The 4 Hour Body has one of the best comparisons of body fat analysis I have seen to date.

When we began our project in February 2011 we decided to follow Tim’s recommended method of skin fold testing combined with using a simple Body Tape Measure to calculate both body fat percentage and total inches.

We did this along with the conventional means of stepping on the scale.

In order to track our progress and remain consistent we also have taken photos and discussed our workout regimens.

As Tim mentions in the 4-Hour Body:  “Starting any body recomposition program without measurements is like planning a trip without a start address.”

My sister, Jennifer has gone on to lose over 100 pounds (something I will be talking more about later this week). We made the decision to forgo any “formal” body fat testing until she had reached a milestone. Dropping below 200 pounds for the first time since high school was that milestone!

This last week we were invited by our local hospital, as well as my gracious sister,  to participate in and videotape the process of underwater weighing as well as the formal calculation of resting metabolic rate.

The question we wanted to answer was how do these more formal methods compare with the do it at home methods we had been using? At $155 this was not a cheap process and prior to attending the session I felt it may be a waste of money. But the information we received was invaluable.

It was invaluable because it helped Jennifer to nail in a long term goal… One, that not surprisingly, was quite different than what you would find with more conventional calculations.

Step One: Resting Metabolic Rate 30 minutes

Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), and the closely related Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR), is the amount of daily energy expended by humans and other animals at rest.

It is used to determine the amount of daily calories a person would need to maintain essential body functions.

Basal metabolism is usually by far the largest component of total caloric expenditure.

However, the equations used to calculate this are only approximate and variation in BMR (reflecting varying body composition), in physical activity levels, and in energy expended in thermogenesis make it difficult to estimate the dietary consumption any particular individual needs in order to maintain body weight.

Yet, in a world of calorie-in-calorie-out thinking these types of tests are still considered valuable.

The measurement process takes about 10 minutes.

The goal here is to find out how many calories you are burning at complete rest.

The clinic used a specialized device to determine resting metabolic rate by measuring oxygen uptake. This data is meant to provide information for weight management, fitness training and optimal health.

To the right is an info graphic and the results of Jennifer’s testing (click image to enlarge)

How does this compare to our own calculations using our 4-Hour Body Excel Spreadsheet for taking measurements? Here are our home measurements that day:

• Basic Metabolic Rate Calculated: 1816
• Estimated Daily Caloric Expenditure: 2497
• Estimated Caloric Need for Weight Loss: 1997 kcal per day

STEP Two:  Body Composition Analysis 60 minutes

The first step was a basic 5 point skinfold measurement, then we preceded to the dunk tank.

Underwater weighing is based upon Archimedes Principle which states that the buoyant force on a submerged object is equal to the weight of the fluid that is displaced by the object.

It is generally regarded as the “gold standard” for body composition analysis, although this claim is being made less of late because of newer and more sophisticated procedures.

Because body fat is less dense than water, it increases one’s buoyancy while the fat-free mass, which has a density greater than water, makes one sink.

After correcting for residual volume–which increases buoyancy and decreases the underwater weight–percent fat can be calculated based on the underwater weight.

The largest source of error in underwater weighing is thought to be the determination of residual volume (RV; the amount of air remaining in the lungs following maximal expiration).

When RV is estimated rather than measured, the precision of underwater weighing is little better than anthropometric (skinfold) determination.

Hydrostatic Underwater Weighing Method

To perform underwater weighing, Jennifer was first weighed on dry land.  Next she had to get into a large tank of water.

While sitting on a special scale, she was lowered underwater and asked to expel all the air from her lungs and remain motionless while the underwater weight was measured.

This appears a lot easier than it was.

This procedure was repeated five times and averaged.

The examiner then used a special calculation to determine lean weight and fat weight. He presented these at the end of our morning session.

Here is the video of my sister Jennifer taking the plunge:

Putting it all Together:

At the end of the visit we sat down to review the results. Below are some of the data sheets we were given.

I have included a comparison against our own tracking results.

I am proud to say we weren’t that far off. In fact the difference between our calculated TDEE (Total daily energy expenditure) and those of the examiner were about 200 kcal.

