Does anyone else chart their progress?

[Times Roman]

.... I stopped by briefly at a gym the other day, and didn't notice a single person keeping track of their efforts.... routine, lbs of weight, number of sets, number of reps. I only WO out at home, and keep track of my progress. It totally gives me something to shoot for, and quantifiably speaks as to my progress. I've noticed over the years, if I'm off a little bit, that's usually a clue that something is going on in my body.... diet is off, maybe getting sick.... I just figured a gym full of guys that somebody would be keeping track of what they are doing?

[Dan111]

I've been going to my current gym for about a year now and I always carry around my workout log/journal and in that time I've seen maybe 2 or 3 other people with some sort of log/journal that they use to keep track.

It's nice to keep track of your progress so you can see over time how you've improved, but I mainly use it cause I always forget what I did the week before when it comes to weight for a particular exercise, so with it written down I can remember and also try to beat that weight, not sure why more people don't do this?

[OH REALLY]

i do,,,

[Noles12]

I dont need to write it down. I just remember everything i did. If i couldnt get all my reps at a certain weight i remember. If i did a larger weight then usual i remember.I can remember everything i did in the gym this week

[Dan111]

I wish I had your memory, I don't even remember wtf I did for leg day 2 days ago, lol

[gbrice75]

I kept meticulous notes for over a year, but just got tired of carrying around a pad and pen along with my water, towel, phone (music) and headphones. I needed an effing purse!

It definitely was better; I didn't have to guess or try and think back to what weight I did the previous week, just checked my log and tried to beat it. I know I am cheating myself to some extent by not keeping a log.

I'm glad you started this thread, it's making me realize I need to clean up and start doing this again! Cannot get lazy!

[NBRD1808]

nah you dont need to when you are gearing you can just do whatever and it will be ok just as long as you grunt more than last week and throw the weights down harder you must have improved.....i say that with ABSOLUTE sarcasm of course but that was the mentality where i used to train.

Ive always kept a log of my workouts its handy for looking back over progress and planning future progress and just simply remembering reps, sets, weight from previous workouts. I train at home now but even when i was at my previous gym there were only a minority of people who i saw keeping a log of their workouts

[gbrice75]

nah you dont need to when you are gearing you can just do whatever and it will be ok just as long as you grunt more than last week and throw the weights down harder you must have improved.....i say that with ABSOLUTE sarcasm of course but that was the mentality where i used to train.

Ive always kept a log of my workouts its handy for looking back over progress and planning future progress and just simply remembering reps, sets, weight from previous workouts. I train at home now but even when i was at my previous gym there were only a minority of people who i saw keeping a log of their workouts

I was happy to read the second part of your first paragraph, because I was about to BLAST you!

[cherrydrpepper]

I keep a log

What I really want is some advanced fitness software that will do graphs and charts. I was hoping someone would bring that up in this thread. Haven't found anything like that yet.

But yeah as far as the log goes I only don't use it on the days I have a partner. Its amazing how mental this game is though. Even a log, it has to be used the right way. If you are using it to keep yourself scared to go up in weight or reps then thats wrong and I know some people do that. But if you are doing the opposite and using it to be like shit yeah everytime you go up in weight, thats how it should be used. I will occasionally flip back to the beginning just for this to be like hell yeah I destroy on this exercise.

I like the Lee Priest philosphy on weight lifting.. always go to failure.. and if you could have done more than ~12 reps its time to bump the weight up and stop counting those lower weight sets. Exceptions of course based on the exercise and injuries and what you are trying to do with your program.

[Times Roman]

Since I wo at home, I track everything in Excel. I could friggin graph my progress if I wanted to (I don't). I just leave it open all day, pop in between sets, update what I just did, which also explains why I'm probably on the BB more. But I really helps me out since if I did 7 reps last time... I'm going to push for 8 this time. Which means I could probably do another set adding 10 lbs, and hopefully hit 4.

