Last week I was at the gym eating my post workout meal, and talking to a friend about our workouts, and he basically pulled out a binder with a detailed, color coded, workout log, where he keeps track of all his workouts. It was probably the most organized workout log I have ever seen, and I have to say I was quite impressed!
In this binder he kept track of not only what he did in each workout, how many reps, sets, how much weight, what type of exercises he did, but he also kept track of the frequency of his workout over the year. This way he knew how often he was working out, what he did each workout, and he can also keep track of whether or not he was improving. Looking at this got me thinking… I keep very good track of my macro-nutrients by logging in, and measuring everything I eat, everyday. I am very consistent with my eating habits, as well as my training habits. I follow a workout plan that my coach made for me, and I consistently workout everyday. However, the one thing I don’t do is log my workouts in like I do my macro-nutrients. Up until now, I was mentally keeping track of how much weight I usually do and so on, and so forth. But, I realized, if I want to make some real improvements in the gym I need to keep better track of my workouts.
The only reason why I was so successful with my reverse diet after my most recent show this past October, was because I kept track of everything I ate. And because I was keeping track, I made sure that I hit my macro-nutrient goals everyday. In order to do that, I had to plan and prep my meals ahead of time to ensure my success. As for my workouts, I’m a pen and paper kind of girl. I always print out the programs that my coach sends me, and bring my program with me to the gym for me to follow. So, from now on, I will make a workout booklet/log and bring it with me to the gym to record the weights, sets, and reps that I do. I don’t really like looking at a screen too much when I’m working out.
However, there are some really great workout tracking apps available for your phone if you are a tech person! With these apps, you can not only keep a daily log of your workouts, but they compile all the data for you to make graphs and other visuals, to make it easy for you to visualize and track whether or not you’re making any progress. Even though I like to have a pen and paper with me in the gym, I will log my workouts into the Fit Notes app as well. I am a very visual person, I want to be able to see my progress in the gym, and know if I’m making any strength gains 😉 LOL My main goal this off season is to bring in my legs more, make them tighter, improve my abs, and to grow my upper body some more. My shoulders, and arms need some more meat on them! I want to do all of this, without gaining more than 15 lbs outside of my show weight! So far, so good, but now that I’m tracking my workouts, there is no reason why I can’t make this happen!
It is so easy to get stuck in a workout routine, where you’re always picking up the same weights, especially if you’re not keeping track. I honestly feel like this is what has been happening to me. I am still consistent in the gym, and I do think I’m pushing myself, but, if I’m keeping track, I will know exactly what I did during my previous workout, so I can push myself and do more the next time. Your body truly is amazing, it can adapt so quickly, and if you find the right workouts, the right meal timing, and macro-nutrients, you can really become an unreal athlete! You can really earn, and maintain a killer physique! The key, however, is to be consistent with your diet and your workouts. You need to eat well, and workout everyday, AND YOU NEED TO KEEP TRACK!
Your body is like a science experiment, and in order for you to know if all your efforts in the gym and in the kitchen are working, you need to keep an accurate log of it so that you can track your progress. If you’re not seeing any change in the amount of weight you can lift, or your endurance in the gym, or if the weight is simply not coming off, then you can go back into your diet logs, and workout logs, and make the necessary changes to keep you on track! Like I said before, your body can easily adapt. This is why it is important to be constantly challenging your body, so that you can see some significant change. You can do this by keeping track of your workouts, seeing the weights you did before and trying to lift heavier, or by noticing your progress slow down, so you change up your workouts in an effort to further your progress. I will be logging in my workouts from now on, and I do plan on sharing my progress here on my blog as an example. I am committed to improving my body in the off season for my upcoming shows in 2016, but now that I am keeping better track of my workouts, I can make sure that this is a guarantee!
Photo from last week, 5 weeks post show! This body is currently under construction 😉
Alex Rinaldo 