BodyMetrix Ultrasound
Aside from providing accurate body fat thicknesses; Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR); and total body fat percentages, one of the most powerful features of the BodyMetrix Ultrasound System is it’s ability to measure true muscle density. WHY? Well, in any physical endeavour, when muscles fatigue, one’s gait or stride or particular movement begins to fail – if this movement continues, the brain will reroute load to other, not normally used muscle fibers in order to continue. Over time, this is how chronic issues can manifest themselves. The fix is easy – simply identify muscular imbalances and then correct them by proper and focused training. This of course is easier said than done, especially when the muscles involved are layered, such as in the Quads, Hams or Calf muscles etc. Once identified, WMF can help with proper correction. Think of it – this could apply to improving your biking or running or rock climbing etc., etc.
As an example of how this was used for myself, right & left Quadriceps scans, taken a month apart are displayed.
Having had surgery on my left meniscus, training for 6 months afterwards resulted in a perceived strength difference of ~ 10 % between the left and right Quads, based on exterior circumference tape measurements and isolated leg load testing. The problem, was this was not the internal case when it came to loading up my legs with something like an olympic squat – with 3 to 5 heavy reps. I would start to heavily compensate with my right dominate leg after only one rep due to weakness in my left Quads. Once the BodyMetrix Ultrasound scan was run, it showed the reason why and it presented a very different picture. Specifically, that the Rectus Femoris muscle of the left Quad was ~45% smaller than the right dominate Quad, yet the Vastus Intermedius of the left Quad was actually bigger than the right dominate Quad – my brain had compensated for the original injured / surgery area, which ultimately affected my loading ability (& walking / running / biking gait).
Once this was known from the scan, I was able to alter my training to bring both Quads closer in balance. After a month, the 2nd image shows what happened with refocused training – the end result was that my squats became more balanced, along with my other activities using the legs (and less pain when pushing).