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Writer's pictureKeith Grainger

How To Take Tape Measurements By Yourself

Updated: Sep 21, 2019

This blog will show you the easiest way to take body measurements with a tape, with photos to demonstrate. This is great for online personal training clients or anyone else who wants to measure their progress.


How To Measure

  1. Do it yourself... If you rely on someone else, that person will at some point not be available which means someone else will do it or you’ll do it yourself, which will lead to quite different results.

  2. Do it first thing in the morning before food or liquid.

  3. Use a mirror to check the tape is straight and untwisted (or a phone in selfie mode)

  4. Apply just enough pressure to the tape to keep it from sliding, but not enough to see it bite into the skin.

  5. Don't wear clothes (unless taking pictures for an informative blog 👍 )


Where To Measure

Measure these 7 areas monthly:


1. Your chest, at the nipple line.

female tape measurement at chest (nipple line)
Nipple line

2. Your 'natural waist' - this is the narrowest part of the torso and is a different height for everyone.

female tape measurement at natural waist
Natural waist

3. Your stomach, at the belly button.

female tape measurement of stomach at belly button
Belly button

4. Your glutes at their widest point

female tape measurement of hips (bum) at widest part of glutes
Glutes

5. Your thigh, at the widest point.

female tape measurement of thigh at widest part
Thigh

If you find it difficult to determine the widest point, you can put your thumb on the bony front prominence of the hip (the "ASIS"), and stretch your hand fully down the leg, then measure your thigh at the tip of your little finger.


Finding midpoint of thigh for tape measurement site using ASIS hip bone and hand length
Stretch hand from ASIS to find measurement site

6. Your calf, at the widest point

tape measurement of calf at widest part
Calf (widest point)

7. Your arm:

if you can see a bulge when you flex your bicep, measure the widest part of that.


tape measurement of bicep at widest part or peak of bicep
Measuring arm at bicep peak

If you don't have a bicep bulge, measure the distance from armpit crease to elbow crease and use the halfway point as your measurement site.


Finding midpoint of upper for tape measurement site
Finding the half way point of the upper arm

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