Weight Training Log

You can tell whether you are making any progress with the gym workout by keeping a weight training log. When progress is not visible, you thus have the chance to look over the entire workout routine and identify the mistakes. 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.

Let’s take a practical examples and see what things should be like. For instance, if last time you trained you did eight sets of bench presses with 205 pounds, on your new session you may hit the same 205 pounds but this time in nine reps. There is usually no growth in resistance, muscle mass or strength when you train at the same level all the time. 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. Even if some athletes tend to believe that weight is not relevant for gym training results, you may find it helpful to learn how much lean mass you have put on. 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.

Evolution is easier to track if you include such sections n the weight training workout log. Did you know that mood for instance affects your training? Find out when you feel in the right spirits to train by including a mood section in the weight training log. Normally, pertinent observations can only be made if you analyze the weight training log entries for several weeks in a row. If high energy levels define your mood at 5 pm every Monday, then, that is a great time to train, but this is just an example of how you can use the mood section in your advantage.