Using a Workout Log -
will help you realize your true potential
USE A WORKOUT LOG - One of the most important bits of advice I can give Planning, recording and monitoring your progress are the most effective ways to realize your physical training goals, regardless of your body type, or the workout routines you plan to do. Why? Any success with a body transformation (or any workout program) is highly contingent on you keeping a workout log and recording both daily activities and weekly progress. You can read more about this here. Are there any other ways of measuring progress? Although not as substitutes for workout logs, other means of gauging progress are useful complimentary sources of feedback. A typical example is having periodic pictures taken of yourself, for example when you commence a program, and at monthly intervals. Not only does this help you to see where you have made, or still have to make improvements, it is also an excellent way to keep motivation high. HOW DOES THE WORKOUT LOG COME IN TO PLAY? A proper detailed workout log will allow you to assess when and how to make incremental adjustments to the weights you are handling (the essence of progressive resistance-training) or in the distance and/or time associated with your cardiovascular workouts. As regards planning and recording your meals, in addition to the occasional eating splurge, there will be certain times when you will not manage to consume your meals exactly as planned, either due to an unexpected event or illness. Tracking all of these activities will help you to stay on course with your eating. Keeping track of meals may seem like a hindrance Please don't think that in order to be healthy and fit means you need to permanently carry a meal log around with you like a ball and chain. You will in time develop assessment skills like second-nature. This will eventually allow you to estimate, consume and keep track of your nutritional intake almost like instinct - and with minimal thought. Body measurements and measuring body fat One should also measure body fat levels, as well as to check and record overall weight and body measurements on a weekly basis. Do not obsess about doing this on a daily basis though, weekly values will show a truer indication of your progress or physical change. I usually do mine on Sunday evenings and include a careful self-inspection using a mirror. (Like me, you will eventually become accustomed to your body's condition and tendencies so well that you can do these measurements monthly.) Another practical progress-indicator is the "fit" of your clothes around the waist and buttocks, and a glance in the mirror. Keep in mind that the bathroom scale will only show an overall body weight. Far more important is increasing your muscle to fat ratio, which does not necessarily mean that the scale should show drastic reductions in your weight. However, it is useful to keep track of all the indicators because together, one can make a more complete assessment of the overall progress and gains achieved. So, besides tape measurements, "how to measure body fat?" Among several methods (as covered on the page dealing with Body Composition) I used (and still use) the widely available "Accu-Measure" skin-fold caliper to do the skin-fold pinch an inch above the hip bone. I have found this to be a simple, fairly accurate and affordable way of assessing your body composition. Keep these important weekly scores in the relevant sheet of the workout log. A FEW PRACTICAL TIPS TO MAKE YOUR WORKOUT LOG EVEN MORE USEFUL Whatever workout routines you intend using, make your copies (including progress sheets and the entire cycle of the workout program) and collate them before you begin the program. Preferably bind the pages together in a folder or appropriate means that is hard enough for you to press on (also, have a dedicated pen at hand which can clip onto your log). This will avoid you having to shuffle pages around and will save you valuable time when entering information, epecially between sets. Keep in mind, you only have a minute's rest between sets. Besides needing to occasionally drink water, you also need to do the odd weight-adjustment and/or change position. To add visual stimulus, paste a copy of your before photo (and any progressive ones) in the workout log. This will help you to keep your mindset and your transformation in perspective, not to mention give your motivation a valuable boost. RECORD YOUR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS Health and fitness is a thinking person's activity. Have some dedicated pages in your workout log for general notes. I have found that between sets I often have brainwaves. It's good to preserve these thoughts by being able to jot them down immediately. Similarly, when I run, my mind often comes up with clever thoughts and ideas. Not only are these health-related fitness ideas, but they also concern ways of dealing with issues or addressing other areas of interest in my life. The moment I complete my cardio workout, these points get recorded for later use. Why does this happen? Once you start getting healthier and fitter, your life begins to change, and so does your thinking and sense of awareness. It rises to higher levels than before. Your self-confidence improves and you invariably begin to feel better about life. You gain better perspective and you start to devise ways of improving the broader aspects of your existence. Talk about "healthy body health mind", this is what it's all about. See more on the page dealing with the benefits of exercise.
Remember, you can visualize all you like – but without planning and working towards a realistic goal, your efforts will deliver short of what you envisage. Worse, you may lose your way and decide to pack it in. What a waste of time, effort and money that would be - not to mention the knock your self-confidence would take. Make sure that doesn't happen. Documenting your activities will help you to stay on course and show you where to make corrections as necessary. PROGRESS AND WORKOUT LOG DOWNLOADS As you know from the Home Page, the aim of sensible-health-related-fitness.com is be of utmost service to its visitors by providing the most honest, factual advice possible, along with a host of valuable and useful resources. This page will supply a growing list of links to downloadable workout logs and other useful documents to assist you in achieving your fitness aspirations, both from a health-related perspective and from an overall physical wellness point-of-view: |
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