FILEX 2015
PRESENTER
SCANALYSE THIS!
HOW DEXA CAN HELP YOU
SMASH CLIENT GOALS
By accurately measuring muscle, fat and bone status, the new generation of affordable
DEXA scanning technology can help you train clients more efficiently.
WORDS: DR BILL SUKALA
ou can’t always eye someone up
and tell how much fat and muscle
they ha ve. There are some
people who look ‘fat’ but actually carry little
fat and a lot of muscle. Others look average
or ‘normal’ but, in fact, carry little muscle
and a lot of fat – what is sometimes termed
‘skinny fat’.
As a fitness professional, you’re paid by
your clients to maximise fat loss and muscle
gain. You therefore need to train your
clients scientifically, and a big part of that is
making sure you’re getting high quality body
composition information that allows you to
effectively track and monitor their progress.
After all, you can’t manage what you can’t
measure. But what is the best method for
assessing body composition?
Enter the DEXA scan, the current
champion of body composition assessment.
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26 | NETWORK AUTUMN 2015
What is a DEXA scan?
DEXA, short for dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, has been used in clinical settings
for decades, but newer versions of the technology have made it quick, easy, cost
effective, and accessible to the masses.
A DEXA scan eliminates the guesswork and provides you with a comprehensive
breakdown of body composition. As the name implies, two different energy levels of
x-ray pass through the body and measure how much fat, muscle, and bone you have. It
also gives you specific details about where the fat and muscle are situated on your body.
How can DEXA help you help your clients?
There are a number of benefits to using this technology.
1. Establish a baseline
One of the most important things you can do for a client is recommend they get a
DEXA scan before they start on a diet and training regimen. You need to know how
much muscle and fat they have at the start so you can accurately compare them to
themselves later on into their training.
2. Monitor muscle growth and fat loss
DEXA allows you to track and trend your clients’ body composition over time and