log your work outs

[SoreArms]

I just want to share with you guys, and specially noobs (I'm a noob myself), a lesson I just learned on the importance of logging work outs.

I have been lifting a little over a year now. I recently realized that I have been kind of stuck on the same weight on some lifts for a while, or making slow progress on other lifts. I try to keep my lifts in the 6-8 rep range, I started logging my workouts last week and I noticed that I spend too much time with lower weights (I start with a warm up set, slowly increase it by 10 lbs.) and tire myself before I can get to where I'm really supposed to start. With the help of the log, some lifts have gone up as much as 30lbs 'cause instead of dicking around with a low warm up and slowly increasing I am now able to see what weight I need to load to get 3 sets of 6-8 reps from the beginning instead of slowly trying to increase the weight. Also, I don't have to guess or try to remember where I was at the week before because it is now written down.

 

[cmdubs]

I've always logged my workouts. Definetely helps with tracking progress or lack of. Sometimes I feel like an outsider in my gym tho because I'm the only one carrying a piece of paper/pencil around writing down every lift. Besides the occassional noob I'm the only one in my gym I've seen do this.

 

[big4life]

I'm one of the few people in my gym who keeps a log. I've always done it and now it's second nature. I write down what I lifted, sets, reps., etc.. I also write down how I felt, and anything that might have affected my workout. The one thing that I have not mastered is keeping a diet logbook.

 

[tzan]

Welcome to the club. Once you start you will never lift without it.

 

[UA_Iron]

dorian yates was a big advocate of training logs, I suppose I should start doing that too.

 

[eat big]

Second nature here too. I print out my workout on Excel, write down the weight, when I'm done I then come home and enter it in my computer. I've got over 50 pages. Works well.

 

[riverrock]

Yes. Don't be one of those "what will I do today" guys. Have a plan before you even walk out the door of your house to go to the gym