in shape is, it’s a good idea to measure your baseline or starting point.

Establishing a baseline is a great first step in your fitness journey.  By creating an actual picture of your health, physique, and current fitness abilities, you will be able to measure the results of your workouts and activities.

Creating that baseline picture isn’t easy.  Mentally, you have to overcome your fear of the truth.  But by taking a hard look at the data, or photograhps, you will form an accurate, true baseline.

Here are the steps necessary to form a baseline measurement: Tools you’ll need to establish a baseline:

Paper, Pencil or Pen, Measuring Tape, Scale (body composition scale if available), and a camera.

First, take a few photographs of yourself from various angles.  Front, back, and side.  If you’d like, you can take a couple posed photographs, flexing your biceps for example.  These photographs will be used to compare the changes in your body over time.  Although changes may appear slow at first, if you take a photograph and compare it to a photograph after 12 weeks of consistent exercise and good nutrition, you will be amazed at the transformation.

You’ll also want to measure you body in various places using a measuring tape.  In general, you’ll want to measure at the widest part of each body part.  For example, when measuring the thigh, measure at the mid-point between your hip and knee.  If you really want to get detailed, you can measure both relaxed and with muscles “flexed.” Measure your:

• Waist
• Hips
• Chest or bust
• Neck
• Thighs
• Arms (biceps & forearms)
• Calves

Another way to measure your baseline is to perform exercises to ‘failure’.  Note: Failure means where you begin to lose your good form.  It’s important to maintain good form when performing any exercise in order to prevent injury.   Here are some suggested exercises to perform while establishing your baseline:

• 1 mile run
• Standard Push-Ups – max reps
• Pull-ups – max reps
• Body-Weight Squats – max reps
• Wall – Squat – time
• Prone Plank – time
• Vertical Jump – inches (average of 3)

Although these are basic exercises, they are good indicators of overall conditioning, and they will give you a basis to compare your progress over time.  For example, each month, you may check your progress against the baseline and strive to improve your numbers.