Member
Bodyfat math, probably doing it wrong
This may be a frivolous question and you can feel free to delete it. Back in May I weighed in at 191 pounds (5'10") and 27.5% bodyfat. After three months of Starting Strength, I now weigh 207 pounds and the same bioimpedance scanner says I'm 21% bodyfat.
Assuming that's right (I know they're not wildly accurate) and I'm mathing it up right, that would indicate I lost 10 pounds of adipose tissue weight and gained about 25 pounds of lean bodyweight.
But when I mentioned this I was told this is impossible. Maybe with steroids, they said.
I guess it's moot in the face of the fact that my lifts and bodyweight went up and my pants fit a hell of a lot better than they used to (except in the ass, thanks a lot squats). But I'm curious - that kind of fat loss plus muscle gain is possible right?
TMPHBITEU
1. Bioimpedence is terribly inaccurate.
2. It's probably accurate this time. That is a typical result, and whoever told you it is impossible is wrong. People with no experience in a topic are quite often wrong when they express an opinion about that topic.
Member
25.055 and 9.055.Originally Posted by ithryn
TMPHBITEU
You have posted two fascinating numbers here. Would you please explain what they quantify?
Member
Oh god. I sent the wrong version (wrong tab). Those are the exact values calculated (in pounds) using the numbers given in the original post (note the fatloss being (roughly) 9 pounds).
OP, how much stronger did you become during that period? Did you do any training before starting SS? I'm curious because I'm still kinda fluffy despite losing 28 pounds.
Member
I think so. I was pretty sedentary outside of 12 hour shifts on my feet as a nurse. Little spurts of running. Back in 2010 I found out about barbells through this site and Stronglifts (ugh) but I was trying to do cardio and diet at the same time so obviously that went absolutely nowhere, never squatted over a very wobbly 225. At that point my job switched me to night shift and never went to the gym again.
I started SS for real in October, this is the best I could do with good form:
Squat 125
Deadlift 155
Bench 75
Press 65
Now I'm at:
Squat 240
Deadlift....uh, I progressed rapidly up to 275, then jumped to 285 like a moron and hurt a disc and had to deload, now 240
Bench 145
Press 100
I don't think my progress is fantastic - feel free to criticize or give advice because I'm on my own here - but I feel a heck of a lot stronger than I used to.
Member
Sounds like good progression to me. Another couple of months and your 3x5 squat work sets will be over 300lbs, and you'll probably be nearing the end of your novice phase. Keep at it.
Member
No, it is not even remotely possible to gain 25lbs of LBM in three months. I'm not saying your progress is bad or anything, but you haven't increased your numbers enough to indicate that such a radical body composition change has occurred. After increasing my squat from 205x5x3 to 455x5, my bench from 135x5 to 285x5, and my deadlift from 205x5 to 535x1, I added just about 25lbs of muscle (as measured via calipers/tape measure). This took me the better part of eighteen months.
Granted, there are other things that make up LBM besides muscle, but, still, measurements derived from bioimpedence metrics are worthlesss. For a simple, easy way to track body composition changes in a practical way, I highly recommend the navy method. All it requires is a tape measure. The exact body fat number won't be accurate, but it doesn't matter. The waist measurement responds incredibly well to favorable changes in body composition.
TMPHBITEU
Of course it is, Tom. You are very short, and that may not have been your experience, but it happens all the time.
Member
Not to shit on everybody but I have taken a 7 site skin fold test right after I did a bio impedance test and the same results occurred on both tests so I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that not ALL bio impedance scales are worthless.
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