Have you ever stood on an InBody machine, eagerly awaiting your results, only to be bewildered by the array of numbers and graphs staring back at you? I understand your situation.
As a fitness professional with over a decade of experience, I’ve seen countless clients struggle to make sense of their InBody scan results.
So, today, I’m here to demystify this powerful tool and help you read your Inbody scan results.
The Inbody is one of several trusted body composition scans on the market.
Key Takeaways
- An InBody scan provides a comprehensive breakdown of your body composition, including muscle mass, body fat, and water content.
- The Muscle-Fat Analysis section compares your body to averages, revealing if you have a C-shape (more fat), I-shape (balanced), or D-shape (more muscle) composition.
- Body fat percentage is generally more informative than BMI, with healthy ranges typically 10-20% for men and 18-28% for women.
- The Segmental Lean Analysis helps identify muscle imbalances between body parts, which is crucial for targeted training.
- For the most accurate results, get your InBody scan in the morning (8-10 am), on an empty stomach, and under consistent conditions for repeat scans.
An Overview of the InBody Result Sheet
An InBody scan is a type of bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) that uses low-level electrical currents to measure various aspects of your body composition. It’s like giving your body a quick check-up, but instead of a stethoscope, it uses some pretty cool technology.
Here’s a bird’s eye view of what you’ll typically find on an InBody result sheet:
- Body Composition Analysis
- Muscle-Fat Analysis
- Obesity Analysis
- Segmental Lean Analysis
- Body Water Analysis
- Body Composition History
- InBody Score
Each of these sections provides unique insights into your body composition. We’ll explore each one in detail, helping you understand what the numbers mean and how to use this information to your optimal health and advantage.
1. Body Composition Analysis: Breaking Down Your Body
The Body Composition Analysis is usually the first section you’ll see on your InBody result sheet. This section breaks down your total body weight into its main components:
Total Body Water (TBW)
- What it means: This is the total amount of water in your body, divided into Intracellular Water (ICW) and Extracellular Water (ECW).
- How to interpret: A healthy TBW percentage is typically around 50-65% of your total body weight. If your percentage is lower, it might indicate dehydration.
Dry Lean Mass
- What it means: This is the combined weight of your body’s proteins and minerals.
- How to interpret: Changes in this number often reflect changes in muscle mass. An increase is generally positive, especially if you’re strength training.
Body Fat Mass
- What it means: This is the total amount of fat in your body.
- How to interpret: While some body fat is essential, too much can be detrimental to health. Healthy ranges vary by age and gender, but generally, 10-20% for men and 18-28% for women is considered normal.
Weight
- What it means: This is your total body weight.
- How to interpret: Remember, weight alone doesn’t tell the whole story. It’s the composition of this weight that matters most.
2. Muscle-Fat Analysis: Understanding Your Body’s Composition
The Muscle-Fat Analysis section provides a visual representation of your body composition compared to what’s considered the normal range for your height and gender.
Weight
- What it means: This bar shows how your weight compares to the average for your height and gender.
- How to interpret: If the bar extends past 100%, you’re heavier than average. If it falls short, you’re lighter than average.
Skeletal Muscle Mass (SMM)
- What it means: This represents the amount of muscle attached to your bones.
- How to interpret: A longer bar indicates more muscle mass. This is generally positive, especially if it’s proportionally longer than your weight bar.
Body Fat Mass
- What it means: This bar represents your total body fat.
- How to interpret: Ideally, this bar should be shorter than your SMM bar. If it’s longer, it might indicate a need for fat loss.
The Body Shape
- C-Shape: If your weight and body fat bars are longer than your SMM bar, your body forms a C-shape. This often indicates a need for fat loss and muscle gain.
- I-Shape: If all three bars are roughly the same length, you have an I-shape. This is considered a “normal” body composition.
- D-Shape: If your SMM bar is longer than your weight and body fat bars, you have a D-shape. This is often seen in athletes and very fit individuals.
3. Obesity Analysis: More Than Just BMI
The Obesity Analysis section provides two key weight control metrics:
Body Mass Index (BMI)
- What it means: BMI is a simple ratio of your weight to your height.