This difference  I personally feel to be insignificant. But if you ask Jennifer it is the difference between long term success and failure.

The difference in body fat calculations between ours (based on skin caliper testing) and the underwater weighing was about 4%.

Side by side comparison of in-office skinfold measurements versus home testing

In-Office Skinfold Measurements	Home Skinfold Measurements with calculated BMR, BMI, TDEE, Body Fat% and total Inches. Using Excel Spreadsheet

Detailed Body Fat Analysis (provided by testing facility) based on user desired goal body fat percentages

(Click on individual images to enlarge)

Goal: 22% Body Fat	Goal: 24% Body Fat

STEP Three: Slow Carb Breakfast

I am not going to get into a discussion here about thermodynamics, calories and the various theories behind weight loss. We can do that in the comments section if you would like.

But I will say this:

The RMR testing is useful in combination with home calorie counting for a brief period of time. Apps such as Daily Burn, MyFitnessPal and MyNetDiary are a good way to do this. You will learn about food, nutrition, caloric content, fat, protein… etc. etc. It is nice to relate this to your own body metrics and will bring these concepts home.

The underwater body fat analysis was valuable and I consider this to be an important metric. This of course can be done far cheaper especially if you have access to a BodPod.

When I asked Jennifer if she thought it was worth it she had no doubt in her mind.

I think this comes from the confidence of knowing that your body metrics were calculated by a true professional and not just a family member pinching you with calipers once a month.

What are your thoughts on the value of this type of testing? Do you think it is necessary? Is it worth the high cost?

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We started with 6 people and 5 months later there is a dedicated core of 3. Regimented monthly tracking like many things in life, can be difficult in a time-constrained world. Goals tend to wax, wane and then change. I am extremely proud of my sister and brother in law who have been huge motivators to me to keep this project going. They are in the photos below.

I am going to talk a bit today about what detailed tracking has taught me over the last 5 months. Also, I have given the 4-Hour Body dietary protocol to well over 50 patients in my practice (and counting).  We have only the resources of time to track weight in my clinic. I have been carefully tracking their progress as well.  Today as I look at our photos and crunch our numbers I realize why most of my patients have stopped the slow carb diet protocol.

Weight is an extremely poor indicator of the body composition changes one achieves with a healthy change in diet and moderate exercise. You will see this as you read further.

I was going to discuss both my patient outcomes and our individual tracking today, but I have decided to split this into two posts and simply discuss our results here.

Stephen	Jennifer	Patrick
5-2-2011	5-2-2011	5-2-2011
Weight: 162 Body Fat: 15.2% BMI: 25.7 kCal BMR: 1716 kCal Total Inches: 140 Resting HR: 78 Blood Pressure: 128/88 TDEE: 2659	Weight: 243 Body Fat: 43.79% BMI: 43.04 Total Inches: 179.25 TDEE: 2761 kCal BMR: 2008 kCal	Weight: 200 Body Fat: 32.8 BMI: 31.32 Total Inches: 158.6 BMR: 1666 kCal TDEE: 2513 kCal
10-1-2011	10-1-2011	10-1-2011
Weight: 163 Body Fat %: 15.7 HR: 64 BMI: 25.9 Total Inches: 141.5 TDEE: 2659 kCal BMR: 1715 kCal Blood Pressure: 112/68	Weight: 214 Body Fat %: 39.87 BMI: 36.86 Total Inches: 176.43 BMR: 1890 kCal TDEE: 2599 kCal	Weight: 195 Body Fat %: 25.4 BMI: 30.5 Total Inches: 151.25 BMR: 1795 kCal TDEE: 2783 kCal
Month 5 Review	Month 5 Review	Month 5 Review
Weight: +1 Body Fat Change: –.5 HR: –14 bpm BMI: +0.2 Total Inches: +1.5 Off all meds for autoimmune thyroid dz. (Graves) Time in Gym: -3 hours Transition to barefoot running + 3 miles now 10 miles barefoot (pain free)	Weight Total: –29 lbs Body Fat Change: – 3.92% BMI Change: – 3.5 Total Inches Change: –2.82 TDEE: – 162 cal*C-Reactive Protein: – 50	Weight Total: – 5 lbs. Body Fat Change: – 7.4% BMI Change: – 0.82 Total Inches: –7.35 BMR change: + 129 TDEE: + 270
Lifestyle and Protocol	Exercise Protocol	Exercise Protocol
4 Hour Body: Occam’s Protocol Not yet on sustainable slow carb regimen. Running: one 8-10 mile long run and one 3-6 mile interval run (pushing stroller) Poor sleep habits (burning the midnight oil) Kettlebell routine 1-2 days per week.	Balanced diet + strict calorie counting. P90X 6 days per week one day per week spin class one day per week 1 hour lap swim	Balanced diet + strict calorie counting. P90X 6 days per week one day per week spin class (not weekly) one day per week 1 hour lap swim
Supplementation	Supplementation	Supplementation
ALA 300mg once in morning (source naturals) Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega: 2 tabs once at night COQ10: 100mg with fat containing meal (costco brand) Vitamin D3: 2000IU once at night Daily MVI: Country Life Max For Men Maxi-Sorb Multi-Vitamins	COQ10 + Nordic Naturals Pro Omega Alpha Lipoic Acid 100mg once in the morning. Vitamin D3: 200o IU once in the morning	COQ10 + Nordic Naturals Pro Omega Alpha Lipoic Acid 100mg once in the morning. Vitamin D3: 200o IU once in the morning Vitamin C (500 mg) once a day

