Many of us link fitness progress (or results) with the number on the scale, or even how our clothes fit, but the trouble with that is that you can be making tremendous progress, and you may not see those two metrics reflect ‘positive’ changes (especially if you have been building muscle, which is more dense than fat).

More importantly, fitness is not necessarily tied to size or weight, as you can also be smaller and ‘lighter’ but certainly not as fit – especially if you have been improving body composition and bone density.

Instead of focusing on size or weight, here are three ways to measure your progress (it helps to do these at the start of a new program, but even noting where you are today and then re-evaluating in six months can be very beneficial for progress tracking!):

#1: VO2 Max

What is VO2 max? VO2 max, or maximal oxygen consumption, is considered one of the best indicators of cardiovascular fitness and endurance level, as it measures the maximum amount of oxygen that your body can use during intense exercise. The more oxygen your body utilizes, the more energy you can produce.

Why is it important? Measuring your VO2 max, many experts argue, is a very important fitness metric to pay attention to as it may directly correlate to our overall health longevity. Higher levels of aerobic fitness have been associated with reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and cancer.

How do you measure it? While many facilities now offer VO2 max testing, there are a few ways to begin noting this type of progress on your own, for free. You can take this test in a controlled, scientific environment, or you can try this basic at-home step test here. You can also simply take notes during your next interval workout – paying attention to your capability during the work periods (are you able to make your movements larger and faster?) and monitoring your recovery time (are you able to recover your breath and heart rate more quickly?) Our capacity to push harder and recover faster are both good indicators of cardiovascular fitness progress, so look for even small shifts in your work to recovery ratios.

Caveats: The only issue with this test is that our fitness capacity can be greatly impacted by (lack of) sleep, hormones, nutrition, even hydration, so use these tests as rough estimates, not an absolute measurement. Be sure to test yourself after you have fully recovered from any tough workouts, slept well, and ideally, on a day when you are feeling strong and ready for a challenge. And remember that this number is just a snapshot of where you are performing on that particular day, and it may continue to evolve with repeated training.

#2: The Amount of Weight You Can Lift (and/or Range of Motion You Can Use)

Why is it important? Tracking your increase in load for your lifts can be a helpful (and simple) way to help measure strength gains and muscle and neuromuscular development. And, sometimes, we don’t even need to increase our weight to gain strength, working through a larger, more complete range of motion can also indicate strength gains, especially if you are able to control your weight through this broader movement (creating more time under tension and a more complete, full extension/contraction of the working muscle(s).

How do you measure it? You can evaluate your ability to lift using the same basic, isolation movement (such as a bicep curl) through your largest range of motion, within the same rep range. For instance, when repeating one of our STRENGTHEN sessions, you may find the 8 pounds was challenging for the first few months, but now you can complete the set(s) using 10 pounds and good form, meaning you have likely gained strength. The ‘good form’ part is an important qualifier here, as you may be able to crank out more reps at a heavier weight, or using momentum and/or shortened range of motion, but if your body isn’t strong enough yet to control it, you may be increasing your injury risk without adequately measuring strength.

Caveats: Again, you’ll want to measure this on a day when you are feeling well-rested and strong. If your body is feeling fatigued or not fully recovered, it can negatively affect your strength. Tempo matters too, so measure the same move from the same workout to ensure you’re lifting at the same pace (spending the same amount of time under tension), and set and rep scheme to provide a more accurate qualification.

And, there may be some exercises that you may never increase the load for (or by only a very small amount, such as by adding a resistance band to your dumbbell weight), and that is not necessarily an indicator of lack of strength gains. The rear fly exercise, for instance, especially when performed at certain angles (more directly loaded against gravity through a much larger complete range of motion), may not need an increased load in order to fatigue those smaller back muscles to build strength.

#3: Your Performance in Daily Activity 

Finally, my absolute favorite “measurement” is noting progress in your daily life and activities. This one is a little less exact in terms of testing, but improvements can be very noticeable when you become more aware of them.

Are you able to perform daily tasks or activities with more ease? Are you able to lift those heavy bags of mulch out of your car without an issue? Can you carry heavier bags up several flights of stairs now without pain? Paying attention to improvements in your capabilities in everyday life is a fantastic (and to me, the most important) way to measure your progress.

Our ultimate goal with our exercise program is to build our capacity to do hard things in life so that we can stay as active and independent as possible both today and in the decades to come.

If you are just starting out, or returning to exercise after a long hiatus, keep these markers in mind, but don’t focus solely on progress in terms of these factors just yet. Give your body the patience and dedication it needs to create strength and capacity that will eventually show up in terms of progress with time.

And if you have been training for a while and aren’t seeing the progress you want to create, you may want to consider switching up your programming to better (and more effectively) challenge your body in order to create change.

Measuring progress can be a helpful tool during our fitness journey, but if you find yourself unsatisfied with your results, don’t get discouraged! One of our favorite mottos here is progress, not perfection, so look for small, little positive shifts that you may be feeling from staying consistent with exercise.

Remember, sometimes the most important outcomes can’t be measured — feeling more energetic, improved sleep quality, a more positive mood are just a few of the many of the benefits of regular exercise that (to me) certainly count as wonderful progress.

 

Looking for a program to help improve your fitness? Don’t miss our “Your Best Year Yet” series which provides you with a complete, year-long program to guide you through a progressive plan to improve your health from the inside out. Learn more and join us for your free 7-day trial here.