A Basic Start: InBody Scan 101
I touched down at the gym this past Sunday morning just after 7 a.m. The Touch was there with his Sunday morning clients. The mission: do an InBody scan followed by a simple workout. Our Built on Basics series kicked off on Monday, and I’m doing it with the group.
My last InBody scan was in December 2024. A lot has happened since then; it has been an up-and-down year that has included many good things, as well as two knee injuries, shoulder limitations that need to be managed, family losses, and other challenges, a basic life.
What I’ve learned, especially this year, is that you don’t just “get over” a lot of things that happen in life. Instead, you adjust, you learn to work around and integrate, and you build strength in the process. Not always fun, but hard times can become growth opportunities. It is a premise that our Built on Basics Series is built around: mindset, nutrition, and fitness practices that you can learn to rely upon to keep you moving forward, especially during hard times.
What an InBody Tells You (in a nutshell)
An InBody scan gives you a snapshot of what’s happening inside your body:
Weight (up or down since your last scan)
Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM) (how much muscle you carry)
Body Fat Mass & % (amount and proportion of fat)
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR) → how many calories you burn at rest
Segmental analysis (how muscle is distributed across arms, legs, trunk)
Trends over time (your progress compared to past scans)
⭐ What it doesn’t measure: your worth, your effort, or your potential. It’s just data, and data is most useful when you use it as feedback, not judgment.
And if scales and scans aren’t for you? Other solid progress markers:
Waist measurement with a simple tape measure
How many air squats or push-ups can you do in a minute
Pull-up count
Energy and sleep quality
How your clothes fit
Mood and focus throughout the day
My Results
My scan showed:
Weight: up 1.5 lbs
Muscle: down 1.3 lbs
Body fat: up 2.5%
BMR: ~1,169 calories/day
Segmental analysis: arms and trunk steady; legs slipped after months of knee issues
Mission accomplished. Data gathered. Results to be expected with the year that unfolded, and I’m happy enough with it.
Right after my scan, I did a simple, basic workout. What mattered most to me wasn’t the clock or the weight, but that I was able to complete 80 air squats to a medicine ball without any tweaks or pain. I left the gym grateful.
What’s next: This week, our primary focus in Built on Basics is working on hitting fruit and vegetable consumption targets. It takes focused effort, but it helps you feel great. More on that process in Saturday’s blog. Onward!
🥕See you in the gym!
Curious about what an InBody scan can teach you? Email [email protected] to book.
