Measuring Waist Circumference

[mikiekimi]

Since it's the time of the year where I worry a bit more about aesthetics, I am focusing on shedding a few pounds. My goal is to hit 180, albeit very slowly, and I've got about 5 pounds to go to meet my goal for this year. I steadily lose around .5 pounds per week and have lost 7 pounds since January.

Stats (if important) are 48 y/o male, 5'7" 185ish, last 5 rep PRs are DL/365, SQ/315, PR/137.5...I don't bench press much more than 225 any more because of a rotator cuff repair so I sub unweighted dips and pushups. Programming is Any Baker's KISS but I'll switch back to a rotating rep scheme once I'm finished (5s/3s/1s) since my body seems to like lower volume with greater frequency. I use the prowler once a week for about 20 minutes and walk my dogs 60 mins x 4 - 5 times per week.

Anyhow, this got me to researching some of your work and I found your article that mentions body comp and waist circumference:

Body Composition for Barbell Training | Robert Santana

To be sure I'm doing things correctly, I'd like to start tracking my waist measurement as well as weight. Although I see and feel a difference, I'm a little OCD and track everything else so I figure why not throw ab circumference into the mix.

Seems the standard military method is to measure our waists with the tape parallel to the ground at the top of the iliac crest. There's an old post on here where Jordan recommends the navel as the point of reference for the measurement.

How does the literature measure, or how do you recommend this measurement be taken?

What is the state of the abdominal muscles? In the military it was tight but not 'sucked in'.

Is there a realistic circumference loss goal per week (I like to track over 2 week intervals) assuming a 1-2 lb loss?

[Robert Santana]

Thanks for posting. Sounds like you have made some pretty good progress here and you are on a good path. As for waist circumference, professional researchers typically measure at the narrowest portion using Gulick tape with a calibration tensioning device to keep the pressure consistent with each measurement. I prefer the navel because we tend to store more body fat in that region so it gives us a pretty good indication of regional fat loss as well as as to our rate of fat loss in relation to weight loss. This is a more useful measurement for males because we tend to store more in that region whereas females store more in the hips and thighs. Typically every 5-10" results in a 1" loss if you start out with a large waist circumference. Sometimes it takes more and other times it takes less. You learn by tracking your data over time since this is highly individual. As for the abs (flexed vs relaxed), either one can work just make sure that you are consistent and do it each and every time. I prefer relaxed for me because it gives me the largest number. Up to you though, but again, be consistent.

[Adam Levine]

I use this: MyoTape Body Tape Measure

Around the navel, not flexing my abs or sucking in. Oddly, my measurements are slightly smaller if the tape is a little higher in the back than the front, so I do that - the tape isn't quite parallel to floor.

Not sure if that's the right way, but I've been consistent with it, and it gives me realistic numbers when I plug it into the Navy Body Fat formula (Navy Body Fat Calculator - Omni), in the respect that the numbers I get are in-line with body fat percentage comparison photos.

-->Adam