5 TIPS TO TAKE BETTER ‘PROGRESS’ PHOTOS

When it comes to seeing the results you’ve worked hard for, progress photos are one of the most effective ways to show the changes happening in your body, that you might not always be able to feel or see for yourself. Not to mention, they’re a great way to hold yourself accountable and to appreciate what your body is capable of achieving when it’s really loved and looked after. Instead of dreading them, it’s time to cherish your progress photos and how far you’ve come!

ASN Life Challenge Before and After Photo Guidelines:

All photos must feature the ‘ASN Life 60 Day Challenge’ poster (both before and after photos). This poster MUST either be printed or displayed on a device in the photo. Challengers are NOT to manually input the electronic version of the poster on their photos after they have been taken.

Please make sure your photos are taken in a well-lit room, preferably against a white wall

Please aim for appropriate clothing that shows your shape (Ladies must be in a full brief bottom or shorts – no g-strings. Gents must be in shorts or mid-thigh bicycle shorts – no jocks)

A relaxed pose with images taken side-on, front on, and back on. No flexing in photos, please.

Not sure how to capture your most accurate results? Here are our top 5 tips for taking better progress photos:

While you may not feel comfortable wearing tight clothing when taking your initial ‘before’ photos, we promise you’ll thank yourself for doing so when you get to the end of the challenge. Wearing fitted clothing allows you to accurately show your shape and see the physical changes happening to your body as you progress. It’s important to not cover up with clothes that hide your figure if you’d like to be able to compare your results at the end of the challenge. Secondly, it’s also important for the ASN team to be able to see your physical changes in your ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos when selecting our 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners.

What can I wear? While it's completely up to you to wear what you feel comfortable in, we recommend wearing clothes that show your shape. Clothing such as sports bras, long or short tights, swimmers etc. are great examples of outfits that show your figure appropriately. However, please ensure you do not wear lingerie or g-strings.

When taking ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos (or multiple progress photos along the way), a great way to visually see the changes happening is to wear the exact same clothes in all photos. Not only will this ensure you can see your shape consistently in all images, but it’ll also show how clothes fit and sit on your body. For instance, if you’ve lost weight, the same clothing will look looser in your ‘after’ photo and if you’ve gained muscle, your clothes may appear tighter in your ‘after’ photo.

When it comes to taking your ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos, it’s important to choose a plain backdrop that’s free from clutter and distracting objects. To get the best quality photos that show your incredible result, it’s all about making you the focal point. To do this, all you need to do is find a clean white (or light coloured) wall inside or outside of your home. If you’re struggling to find a bare wall, you can get creative by drawing the blinds or curtains and using them as a clean backdrop.

Aim to take your full-body ‘before’ and ‘after’ photos at eye level. Did you know the angle of your photos can make a huge difference to how your shape appears...and some can even be extremely deceiving. For instance, with a higher angle, you are more likely to appear slimmer and with a lower angle, you may appear bigger than you are. So, be sure to take your photos at eye level for the most accurate representation, and be sure to do this consistently with all progress photos.

Yet, that’s not the only angles you need to be aware of. When taking progress photos, it’s important to get multiple photos of different angles to show exactly where and how your body is adapting to your new healthy lifestyle. While your front image may change slightly, you will often find that your side image drastically changes. To see accurate results, take a photo from the front, side and back.

Did you know that dull and artificial lighting is more likely to create shadows that don’t properly reflect your progress or results? To avoid this, simply choose a spot in your house that’s well lit with natural lighting to take your progress photos. Whether it’s against a wall near a window or a wall outside your house during the day, there’s plenty of simple ways to make sure your lighting correctly shows your shape.

Whether or not you’re noticing the changes in your body, it’s important to track your progress to ensure you know exactly how far you’ve come or how far you need to go to reach your end goal. It’s not about jumping on the scales and basing your progress off one number that doesn’t show the whole picture. We’re referring to tracking your results with accurate, visual and detailed methods that will tell the whole story. Try the following progress tracking methods:

Taking your measurements is an accurate and efficient way of tracking your progress that doesn’t require any fancy equipment, just an old-fashioned sewing measuring tape. When you take your measurements at specific areas of your body, it’s generally an accurate representation of where you’re losing fat or growing muscle. As such, the most important areas to measure are your bust, chest, waist, hips, midway, thighs and upper arms.

Short on time, don’t have the equipment, or simply want a more detailed analysis of your results? An InBody scan is a quick, accurate, easy and completely non-invasive scan that measures your body composition data and allows you to accurately and easily track your fitness journey. And don’t worry, you can keep your clothes on!

The scan will give you detailed data, including exact percentages, weights and locations of your body fat and muscle mass. As well as specific locations and percentages of potentially dangerous visceral fat. Better still, all of this data is compiled into an easy-to-understand report to ensure you’re across exactly how you’re tracking. Don’t forget, as an ASN Life Summer Challenge participant, you’re entitled to an incredible InBody Scan deal where you’ll receive 3 scans for $30 (save $120). To find your nearest ASN Store, simply click here.

While we’ve already touched on this, it’s important to reiterate just how beneficial progress photos are when it comes to tracking your fitness journey and how you should never underestimate the power of a picture. A photo progress update is one of the most effective ways to visually see where you’re improving and how you’re tracking with your goals. And not to mention, it can be a great way to keep you accountable and motivated once you start noticing the changes happening. If you’re time poor and looking for a simple way to track your progress from the comfort of your own home, this is a great option.