If you’re trying to lose fat or gain muscle, the scale doesn’t tell the whole story. Body measurements can give you a more accurate picture of how your body changes, especially if you’re also strength training.
For example, if you are gaining muscle while losing fat, the number on the scale might stay the same or even increase, but your body composition has changed. This is why it’s helpful to track your measurements versus focusing solely on the scale.
Why you might want to take body measurements
Ever felt frustrated because the scale didn’t budge, only to realize your clothes fit better? That’s one example of your body is changing in ways the scale can’t measure.
Benefits of taking body measurements:
- Provides more data to track progress that shows changes the scale can’t capture
- Works great for strength training since muscle growth might impact weight, but measurements reveal shifts in body composition
- Keeps you motivated by showing changes in inches lost or muscle gains
- Helps with goal setting beyond weight loss
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How to take accurate body measurements
What you need:
- A flexible, non-stretchable measuring tape. I recommend myotape.
- A mirror if you want to confirm that the tape measure is level.
- A notepad, spreadsheet, or app to track progress,
Best practices for accurate measurements
- Measure in the morning before eating or working out.
- Stand naturally. Don’t suck in or flex.
- Keep the tape snug, so it rests against your skin without digging in
- Measure in the same spot every time using landmarks like your belly button or hip bones
Which areas should you measure?
My personal stance is that you don’t need to measure everything, because it can start to feel really tedious. I often recommend my clients pick 2 spots, such as:
- Waist (narrowest part of torso)
- Hips/glutes (widest part of hips or butt)
However, everyone will have a personal preference, so here’s some guidelines on how to measure the more common areas accurately.
How to measure your waist
- Measure around the narrowest part of your torso, usually an inch or two above your belly button
- Stand tall but relaxed
- Keep the tape parallel to the floor
- Breathe out naturally before measuring
How to measure your hips and glutes
- Stand with feet together
- Measure around the widest part of your hips or glutes
- Make sure the tape stays level all the way around
How to measure your chest
- Measure around the fullest part of your chest
- Stand relaxed with arms at your sides
- Wrap the tape across your nipples and around your back
- Keep the tape parallel to the floor
High to measure your thigh
- Stand with feet hip-width apart
- Measure midway between your hip crease and knee
- Wrap the tape around the same mid-thigh spot each time
- Your right and left thigh may have slightly different circumferences, so note which side you’ve measured.
How to measure your upper arm
- Measure midway between your shoulder and elbow
- Let your arm hang naturally
- Wrap the tape around the bicep/tricep area without flexing
- Your right and left bicep may have slightly different circumferences, so note which side you’ve measured.
How often should you take measurements?
- Once a week if you want to track small changes. Know that the changes week to week will be minimal, but for a lot of my clients this helps the process feel lower stakes. It also gives you a law of averages, because measurement errors do happen and some days we might be more or less swollen.
- Every two weeks if you want to track progress, but find taking weekly measurements tedious.
- Once a month is fine, but I find every 2 weeks or weekly tends to give you better data.
How strength training may impacts your measurements
When you lift weights, your body composition may change in ways the scale can’t show. As you build muscle and lose fat, a few things could happen:
- Your weight might stay the same, even as you get leaner
- You might lose inches in some areas while gaining in others. For example, your waist might get smaller while your glutes become more defined and slightly larger
This pattern happens because muscle is denser than fat and shapes your body differently.
The intensity of your training can also affect how dramatic these changes will be. Someone training with heavy weights 4-5 times weekly will typically see different results than someone doing light resistance training twice a week.
This is exactly why tracking body recomposition – aka the process of losing fat and gaining muscle at the same time – requires more than just a scale. Measurements, how your clothes fit, and progress photos will show these changes much more accurately than weight alone. Learn more about how body recomposition works and how that relates to getting toned here.
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Common mistakes when taking measurements
- Measuring at different times of day. For example, your stomach will expand after you’ve eaten or drank something. This is why it’s helpful to take measurements first thing in the morning.
- Not keeping the tape level.
- Pulling the tape too tight. It should fit snugly but not cut into your skin
- Not measuring in the same spot. Use visual markers like the belly button or bony landmarks.
Final thoughts on taking measurements
- Taking body measurements gives you additional data on how your body changes, which is helpful, because the scale is an unreliable narrator.
- You don’t need to track every body part. Pick two or three key spots and write it down or log it in an app.
- Progress isn’t just about the number on the scale. It’s also about how you feel, your quality of movement, and improvements in your health markers to fitness.
