Train with myostyle, track success: The 1x1 of body measurement

Those who train diligently want to see success - that motivates and helps to stay on track! Measuring your body is a simple and effective method of tracking your training success.

What and how often you measure depends entirely on your goals: Do you want to build muscle? Lose weight? Or just get a little fitter? The Ultra EMS system from myostyle offers you highly effective and time-saving workouts that you can use to achieve your resolutions faster than with conventional training.

Whether biceps, chest or abdomen - here you will find out everything you need to know about body measurement!

Documenting training success: Why it is worth to measure your body regularly

If you train regularly with the myostyle EMS system, you will quickly feel the results: more strength, more endurance and a bit more power in everyday life!

If you don't just want a gut feeling, but prefer hard facts about your training success, you should measure your body regularly: What measurements did you start your training program with? And how will they change over time?

It doesn't matter why you have decided on EMS training, body measurement is always useful:

• Do you want to build muscle?

  Of course, when you focus on building muscle, bicep circumference & Co. are optimal target and measured values. Good to know: With EMS training you can achieve muscle growth of up to 14% in just 6 months!

• Do you want to lose weight or just get rid of extra pounds?

  Your scale only tells part of the truth, so it's worth the extra measurement! Muscles are more compact and therefore about 15% heavier than fat tissue. If fat melts away and you build muscle instead, there is often little on the scales - but your body measurements (and also your Mirror image) show the change very clearly.

• Have you already made plans far too often and finally want to improve your fitness?

  Only 2 x 20 minutes a week, you can do it! Regular measurement makes your successes visible and helps you to stay focused - even if your weaker self prefers to go to the sofa!

• Are you only doing this for your back?

  Good decision, the workout with the EMS suit is a time-effective and effective action against back pain. The change in figure is a pleasant side effect - and often a positive surprise, especially when you do it continuously! Because let's be honest: we're all that vain after all!

With the body measurement you can set specific goals - e.g. 1 cm more biceps in 3 months, record the progress regularly and adjust your training plan accordingly. Or you take it easy and just watch how your body develops.

No tools needed: You can start measuring immediately

Particularly practical for body measurement: You don't need any special tools, body fat scales or similar equipment. Almost everyone has a classic measuring tape or tape measure in the house - if necessary, a tape or cord and a folding rule are also enough.

If you want to measure particularly professionally and comfortably, you can also use a special circumference measuring tape (also: body or fitness measuring tape).

To track your training progress over the weeks and months, you should record your measurements. By hand or digitally, just as you like.

Measure the body correctly: This is how it works!

In the following, we present all the classic measurement values for body measurement. Which and how many values are relevant for you depends entirely on your training goals.

Some people measure and record the complete program, others only individual values such as waist and hips (when it comes to fitting into the favorite trousers) or chest circumference and biceps (if you want to make a good figure shirtless).

This is what you should pay attention to when measuring your body:

• Time of measurement - never directly after the workout, as the muscles are supplied with increased blood flow as a result of the load and may be swollen as a result; the waist is best measured in the morning.
• Equipment - it is best to always measure with the same measuring tape.
• Clothing - best measured directly on the skin, otherwise with thin, tight-fitting clothing.
• Method - always put the tape measure in the same place, it should fit smoothly and not constrict or sag.
• Interpretation - if the leg circumference increases, either the muscle has grown - or just the fat layer; water retention in the tissue can also affect the readings.

More on this with the individual measured values!

What do you have to keep in mind when taking measurements on the chest?

The measurement is taken at the widest part of the chest, at the nipple level. To do this, the measuring tape is placed under the armpits and passed around the upper body - horizontally and tightly.

Important for correct measurement: Stand upright and breathe normally! Do not measure the maximum value during inhalation, but the value during normal (not compressed!) exhalation.

• For men, there is only this one measurement for the chest. Women can additionally measure the underbust circumference - directly under the chest, exactly where the band of the bra sits.

This is how you measure changes in your waist circumference correctly

When people talk about abdominal circumference, they are talking about waist circumference. Accordingly, the tape measure is passed around the body at about the level of the navel. It should be horizontal and neither sag nor constrict.

Also here important: Stand straight and breathe normally. Measure at the end of normal exhalation.

• Especially with the abdomen, the measured value can vary greatly, depending on the stomach and intestinal contents. Therefore, you should measure here best early in the morning, after going to the toilet, before breakfast!
• Women should also keep an eye on their cycle when measuring - before and during menstruation, the stomach of many women is a little larger than usual.

Record changes in the buttocks and hips with one measurement

The hip circumference is measured at the widest part of the hip, about 15-20 cm below the waist. The tape measure is placed horizontally around the hips and buttocks and gently tightened.

Occasionally, this value is also called butt circumference or gluteal circumference. After all, when it comes to the before-and-after effect on the buttocks during EMS training or other fitness programs, you think mainly about the buttocks that you train (especially the gluteus maximus), and less about the hips.

Important for correct measurement: Stand upright, feet hip-width apart, breathe normally. As with the previous values, the measurement is taken during normal exhalation.

Important for your Progress Measurements: The measurements of your upper and lower arms

When measuring the arms, the focus is primarily on the upper arms: Here, the measurement is taken at the widest part of the upper arm, halfway between the elbow and shoulder. The tape measure fits snugly around the arm, but not constricting.

This is how it is measured: Stand upright, bend the arm at a 90° angle, breathe normally. Tense the biceps, exhale, and record the value.

• The upper arm circumference is often colloquially referred to as the bicep’s circumference, but of course the entire upper arm is measured here, i.e., the circumference of the biceps and triceps.

If you wish, you can also measure the forearms. Here, too, the arm is bent and the measuring tape is placed around the widest part, i.e., a little closer to the elbow than to the wrist.

On the legs it is worth measuring the upper and lower legs

For the legs, two measurements are usually taken: Thighs and calves.

The thigh circumference is measured halfway between the knee and groin. The tape measure is guided tightly, but not constricting, around the thigh. The calf circumference is measured at the "thickest" part of the lower leg, i.e., closer to the knee than to the ankle.

To measure correctly: Stand upright, place your leg comfortably on a chair or stool. Breathe normally, tense the muscle, exhale, and measure.

• For legs and arms, you should measure both sides. It is not important to achieve 100% symmetry, but if there are noticeable imbalances, compensatory training can be useful.

How often should you repeat the measurement?

The goal of the body measurement is to record the changes of your body through the regular training. Therefore, similar to weighing, it is neither necessary nor useful to measure every day!

If you are pursuing a specific fitness goal, it can be worthwhile to measure 1x per week. Then you can, if necessary, also adjust your training and nutrition plan accordingly. Our tip: It is best to measure at longer intervals, e.g., 1x per month or only every 3 months. This gives you a more accurate picture of your successes and does not put you under pressure to succeed by constantly measuring.

If you like, you can also record your training progress in photos! Preferably always at the same place, in the same outfit and in the same pose(s).