You can review all my data including photos and full excel spreadsheets here. You can see those of Jennifer and Patrick here.

I think the above data is very interesting. I highlighted some of what struck me most.

I am going to briefly touch on our findings here:

Stephen (me)

Many people have emailed me and been surprised at how “disappointing” my results have been. But this is where I beg to differ. Now, to be honest my last month was very poor as my family was on vacation for 3 weeks. And during this time I negated quite a bit of my gains (I will not go into the gory details). In fact my body fat percentage increased almost 1% from the previous month. But regardless of this, after 5 months of easing into my routine this is what I have really gained:

1. I have decreased my gym time by almost 75% and not only have I not lost muscle mass I have gained some. I did not report my machine weight increases on Occam’s protocol in this post but I will soon. I am amazed at the difference.
2. After decreasing my gym time and changing up my routine quite a bit of my pains have disappeared, including an annoying epicondilitis that has been plaguing me for years. Good by bench press forever!
3. I really had not been using a slow carb diet until this last week (more on this later) and had been lazy. I am sure that now I will start to see some real gains, I have already lost 3 lbs. in just a week slow carbing…. and it has been easy.
4. I am starting to believe the theory of those “Paleo people” that long distance running is not really good for your body. I am going to be running the Big Sur Half Marathon in November so I will continue to train, but I have already started to add intervals and this is making a noticeable difference.
5. It has been briefly mentioned in the 4-Hour Body but I have transitioned to barefoot running and I will never look back.  All the low back pain is gone!

Jennifer

1. My sister Jennifer has been amazing. She is down a total of 75 lbs. in just over 9 months but in the last 5 months since beginning P90X she has really shown some huge losses (the good kind). Across the board all her numbers are down. The before and after pictures shown above do not really serve to show the actual affect the weight loss has had on her. I will not be able to write about it all here but please check out our blog at fourhourfit.com where she will talk more about her experience with p90x.
2. Her C-Reactive Protein which was at almost 80 has shown a significant decline. This could be partly due the addition of the Omega 3’s but I doubt it. Her diet is not slow carb or really low carb. She is a graduate from the school of Weight Watchers and that is really how she approaches her diet. Both she and her husband Patrick track their calories using daily burn. They are religious about it.
3. The question is, is P90X sustainable? We will be tracking for 2 years. Both she and Patrick are on their second round of P90X.  Are they overdoing it and setting themselves up for rebound weight gain? I don’t think so, and it has a bit to do with their approach.
4. See all of Jennifer’s Data, including the original Excel Spreadsheet from each month Here.