- How to interpret: While useful for population studies, BMI has limitations for individuals. It doesn’t distinguish between muscle and fat. The standard ranges are:
- Underweight: < 18.5
- Normal: 18.5 – 24.9
- Overweight: 25 – 29.9
- Obese: ≥ 30
Percent Body Fat (PBF)
- What it means: This is the percentage of your total body weight that’s fat.
- How to interpret: PBF is generally more informative than BMI. Healthy ranges vary by age and gender, but generally:
- For men: 10-20% is typically considered healthy
- For women: 18-28% is typically considered healthy
4. Segmental Lean Analysis: Your Body’s Muscle Map
This section breaks down your total weight and Lean Body Mass (everything that’s not fat) by body segment: arms, legs, and trunk.
- What it means: Each bar represents the amount of lean mass in that body segment.
- How to interpret:
- Compare each segment to 100%. Falling short might indicate underdevelopment.
- Compare left to right. Significant differences (more than 1-2 pounds) might indicate muscle imbalances.
- Look at the percentages. These show how your lean mass compares to average for your height and gender.
5. Body Water Analysis: Understanding Hydration and More
This section provides insights into your body’s water content:
Total Body Water (TBW)
- What it means: The total amount of water in your body.
- How to interpret: TBW should typically be 50-65% of your total body weight.
Intracellular Water (ICW)
- What it means: Water inside your body’s cells.
- How to interpret: Higher ICW often correlates with more muscle mass.
Extracellular Water (ECW)
- What it means: Water outside your body’s cells.
- How to interpret: A high ECW to TBW ratio (over 0.390) might indicate inflammation or fluid retention.
6. Body Composition History: Tracking Your Progress
If you’ve had multiple scans, this section shows how your body composition has changed over time.
- What it means: Each column represents a different scan date, showing key metrics like weight, muscle mass, and body fat percentage.
- How to interpret: Look for trends. Are you gaining muscle? Losing fat? This section helps you see if you’re moving towards your goals.
7. InBody Score: Your Overall Body Composition Grade
- What it means: This score (out of 100) is calculated based on your muscle mass and body fat percentage relative to your weight.
- How to interpret: A higher score generally indicates a better body composition. However, it’s just one number and shouldn’t be the sole focus of your health journey.
Additional Measurements: Understanding the Extra Data
Depending on your InBody model, you might see additional measurements:
Visceral Fat Level
- What it means: This estimates the amount of fat surrounding your organs.
- How to interpret: Aim for a level under 10. Higher levels increase risk for various health issues.
Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR)
- What it means: The number of calories your body burns at rest.
- How to interpret: This can help guide your calorie intake for weight management.
Inbody Results Interpretation QR Code
The Inbody Results QR Code is a great resource and provides a mobile link to a webpage on inbody.com to help you understand your Inbody results in greater detail.
This is an important resource to have and to use because it can provide you with a ton of valuable information that may be hard to understand from just looking at your inbody scan results.
The QR code will give you access to things like your body fat percentage, how much muscle mass you have, and your overall health level.
How to Get the Best Results from an Inbody Scan
Inbody and nutritionists provide several tips to get the best results from your Inbody scan. The following are good rules to follow before your Inbody scan:
- Get your Inbody scan in the morning hours between 8 am – 10 am.
- Do not consume any food or water before your Inbody scan.
- Get your repeat or additional Inbody scans under the same conditions. If you run before your first scan does the same for the second.
- Be conscious of having bulky items in your pockets or extra weight on your body.
- If you are bloated from the night before you may want to wait for another day as your water weight may be higher on that given day.
- Stick to your regular meal plan for the most successful scan.
Conclusion
By following the tips in this blog post you should be able to easily read and understand your inbody scan results. These results can provide you with a ton of valuable information that can help you better reach your fitness goals.
If you have any questions about Inbody or how to use it effectively be sure to reach out to one of our certified coaches.
If you feel we missed anything when it comes to dissecting Inbody scan results please leave a comment below!
How? I built an entire team, including a personal trainer, nutritionist, psychologist, physical therapist, and sports masseuse.
Having the same team as Hollywood stars allowed me to reach my goals fast and produce insane results.
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