Tracking Progress

[Guinness]

How many of you track your progress in the gym by writing down your sets/reps, etc.? For those that take the time and effort to do these tasks, how do you analyze your data? I was thinking about being super anal and creating a spreadsheet that does all sorts of charting, blah, blah, blah....but then I kinda started thinking that I might be wasting too much time doing all that crap. Maybe I'll just do a Max day at monthly intervals and see how my maxes are responding to different programs.

Input, ideas, comments on this topic....

 

[einstein1]

Keeping a log of your workouts is important( I believe). I use just a basic log. Don't waste your time w/ spread sheets, MLA style, dangeling participals, and etc (ha ha).
I find that keeping a log is the best way to monitor progress and what I did to get that progress. It also helps me organize what benefited me in my workouts and what was ineffective. Anyway, I record the exercise I did, the weight I did it with, and the reps. I consider progress as the ability to add either weight or reps to my first set of an exercise (after stretching).

 

[capinatl]

I track everything I do when I workout:

http://www.capinatl.com/workout4.htm

...done in Excel. I don't use any database to determine specialized statistics, but I get a lot of motivation when I see my progress on paper. Whenever I change my workout I start by changing it on paper first. Exercises, sets, reps, etc...

This is the current workout I do now (every other day) for my upper body. Abs and legs (including running) on the "off" day. I know this isn't the "proper" workout I should be doing, as all would suggest I do the 3 on 1 off or whatever, but I've just started working out again only three weeks ago.

 

[The_Eviscerator]

I chart everything. You will not know where to go, if you don't know where you have been.

 

[maxellyz]

i just started keeping a training journal and its great u can go back and see how much you have improved its great to see, DO IT

 

[Robboe]

I do.

No need for spreadsheets or anything. Just a book that tells you how many reps and with what weight you did the week prior.

add reps or weight in your next session.

Simple and VERY effective.

 

[kjwise]

I'm actually in the middle of developing an application that I'll release for free as soon as it is ready for usage.

There you can chart your sets, reps, weight, TUT, tempo for weights,
intensity, length, duration, calories for aerobics,
protein, carbs, fat for food (the calorie count is automatically computed),
name and amount of supplements,
name and amount and time eaten/injected for steriods

All this data can then be compared to another individual using the program, you can track progress over a selected period of time, for instance you can see if that steriod stack with that food and that type of training was actually as efficient as you hoped for.

You can also save a training day/food day, any log for a single day to use later (and then just modify the properties if needed).

So this program basicly builds up a library of training regimens, food, steriods, etc and templates for training,
so implementing periodazation from the micro to the macro ain't that hard at all.

But seeing is believing, and seeing will happen soon.

 

[smackDATass]

I keep track of my progress, and I also use Excel to analyze my data, but only on Bench Press, Squat, and Deadlift. Only having those 3 basic lifts makes it much easier for me to graph with Excel. It looks like a stock that's always on the rise!

 

[absolute hardgainer]

I keep a log of dates/sets/reps/weights, I also keep track of measurements. Interesting idea of graphing your weights progress with excel.

hardgainer (pump pump)