Patrick

1. I could tell my brother in law Patrick was a bit discouraged at our last measurement. But Patrick’s numbers are the best indicator of why weighing-in on a scale can be useless. If you take a look he has lost “only” 5 lbs. of weight in 5 months of hard core training and dieting. Yet take a closer look and you will see he has lost 7.4% body fat. That is impressive and his pictures are worth a thousand words.
2. What is interesting is that his BMR and TDEE went up. I am assuming this is from a gain in muscle mass. P90X appears to be good for burning fat and bulking up, I am more impressed by the program than I thought I would be.
3. Surprisingly his total inches went down I am not sure what to make of this.

Let me finish by saying this:

Prior to beginning this process and reading the 4-Hour Body I did not even know where to begin to learn how to take body fat measurements and I had never heard of a Jackson-Pollock 7-point method. In fact I still think of art history when I hear this. But getting the tools and getting started was the key. Don’t wait, get some good inexpensive skin calipers and use our excel spreadsheet to track yourself. You will enjoy the process, get some friends to join you or your kids. My daughter in the photo loves our measurement days. If you want some accountability send me your data I will be happy to post it for you and our community will cheer you on!

Kettlebell’s, all new for me as well, Bosu ball… I love it,  never had heard of it.  Occam’s Protocol, focusing on less carbs, Alpha Lipoic Acid… These were all new for me. I really have to hand it to Tim here, he has helped me in so many ways.

Many people will tell you that you don’t need to track yourself to get good results and they are absolutely right. But, it does not have to be obsessive and if you approach it the right way it is fun. This last measurement has gotten me off my butt again and my brother in law who was extremely discouraged by his lackluster weight loss was delighted to see he had a 7% reduction in body fat.

All in all I am happy where this journey has taken me thus far. Even writing this blog post is a pleasant surprise.

Best wishes to everyone out there on your road to better health!

Pat (P90X) Day 1 vs. 30	Jennifer (P90X) Day 1 vs. 30	Stephen (4HB) Day 1 vs. 24
See Data Table	See Data Table	See Data Table

To be honest I am blown away by the results of the P90X program. But I am not surprised. If you are not familiar with P90X then you may not be aware of just how intense the program actually is.

But trust me it is intense. Six days a week one hour per day and that is just the part where you are actually working out. With set up and prep time this requires a certain amount of dedication that goes far beyond 4 hours.

The diet plan is similar to what we see with most of the “hot” fitness products right now. Cutting the carbs, focusing on lean protein and increasing fiber rich foods/vegetables. But with P90X as many of you may know there is a strong emphasis on exercise along with the diet portion of the program.

It is interesting to see how each of our body types has responded to the specific programs. I am actually at week 3 of Occam’s Protocol and have had a 1% decrease in my body fat percentage and a small increase in my total inches. I am not sure what I was expecting, but I was happy with the results.

I have learned a lot in just 3 weeks while implementing the principles of the 4 Hour Body. Occam’s Protocol has been a wonderful adjustment to my routine. Mostly because I have only been to the gym 2 times per week for 15-20 minutes and have actually made real gains.

If you are beginning the Protocol I would suggest this:

1. Make sure you keep a spreadsheet of some sort to record your progress. I will share mine soon once I have it finalized. I think it will help.
2. Bring a copy of the cheat sheet with you so you can remember your workouts and scribble down notes while at the gym.
3. If you are tired skip the day and try to do it the next day, if you can’t do it the next day don’t sweat it, do it the day after that. I have had to do this 2 times so far. Just don’t try to work out when you are tired it really won’t help you.
4. It really is ok do just 3 workouts. Keep it simple! This is the key to life and developing a long term strategy. You need to be looking past 90 days here into developing a workout routine (I believe) for life.
5. Push until you scream!! I mean this don’t be afraid to scream at the weights, if you are not screaming you probably aren’t pushing to exhaustion. When I get up I can hardly walk because my legs are like spaghetti.
6. You really don’t need a spotter if you have grit! Push…. I liken it to the birth of our first child!
7. Minimize, Minimize, Minimize… Do not add more workouts! The simpler the routine the more likely you are to stick with it and the more likely you are to have long-term and sustained results.
8. If you do not have access to a BOSU Balance Trainer at your gym then find one: used, online, at your local retailer it doesn’t matter. But this workout is the best abdominal routine I have ever tried.
9. I just bought a Kettlebell and began implementing it last week. I really don’t have an opinion yet.
10. Cross training is still important. I would recommend finding another activity you love as well to supplement this routine: biking, hiking, running, run/walking, swimming, golfing… point is it doesn’t matter but would be a good idea and good for you!
11. Nutrition matters.
12. I stopped using the Creatine daily. I continue to supplement protein but not daily. I use the L-Glutamine and Alpha Lipoic Acid. The L-Glutamine I use after workouts and the ALA twice a day about 30 minutes before meals.

