6 Ways to Measure Fitness Progress That Have Nothing to Do With the Scale

If you’re only using the bathroom scale to track your fitness progress, you’re missing the full picture. At Breathe CrossFit, we look at much more—including body composition, strength gains, energy, sleep, and how you feel day to day.

In this episode of the Breathe CrossFit Podcast, Coach Toni shares a member highlight: Jess McLaughlin just wrapped up her six-month check-in. Her results?
✅ Gained 4.7 lbs of muscle
✅ Lost 6.7 lbs of fat
✅ Dropped 5.2% body fat

And the kicker? The scale barely moved.

That’s called body recomposition—losing fat while gaining muscle, leading to a total body transformation even if the number on the scale doesn’t change.

So how do we measure progress at Breathe?

  • InBody scans (body fat mass and %, muscle mass, water weight)
  • Circumference measurements
  • Progress photos
  • Blood work & health markers
  • Strength & skill milestones
  • Most importantly: how you feel

Whether you’re working toward pull-ups, more energy with your kids, or just better health, the scale isn’t the whole story—and it might even be lying to you. Listen to our podcast here.

people working out in a group fitness class

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