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The comments from IG and Rebecca in another thread about their long term workout logs reminded me I've intended to create a thread on the importance of workout journalling for quite some time. I've got a few ideas on the subject I want to share and would love anyone else to chime in with their comments.
I believe most people tend to think of the training journal simply as a way to note down their sets and reps for each workout and to recall how they performed in the last few training sessions. I know trainees also use the online training log as an accountability aid. All valid reasons to log, but in my estimation the greatest single strength of the training log can only be exploited if you keep a long term, detailed log to which you can refer back years later. You can see exactly what worked and understand why.
Remember what worked with long term logs.
Body recomposition is all about adaption, either due to diet, exercise, or a combination of both. The body will stop adapting to even the smartest, most effective diet after a while and we will find we have to switch it up if we want the recomposition to continue. Same is true of any training routine. The body acclimates and will not continue adapting. You will have to keep coming up with novel training routines every so often to keep the change coming. That doesn't mean you cannot or should not recycle great old routines. That's where keeping a truly long term log like Island Girl's really becomes valuable. Keeping a long term log allows you to rediscover great ideas you had and can reveal to you the pattern behind what your body needs to keep changing.
The training routine is an experiment
No one can tell you what diet or training routine will work best for you. Anytime we talk about diet or exercise routines it has to be in generalities. Each body is unique, so the way a trainee will react to a specific diet or training program will be different. The only way you can learn what works best for you is to treat the routine like an experiment. Use the scientific method. Collect data, be methodical. Become the expert of you.
Provided you keep your training journal readable and organized, I don't think you can possibly enter too much data at each workout. Anything you think might possibly be relevant to your performance in the workout should be recorded.
1)Did you sleep enough since the last workout?
2)How's your energy level?
3)Any aches and pains currently?
4)Did you just add or subtract any supplements?
5)How's your motivation today?
IMO these are all points you should address in every entry. Looking back 8 months later at a very successful leg program you used to run will you remember you slept great every night during that program? Will you remember you just added creatine 2 days before the routine began? Will you remember your motivation was particularly high at the time because you tried on a new outfit and looked fantastic in it.
Anything that you feel will impact the success of each individual workout is worthy of noting. It will help you hugely when you look at old workouts to evaluate the success of routines you tried.
Ok that's about all I got. Ladies?
I believe most people tend to think of the training journal simply as a way to note down their sets and reps for each workout and to recall how they performed in the last few training sessions. I know trainees also use the online training log as an accountability aid. All valid reasons to log, but in my estimation the greatest single strength of the training log can only be exploited if you keep a long term, detailed log to which you can refer back years later. You can see exactly what worked and understand why.
Remember what worked with long term logs.
Body recomposition is all about adaption, either due to diet, exercise, or a combination of both. The body will stop adapting to even the smartest, most effective diet after a while and we will find we have to switch it up if we want the recomposition to continue. Same is true of any training routine. The body acclimates and will not continue adapting. You will have to keep coming up with novel training routines every so often to keep the change coming. That doesn't mean you cannot or should not recycle great old routines. That's where keeping a truly long term log like Island Girl's really becomes valuable. Keeping a long term log allows you to rediscover great ideas you had and can reveal to you the pattern behind what your body needs to keep changing.
The training routine is an experiment
No one can tell you what diet or training routine will work best for you. Anytime we talk about diet or exercise routines it has to be in generalities. Each body is unique, so the way a trainee will react to a specific diet or training program will be different. The only way you can learn what works best for you is to treat the routine like an experiment. Use the scientific method. Collect data, be methodical. Become the expert of you.
Provided you keep your training journal readable and organized, I don't think you can possibly enter too much data at each workout. Anything you think might possibly be relevant to your performance in the workout should be recorded.
1)Did you sleep enough since the last workout?
2)How's your energy level?
3)Any aches and pains currently?
4)Did you just add or subtract any supplements?
5)How's your motivation today?
IMO these are all points you should address in every entry. Looking back 8 months later at a very successful leg program you used to run will you remember you slept great every night during that program? Will you remember you just added creatine 2 days before the routine began? Will you remember your motivation was particularly high at the time because you tried on a new outfit and looked fantastic in it.
Anything that you feel will impact the success of each individual workout is worthy of noting. It will help you hugely when you look at old workouts to evaluate the success of routines you tried.
Ok that's about all I got. Ladies?