Now stop reading and get out there and do your routine! Check out a full report on our stats and updates at www.fourhourbodyversusbeachbody.com. Drop us a comment or a question, especially if  you are using any (or all of) these methods. We would love to hear about your progress as well.

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Three Simple Steps to Getting Your Measurements:

Step I. Take your before circumference measurements. Get a simple tape measure and measure four locations

1. Both Upper Arms (mid bicep) example here
2. Waist (horizontal at naval)
3. Hips (at widest point below Waist)
4. Both Legs (mid-thigh)

Total these numbers to arrive at your Total Inches (TI). Changes in this total will be meaningful enough to track.

I have created a special 4 hour body “BODY MEASUREMENT WORKSHEET”. Take your time to record this data, it will act as a guide as you begin your diet. I recommend that you return here instead of the scale to track your progress.

Download as Excel Worksheet |  FOR MEN | FOR WOMEN |

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Step II. Estimate your body-fat (BF%) based on the “Eyeballing It” slider (or use the above Excel spreadsheet with skinfold calipers)

What should your body fat goals be?

The American Council on Exercise uses the following categories based on percentage of body fat:

Tim Ferriss Four Hour Body: Body Fat Goals

For Men:

• If obese, aim for 20%
• If you have just a bit of extra padding, aim for 12%
• Click here for a Large Blown Up Version of these Photos

For Women:

• If Obese, aim for 25%
• If you have just a bit of extra padding, aim for18%
• Click here for a Large Blown Up Version of these Photos
  

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Step III. Choose the Best Tool and Schedule a Session

• If your over 30% body-fat, avoid calipers and use DEXA, BodPod, or ultrasound, in that order.
• If you are under 25%, still aim for DEXA, BodPod, or ultrasound.
• If you cannot find these opt for calipers with a qualified professional and request the 3-point or 7-point Jackson Pollock Algorithm.

Professional Resources:

• BodPod: Use this site to find BodPod assessment centers
• BodyMetrix: Hand-held device uses ultrasound to measure body composition down the the millimeter.
• Find DEXA: About $49 use this to find a local center.

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Tim’s Recommended Tools for Body Composition:

• Escali High-Capacity Bathroom Scale with Body Fat/Body Water Monitoring (440lb / 200kg): Measures weight and percentage of body fat for up to 10 users.
• Withings Wifi Body Scale ($159, really great scale automatically uploads your tracking data to the web each time you step on the scale, a bit pricey but well worth the investment)
• Orbi Tape Measure: The armed services’ choice for physical examinations.
• Slim Guide Skinfold Calipers: These are the most widely used calipers in the world.
• Get all of these products in one click from Amazon.com

Related Posts:

• Occam’s Protocol Cheat Sheet

Body Analysis Links:

• Useful Online Body Fat Calculator
• Useful BMI Calculator and I-PHONE  APP
• Ideal Body Weight Calculator
• Weight Calculator for Weight Loss

DOWNLOAD THE CHEAT SHEET!

[note color=”#f5f8fa”]You can sign up to receive updates via RSS or email or check out the upcoming  4 Hour University. If you are feeling especially generous and any of this info helped you please share with a like, it makes me feel happy and that should in turn make you feel happy

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