Weight Training Log
A weight training log is the only way to tell whether you are making any progress with your gym work or not. When the weight training log does not show the results you expect, you need to revise your workout routine and identify the possible mistakes that you are making. Training too much or too little, these could be two of the problems. There are many ways to organize the weight training log: the traditional form is to have columns for all every set and workout so that you may know the sets you perform, their date and the resistance. Another system is to organize the weight training log not by the work out dates but by the weight increases.
To give just an example of what a weight training log should look like, let’s analyze a column and see how you should interpret it. For instance, if on your last training you worked on the bench presses doing 205 pounds in eight sets, on your new training session, the bench presses should hit 205 pounds but in nine reps this time. If you’d stick to the same number of reps and weight, there would be no growth in the resistance, strength and muscle mass, and you’d only reach the much dreaded plateau. The best way to create a weight training log within minutes is to print ready made customized workout sheets.
The weight training log should include a special column in which you can record your weight before every workout. Although weight is not always relevant for the results of gym training, it is sometimes helpful particularly if you try to burn fat and replace it with lean muscle mass. Don’t forget to include a cardio section in the weight training log too. You can keep track of workouts in relation to the cardio exercises. It seems that when performed before the weight training, the cardio routine reduces the intensity of the exercises.
Such a section in the weight lifting log can help one better keep track of the evolution. Did you know that mood for instance affects your training? If you include a section for mood in the log, you will be able to determine if the success of your exercises is not influenced or impaired by the way you feel when you train. Normally, you wouldn’t be able to make a pertinent observation from one week to another, unless you have this weight training log to check. If you see that at 5 pm on Mondays, you feel energized and this is a common occurrence, that means you’ve found a perfect time to train and you should stick to the program.
