When you first join a commercial gym, they often have you do an initial assessment. You fill out what is called a 'Par-q' so they can get a basic idea of your workout history, the status of your health, previous injuries, motivations for joining the gym, etc. One of the other things they often have you do is check your weight as well as your body fat percentage. Now most people have been checking their weight their whole lives, but not their body fat percentage. Rather than ask what exactly body fat percentage is, most clients are just concerned with whether or not they are at a good number. "Is that good?" "Am I normal?!" One of the main reasons for checking the body fat percentage is so that trainers have a reference point to go back and check after a few weeks of training with a client.
Everyone's body is different. Some people immediately start shedding off pounds, while others feel and see the results of working out but are discouraged when they scale hasn't moved that much. I was once working with a client who after a few weeks was a little concerned. She told me, "You know I feel way stronger than I ever have before. I feel way more energetic, I look slimmer and my pants are feeling way looser. But I have only lost like two pounds!"
As part of her goals I had her on a weight training program as well as a twice a week circuit training program built around helping her increase the size of her glutes and get more defined in her legs. So what I explained to her was that she was definitely losing fat, but also putting on muscle which is why her weight wasn't going down that much. To show her, we went back and retested her body fat percentage, and sure enough it had gone down three percent.
She was now in the healthy range for a female her age, and less of her overall mass was made up of body fat. So, don't be discouraged if the scale is not moving too much. If you are still seeing results, feeling really good and notice your body changing, then you are definitely doing something right! If you began to plateau and are no longer seeing or feeling the results, then you can talk to your trainer about changing up your routine.