[Times Roman]

[QUOTE=cherrydrpepper;5255967]I keep a log

What I really want is some advanced fitness software that will do graphs and charts. I was hoping someone would bring that up in this thread. Haven't found anything like that yet.
QUOTE]

MS Excel will do it all brother!

[xo3et]

anyone got any templates for Excel for logging?

[Times Roman]

anyone got any templates for Excel for logging?

No need. Excel is purely freeform. You make it up as you go. If you need help, you can PM me.

[oldschoolfitness]

when i am serious i always log my info. but certain times like during hunting season or just some down time with less intensity i don't bother because i'm not really looking to gain just to maintain i guess. i have tried not logging on cycle and i'm totally lost from one workout to the next. some guys do it and have no problem.(to much ganja man when i was younger ha ha)

[sean_holland]

I use to keep a log when I was in my early 20's, I just mental log it now. I also run a very busy business with multiple appointments daily and I never write those down either, yet never miss one. I must have a large capacity for useless info.

[CJG560]

I record my info in an app in my iphone, I see most people doing it that way. I acutally only every see one guy at the gym use a paper record. I like my phone as a record since I already carry it for music.

[energizer bunny]

i have a diary

[MotoLifter]

ive been keeping a workout log since i was 18. those black and white marbel notebooks. occasionaly ill look back at some of the old ones just to see how raf ive come. funny when you look back at all the stupid shit i was doing before i knew anything about working out. live and learn i guess. but its a great way to keep track of goals and progress, motivational too.


moto

[t-gunz]

yeah i log it. and diet as well. and pics every few weeks

[NBRD1808]

I was happy to read the second part of your first paragraph, because I was about to BLAST you!

I knew that one would get a bite, sorry was just in one of those moods haha. I train at home now and was typing that reply before heading to the garage to train. I used to get some funny looks when keeping a log from people with the above mentality in my last post that i alluded to

[gbrice75]

I knew that one would get a bite, sorry was just in one of those moods haha. I train at home now and was typing that reply before heading to the garage to train. I used to get some funny looks when keeping a log from people with the above mentality in my last post that i alluded to

LoL not at all, I enjoyed it - need a good laugh now and then. When I was logging everything, people in the gym commented all the time, but I never gave a fvck about them - i'm there for me.

[Times Roman]

Ok, so i'm not the only one... my kid is starting to do it too now. btw... not that I own one or anything, but the iphone thing sounded like a pretty good idea.

[danimal79]

i don't. as long as my body looks better each week, that's all that matters. i use the mirror and pics to track my progress. numbers don't mean dick. scales lie, numbers lie, mirrors don't.

[goodlifting]

nah you dont need to when you are gearing you can just do whatever and it will be ok just as long as you grunt more than last week and throw the weights down harder you must have improved.....i say that with ABSOLUTE sarcasm of course but that was the mentality where i used to train.

Ive always kept a log of my workouts its handy for looking back over progress and planning future progress and just simply remembering reps, sets, weight from previous workouts. I train at home now but even when i was at my previous gym there were only a minority of people who i saw keeping a log of their workouts

haha my jaw dropped for a sec.

[Times Roman]

i don't. as long as my body looks better each week, that's all that matters. i use the mirror and pics to track my progress. numbers don't mean dick. scales lie, numbers lie, mirrors don't.

not sure about that. Numbers are more like targets you try to beat each time. And if there is something going on with your body, you'll see it in the numbers, sometimes before you actually feel it, like a cold or flu or something.

[danimal79]

not sure about that. Numbers are more like targets you try to beat each time. And if there is something going on with your body, you'll see it in the numbers, sometimes before you actually feel it, like a cold or flu or something.

i guess. i keep a mental note of certain lifts, such as benches, squats, and curls. if i'm not adding a decent amount of reps or weight to the exercises every few weeks, i make adjustments. but mostly i just go by the mirror. to each his own though. if ain't ain't broke...