Chapter 11

MEASURING SUCCESS

Contents

MEASURING SUCCESS - INTRODUCTION
MEASURING GENERAL BODY CONTOUR AND COMPOSITION
10 markers of Good Health

MEASURING SUCCESS - INTRODUCTION

Success in the anti-aging program comes from knowing that you have done your best to attain the knowledge and have taken action to do what is best for your body. This internal feeling of well being and self-actualization is the ultimate success reward of the anti-aging program.

The number of marathons you can run, or your percent body fat therefore does not straightly measure success in anti-aging. These are but a few gauge to help you realize your goal and serves as a marker to let you know if you are on track or not in your anti-aging program.

The fact that you are doing the 5 components of anti-aging: Proper diet, exercise, taking supplementation, making an effort to reduce the daily stressors of life, and taking appropriate hormone replacement therapy, is already a success. There are no failures.

Some basic baseline measurements before and during your anti-aging program serves as objective tool to measure your progress. If you have a camera, don’t be afraid to take pictures of yourself. This will serve as the best motivation factor for years to come as you look back and vow to never be what you have been.

Here are some easy to do test that you can perform every 3 months to gauge your progress. Record them on your diary and be proud of yourself for taking the effort which is what counts.

MEASURING GENERAL BODY CONTOUR AND COMPOSITION

A. WEIGHT:

Anti-Aging body weight is equal to your ideal body weight less 5% (up to 10% is even better)

Try the following formula:

For ladies: (105 lbs + 5 lbs for every inch of height above 5 feet) x 0.95

For men: (106 lbs + 6 lbs for every inch of height above 5 feet) x 0.95

Goal: Maintain weight at anti-aging body weight consistently

B. BODY FAT ANALYSIS:

Percent Body Fat

Take the following measurements:

Hip at the greatest circumference area

Thigh at the widest part of the upper thigh

Wrist just above the bony protuberance toward the hand

Calf at the widest part, about midway between the knee and the ankle

Forearm at the widest part, about midway between the wrist and the elbow

Body Fat for:

Women under 30 = hip + (0.8 x thigh)- (2 x calf)- wrist

Women over 30 = hip + thigh - (2 x calf)- wrist

Men 30 and under =waist + (½ hip)- (3 x forearm)- wrist

Men over 30 = waist + (½ hip)- (2.7 x forearm) - wrist

Accuracy:

While the total body immersion test is the most accurate, it is cumbersome and impractical. This simple method has a accuracy level to +/- 2%.

If you are very fit, numbers from this test may be 3-5% above the total body immersion test because they have cleaned out their intramuscular fat.

If you are skinny but not fit, the result from this test may be 3-5% lower than the immersion test because skinny people have more than the usual amount of fat inside their muscle.

The national average men is 22%, and the average women is 32%

Healthy for men is under 15

Obese for men is over 30

Best anti-aging range for men is 10-15

Healthy for women is under 22

Obese for women is over 33

Best anti-aging range for women is 15-22

How many pounds of fat do you have?

Pounds of fat = total weight x % body fat

the amount of fat you should have = total body weight in pounds X % *

(*15% for men, 22% for women)

the amount of fat you need to loose / gain = difference

How many pounds of lean body mass do you have?

Pounds of lean body mass do you have = total weight in pounds - (total weight x % body fat)

the amount of lean body mass you should have = total body weight - pounds of body fat

The amount of lean body mass you should have = total body weight in pounds x %*

(* = 85% for men and 78% for women)

MEASURING YOUR FLEXIBILITY

Test: sit and reach test

Procedure:

1. You need a measuring sick or tape, and some adhesive tape.
2. Lay the measuring stick on the floor and place a 12 inch piece of adhesive tape long ways across the 15 inch mark of the ruler.
3. Without your shoes on, sit on the floor with your heels at the tape line, about 12 inches apart, and the zero mark of the ruler towards your body.
4. Keep your knees straight and hands together as you reach forward.
5. Stretch as far as possible, holding the furthest position for 3 seconds. Don’t bounce or allow one hand to reach farther than the other.
6. Record the effort.

Flexibility Test Results:

MEASURING YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR FUNCTION

1 mile fitness walking test:

How: walk as fast as you can for 1 mile, either on a track or flat surface (treadmill is OK).

Immediately after completion of the mile, take a pulse count and note both

completion time in minutes

heart rate per minute

Measure how long it takes you to cover 1 mile in a comfortable aerobic pace. You should be running at a comfortable pace that would enable you to carry out a conversation without feeling out of breadth

Maximal amount of oxygen your body utilize = ((132.853 - (0.0769 X bodyweight in pounds)) - (0.3877X age)) / (6.315 x gender*) - (3.2649 x time) - (0.1565 x hear rate per min) = Vo2 max in ml/kg/min

(gender: 0 = female, 1 = male)

Maximum oxygen used analysis:

MEASURING YOUR STRENGTH CAPACITY

a. Vital Statistics:

Chest (inhale) at the nipple line

Chest (exhale) at the nipple line

Upper arm (relax) at maximal biceps

Upper arm (contract) with biceps relaxed

Waist at the top of the hip bone (iliac crest)

Hip at the biggest area of your glutes (buttock)

Thigh at the largest part

Calf at the largest part

b. Measuring your Maximum Strength

Test: One-Rep Max Test

One -rep max (1 RM) represents the heaviest amount of weight you can properly lift for only one repetition.

Procedure:

Once you have warmed up, take up to 3 attempts to determine your correct 1 RM weight, allowing yourself 5 minutes of rest between each attempt. Always use a spotter. However, he or she should not help with the weights unless you absolutely cannot lit it any further.

Bench Press: _______

Leg Press: _________

10 markers of Good Health:

The following are 10 markers that will help to direct you towards optimum health. If you follow the anti-aging lifestyle, you should be able to achieve the following relatively easy after 3-6 months on the program.

1. Anti-aging body weight = ideal body weight less 5-10%
2. Systolic blood pressure under 120 regardless of age
3. Percent body fat under 15% for male and under 22% for female
4. Able to Bench Press at least 50% of your weight
5. Fast walk or jog at comfortable pace for a mile in under 15 minutes
6. Serum DHEA level at high end of normal for age
7. Serum albumin level > 48 mg/l
8. Serum Cholesterol level 180-200, with HDL > 45 and LDL > 130
9. Serum ferritin level within normal limits
10. Serum homocysteine level within normal limits
11. Serum Lipoprotein(a) within normal limits

Anti-aging Program Flow Sheet ( do every 3 months )

Forward | Introduction | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6
Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Bibliography

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