How to take measurements and progress photos

Opting for measurements and photos to evaluate progress? Killer! I measure myself and take pictures every month or so as a way to check my progress (or maintenance) that doesn’t involve my body weight.

If you’re new to this, I’m going to share photos of how I measure myself. I’ll also share some progress photos so you can see what I’m looking for. Just stand normally - you’re not flexing or clenching or anything when taking the measurements or pics.

Thighs

You’re going to want to pick a spot on your thigh somewhere around the middle of it/the thickest part. For me, this is easy because I have giant severed head tattoos on my quads, so I use the eyes of those heads as my reference point. If you don’t have amazing tattoos on your thighs, maybe use a freckle. If you don’t have freckle, just try to pick roughly the same part each time. This is just to keep things consistent.

Hips

I have the tape measure start a couple of inches below my hip bones. My second reference point is that it goes along the half-way point of my butt around the back.

Waist

We all have a belly button so just wrap it around using that as your starting point.

Chest

Wrap the measure around the bottom of your armpit - usually along the nipple line.

Arms

Go for the widest part of your bicep.

Photos

Try your best to get a full body shot of your front, side, and back. It’s optimal if you can take this picture about 5-7 feet away from where you stand, and you can stand in the same room/place for each photo. This just helps with consistency. No need to flex, but please make funny faces.

As far as what to wear, that’s up to you. Bathing suit, boxer briefs, shorts and a tank top…please no birthday suits.