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So we've got a bit of a change
of pace for our product review this time around.
Instead of reviewing a book
or a program or a supplement, you're looking at one of the
coolest pieces of body composition testing equipment you will
EVER see.
The BodyMetrix system uses ULTRASOUND
(just like the kind a doctor uses to look inside your body)
to determine your EXACT body composition.
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Great, But Does It WORK?
That's what you're going to find out...
Well, okay, I won't keep you in suspense.
It does work...
(I was never much good at keeping
secrets).
We use a
BodyMetrix unit at the Bed
& Barbell down in Gilbert, AZ and all our clients (and us!)
LOVE it.
So HOW Does It Work?
As I mentioned above, the BodyMetrix
unit uses ultrasound to test body composition. This is WAY more
effective than skinfold calipers and even underwater weighing.
Basically, you put the business end
of the unit onto your subject/client and turn it on. The ultrasound
waves rebound off different tissues differently, giving you exact
(and I do mean EXACT) measurements of the thickness of the subscutaneous
fat on the area.
I'm talking down to the millimeter.
Think of a sonar on a ship (you've
seen these in the movies) where you see blips on the screen. Ultrasound
is along that line, bouncing sound waves against things. In this
case, instead of showing ships and subs, the blips show the dividing
lines between fat, muscle and bone.
The systems takes these blips, measures
them and plugs them into a body composition forumula (you can actually
pick which one you want to use) and spits out the results.
Of course, there's just a bit more
science to it than that (which I will give you a link to read more
about below), but that's the concept in a nutshell.
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It's not invasive like a skinfold
test (where you pinch the skin and pull it up to get a thickness
measurement). Also, you're not limited by skinfold factors
like fat density (if you're tried to pull a good skinfold
up off a thigh that has dense fat on it, you'll know what
I'm talking about) and individuals with very high or very
low bodyfat.
It's also not ridiculously
expensive to use like many other medical scanning devices
(like CT scans and X-Ray units).
The BodyMetrix also gives a
high quality reading of existing lean tissue in those populations
that are less worried about simple body composition and more
interested in muscular and performance gain.
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Honestly, if you're a personal trainer
(or if you run a gym or fitness facility) looking to set yourself
apart from the crowd, offering BodyMetrix scans to your client base
is a GREAT way to do it.
Total no-brainer, in my opinion.
Sound Great! How Much Does It Cost?
Let me say right up front, this isn't
your cheapo plastic caliper-level body comp device. Because of the
quality of the equipment and the technology (it's a scaled-down
version of a medical ultrasound device), the price comes in at $2225.00.
Here's the thing...
When you step back from the initial
sticker-shock and look at the potential BENEFITS this piece of equipment
can bring you, that price looks better and better.
As I mentioned above, we use our unit
at the Bed & Barbell all the time. It's perfect for facility
use. If you have a facility or are a personal trainer, a small fee
for body comp testing and the unit pays for itself...
If you're a strength coach and you
have a lot of athletes you work with, this is GREAT for tracking
lean body mass AND fat mass. You can see the site-specific incremental
changes to make sure you're training programs are working.
Basically,
the BodyMetrix is not toy...it's a TOOL...and a very valuable
one for the serious trainer, coach and facility. The price of the
unit reflects this.
But heck, if you've got a couple of
grand to spare and you just want to have your own body composition
analysis machine to use at parties and get-togethers as an ice-breaker,
this'll be right up your alley, too!
CONCLUSION:
All kidding aside, the bottom line
is this...we at Staley Training Systems HIGHLY recommend
the BodyMetrix system. It gives very accurate and consistent results
through scientifically-proven technology. It's a valuable tool for
us and it can definitely be one for you as well.
SPECIAL
VIDEO BONUS FOR YOU!
We've also got a 1-hour seminar video
presented by Luiz Da Silva, one of the originators of the BodyMetrix
system. Luis appeared at our 2008 Staley Training Summit to talk
about not only the BodyMetrix but also body composition testing
in general.
This one-hour talk will give you great
insight not only into how the BodyMetrix system works but how it
can benefit you and your business. You'll learn plenty about the
different methods of body composition testing, their benefits and
their drawbacks.
Very informative stuff - the video
format is MP4, which should give you no trouble in terms of viewing.
The file size is 147 MB (not small but definitely reasonable on
a high-speed connection).
It is recommend to right-click and choose
"save target as"
to download this video directly to your computer
to view at your leisure. It's our gift to you!
To download, right-click and choose
Save Target As
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