By Dr. Davide Marciano
With this article it is my intention to talk about a further scientific / practical evaluation tool to test the goodness of the workouts, to then dwell, in a particular way, on the numerous results (healthy benefits, increase in muscle mass, weight loss) obtained by applying the data of a scientifically valid instrumentation.
This instrumentation was created to calculate the quantity of liquids and their displacement between the intra and extra cellular departments.
To understand this better, only a normo-hydrated body can be healthy and can achieve aesthetic results (increase in mass or weight loss). Furthermore, the difference in the two compartments (intra and extra) allows us to evaluate the quality of our training, for example: too much training would only lead us to overtraining in the medium-long term, or to an increase in extracellular fluids for wear of the cell mass.
Furthermore, the BIA allows us to assess the nutritional status of the subject, then check whether the nutrition that our athlete follows is effective for him or not.
The data provided is exceedingly reliable. In fact the correlation of these values with reference instruments for that compartment is optimal:
BMR with CALORIMETRY
MG with DEXA
TBW with DILUTION SYSTEMS
The BIA associated with other field tests, which we technicians in the sector use (for example plicometry), can give us an even more complete picture of what we are doing on our students.
There are so many parameters that it can provide us, but in order not to dwell too much I will mainly consider the BCM, as it was the first value, I kept in mind, in the application of a hypertrophy program.
BCM
BCM or cell mass represents the totality of the metabolically active living cells.
Muscle mass is the main constituent of BCM, knowing the latter we will know:
1) Training progress .
2) Initial nutrition status
In a nutshell, if on the first BIA exam we find that our new customer has a BCM that is too low, he will surely have been trained too bulky. In this situation we could do nothing but oblige him to a period of rest (it will not be easy to convince him).
If the subsequent BIA checks, the BCM does not increase, but decreases further, we are still faced with an overtraining. So we will reduce training days until we have increased cell mass.
The BIA has shown that workouts exceeding twice a week (approximately) and above the hour induce a decrease in BCM, and therefore a decrease in muscle mass.
BCMI
BCMI (Body Cell Mass Index) provides us with more sensitive information on the subject's energy malnutrition. Downward variations of this index let us understand that the subject has an insufficient caloric intake.
So, hand in hand with the training, I will go to increase or decrease this contribution to constantly obtain small increases in muscle mass.
With this value it is possible to keep under control the benefits and the undesired effects of the various alimentations, to then decide which food method to adopt (the Zone, the Metabolic, the Anbolic push, the Cronodieta and many others).
1st CASE STUDY
The person is called Veronica (invented name)
Its purpose is to improve the appearance through a reduction of fat and an increase in muscle mass (sorry !! ... through toning. The lady as soon as she heard the word mass began to rave ...).
| Values | TEST1 | TEST2 | TEST3 | TEST4 | test7 |
| Age' | 40 | ||||
| Height | 150 cm. | ||||
| Weight | 44 Kg | 44 Kg | 43 Kg | 44.5 kg | 46 KG |
| BCM | 21.7 | 19.8 | 21.3 | 23 | 24.7 Kg |
| BCMI | 9.6 | 9 | 10 | 10.2 | 9.5 Kg |
| Fat mass | 6.7 Kg | 9 Kg | 6.6 Kg | 5.8 Kg | 5 Kg |
| Flat bench seat x 1 | 15 Kg | 17.5 Kg | 22.5 Kg | 25 Kg | 22.5 Kg |
| Squat x 1 | 30 Kg | 35 Kg | 50 Kg | 60 Kg | 55 Kg |
| Cut x 1 | 20 Kg | 20 Kg | 40 Kg | 50 Kg | 50 Kg |
From BIA values it is clear that the trained person arrived after about six months, about an increase in cell mass (lean mass) and a decrease in fat mass.
- In test 2, I followed more or less the same test training 1 - 3 times a week, but adding the Zone diet. Unfortunately the data was not very comforting.
- So in test 3 I did nothing but produce a bi-weekly training and give a Cronodieta a little more caloric and from how you can see the results even under the aspect of strength have clearly improved.
- In test 4 the training continues to have a twice weekly frequency and fortunately things improve even more
- In test 7, training continues to have a twice-weekly frequency and body composition further improves at the expense, unfortunately, of the force that falls following a fairly restrictive diet.
- BIA tests were performed in the discharge weeks.
2nd CASE STUDY
The person is called Giovanni (invented name). Its purpose is to put muscle mass
| Values | TEST1 | TEST5 |
| Age' | 28 | |
| Height | 182 cm | |
| Weight | 85 kg | 89.3 kg |
| BCM | 33 | 37.1 |
| BCMI | 10 | 12 |
| Fat mass | 16.9 kg | 17.5 kg |
| Flat bench seat x 1 | 50 kg | 90 kg |
| Squat x 1 | 70 kg | 120 kg |
| Cut x 1 | 50 kg | 100 kg |
From BIA values it is clear that the person is already in a good state of form but see after about 5 months, about what happened:
The training frequency was bi-weekly.
The diet was structured on the reconstruction of the basal metabolism and the caloric intake was increased by 10 - 15% month by month. I did not follow any particular diet, simply following the common sense of chronodiet.
I must admit that the subject possessed a beautiful genetics and was already well trained.
Precisely for this reason, having put around 4 kg of pure muscle mass in 5 months, I think it is a great goal.
The BIA tests have always been performed during the discharge weeks.
Like these, I could bring many other cases of women and men to which I could visually and scientifically point out the benefits of my training.
In my opinion, to date, the BIA is one of the best tools we can use to quantify the results obtained and to personalize training and power supplies more and more. Remember that the best results are obtained with 2 weekly training sessions, but personally I have also seen growth with 1 training and rarely even with three. For this reason with BIA we can justify why we set up a training program on 1, 2, or 3 times a week.
I also want to emphasize the fact that despite the BIA has indicated to me, for each subject, the right volume of training, with relative nutrition and caloric intake, after about 2 - 4 weeks I found a decrease or a stagnation of the BCM.
Even today, many people ask me how can only 2 weekly 1-hour workouts, improve people's appearance, health and mind
Fortunately, these results respond to me ...
To think that everything started in a garage.
Today, after so many sacrifices and studies, I managed to win some battles.
Maybe in a few decades I'll even manage to win my war.
