Body Composition Testing at Columbia CrossFit

While tracking your weight with a scale can provide some helpful feedback about progress towards your health and fitness goals, a Body Composition Scan can provide more detailed information. Our Inbody H2ON will measure not only your weight, but also your BodyFat Percentage and Muscle Mass.  These measurements are more closely tied to health status than simple bodyweight - for example, at 5’9” and 175 pounds, I would be considered “overweight,” but the Inbody shows that in fact my BodyFat Percentage is healthy, and a majority of my mass is muscle.  

Data from the Inbody scanner can also help you track the results of your training.  Is your muscle mass increasing?  If body fat reduction is a goal for you, is your BodyFat Percent decreasing?  Just as with a weight-only scale, there will be fluctuations from day to day in your Inbody data.  To track your progress over time, we recommend testing once a month.  Try to plan your tests for approximately the same time of day each time, under the same conditions.  For example, always test in the morning an hour or two after breakfast, and before your workout.  Ladies will want to try to test during the same phase of their cycle, if possible.

I have been very impressed with the reliability of the Inbody data, and I have found that testing at various times of day, before and after exercise, eating, and drinking, only leads to a change of about 1% BodyFat and 1-2 pounds of muscle.  However, for the most reliable data, try to keep testing conditions consistent.

What is a healthy body composition?  For men, a healthy range of body fat is 10-20%, and for women a healthy range is 18-28%.  A BodyFat Percent above these numbers is associated with an increase in health concerns, and a BodyFat Percent below these numbers can be associated with hormonal disruption, especially in women.

What should you wear for your scan?  Wear light clothing (workout clothes are perfect!) which will prevent your legs from touching each other, and your upper arms from touching your torso when you hold your hands at waist level.  

At Columbia CrossFit, we track our performance in every workout, and our growth in every lift.  Now you have the capability to track how your body is responding to all that hard work!