Have you ever wanted to get in shape for a special occasion? Or lose 10 pounds before summer so you can look hot in your bathing suit? You know that eating fewer calories than you burn during the day is the key to weight loss, but exactly how much of a calorie deficit do you need to reach your goal?
Mike D'Angelo and J.T. Barnett of BodyEvolver have come up with a proprietary system that can tell you exactly that. Based on your body composition and fitness goals, they can tell how you need to modify your daily fat, protein, and carb intake, how many calories you should consume, and how long it'll take -- if you stick to your caloric goals -- to meet your weight loss goal. If you get off track, they can adjust the numbers and tell you what you need to do to reach your goal date, or tell you the new date that you'll reach your goal.
The system is designed for personal trainers to help manage and track their clients. When a trainer adds a new client, they take down some basic information, along with a detailed history and the client's goals. Then do they a body composition screening (see screenshot below).
In-depth body composition analysis for trainers and clients
This section of the tool also functions as a training tool for trainers who aren't familiar with body composition testing. Whenever you mouse over one of the points on the figure, it shows you a graphic that illustrates exactly how and where to take that particular measurement so that follow up measurements are taken consistently. Circumference measurements are taken along with skinfold measurements to calculate a client's body fat percentage. Skinfold tests, as opposed to bioelectrical impedance analysis, are more useful in discovering where a person holds the most fat. For some it may be the stomach, for others the thighs, and some people may have fat more evenly distributed. Knowing where someone holds the most fat can help tailor a strength training routine specifically for that person's goals.
While the application is designed for personal trainers, the in-depth body composition analysis and the tools available on the site are useful for clients too. On the BodyCheck Report (see screenshot below) there are color coded bars for body fat percent, density, BMI, and waist to hip ratio, and a pie chart of lean and fat mass so you can see at a glance how you stack up against the recommended healthy numbers. The demo client illustrated in the graphic below is well within the healthy range for body density/composition and BMI.
Setting your goals
The heart of the application is the Goal Wizard. Powered by a patent pending analytical engine designed by BodyEvolver, it lets you and your trainer change any number of details to see how they affect your goal. If your goal is to lose 10 pounds and you have 8 weeks to do it, the BodyEvolver system can tell you exactly how many calories you need to eat on a daily basis for you to meet that goal. You can modify your food intake and how much cardio and strength training you do, and see how it affects your goals. Anytime you make a change to any facet of the plan, the numbers in the top right immediately reflect those changes so you can see, for example, how adding one more day of strength training a week can help you reach your goal just a little bit faster. The UI is easy to use and allows you to toggle with the up and down arrows or manually enter values in the text field.
Just for trainers
For trainers there are 30/60/90 day clientele reports that show you the last time you recorded someone's body composition numbers and how many measurements you took. You can email a client from the application if you haven't seen them for a while or if it's his or her birthday. You also have detailed notes and charts of clients' progress so you can know when to encourage and when to congratulate.
How to get in contact with BodyEvolver
If you're a client interested in BodyEvolver's application, you'll have to find a trainer that uses it or visit Revolution Fitness in Boston. If you already have a trainer, tell him or her about it.
If you want to sign up to use the BodyEvolver system or want more information, you can contact them through their website at www.bodyevolver.com or through their contact page.
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