Exercise Information


Use an Exercise Training Diary to Keep Your Workouts on Track


A road map is a very handy tool when you're setting out on a long trip. It helps point you in the direction you want to go and can be a lifesaver when you've strayed off course.

An exercise training diary can provide the same help as a road map when you embark on an exercise program. In many ways, it's a lot more informative because it's a daily record of your journey to your fitness goals. So let's take a look at how to get the most benefit from your workout log.

1. Record the Basics

Record the date, start and end times, body parts trained, and if you were joined by a training partner. Also be sure to record information about your cardio workouts.

2. It's more than just sets and reps

For a weight training log you'll certainly want to record the number of sets and reps you perform for each lift. Also be sure to indicate all warm up sets. This will help you prevent injury and may also indicate if you're doing too many warm up sets.

Of course you'll want to record the weight you use for each lift. Unless you have a pretty good memory, it's difficult to remember from one workout to another what weight you used the last time. A training diary takes away the guesswork.

Also be sure to indicate if you use any special training techniques such as forced reps, negatives, pyramids, or super sets. A training diary is a great way to uncover if any of these techniques actually work for you or if they're just making you over trained.

Also, recording the settings on exercise machines such as seat height and other adjustments can save you a lot of time during your workouts.

3. Details Matter

Details do make a difference! In the notes area of your diary page, be sure to record how you're feeling at the start of your workout. Are you tired or are you ready to tear things up in the weight room? Do your muscles pump up quickly as your workout progresses or is the pump avoiding you today?

If you workout to music it may be helpful to record the tracks you listened to. This can also have a subliminal effect if you associate a great workout with certain music.

4. Don't forget about nutrition

The other half of the fitness equation is diet. It's vital that you record everything that you eat and drink throughout the day. Record the item, amount in grams, and time consumed. You can look up the calories at the end of the day and record the total.

5. Record vital measurements

Once a week you should weigh yourself and enter this into your training diary. Putting a tape measure to your neck, upper arms, chest, waist, thighs, and calves is a great way to track your weight training progress.

6. Review your log before each workout

Before you begin your workout, take a look back to the last time you trained the same body parts. Take assessment of the maximum weight and reps you did for each exercise. This is the time to mentally challenge yourself to get an extra 2 reps or increase the weight by 5 lbs.

7. Interpreting the data

Once you've logged several weeks of training data look back over it to see what kind of progress you've made. Pick one or two major exercises such as the bench press or squats. Have you been able to increase the weights for these lifts on a steady basis or have you hit a sticking point?

This is a good time to look for any correlations. Did your body weight begin to drop off around the time you hit the sticking point? If so, then maybe you've begun to over train. Also look back over your nutrition log and make sure you're staying on track with your diet.

Maintaining an exercise diary is a little extra work, but it's a commitment to your training program that will pay big dividends by keeping you on the road to training success!

Rich Rojas
Elliptical Trainer Reviews and Fitness Ideas
http://www.ellipticalhome.com


MORE RESOURCES:

Flyover exercise planned for area this week
Washington Post (blog)
The North American Aerospace Defense Command is planning exercise flights over the Washington area this week. NORAD says two flights will be conducted on ...
NORAD Training in Skies Over DCNBC Washington

all 12 news articles »


Hindustan Times

Blasts of exercise as good as training for hours
NewsLite
Experts have discovered that your body can benefit as much from quick bursts of exercise as spending hours training. They say several short, ...
'No time to exercise' won't work, intense bursts wouldSify
Short bursts of exercise will make you fitter quickerIndependent
Short Bursts of Intense Exercise Coupled with Small Rests BeneficialTopNews Singapore (press release)
Examiner.com -TopNews United States -Metro
all 61 news articles »


Todd Scarborough gives some exercise tips
Today's THV
Fitness expert and professional trainer Todd Scarborough offers some suggestions on how to get the most out of your exercise routine. ...

and more »


Pistons' Stuckey cleared for exercise
Auburn Citizen
The Detroit Pistons say three doctors have cleared Rodney Stuckey for exercise after a heart evaluation. Stuckey collapsed on the bench during Friday's game ...

and more »


BBC News

Viewpoint: Type 2 diabetes and exercise
Endocrine Today
During exercise, muscles use glucose for energy. At first, the glucose is converted from glycogen stored in the muscle; later, glucose is taken up from the ...
No quick drug fix for high diabetes riskBBC News
Key type 2 diabetes treatments do not halt disease in early stagesDiabetes.co.uk
Workplace fruit - helping keep your diet on trackFruitful Office - Office Fruit News Site (blog)

all 9 news articles »


Times LIVE

Marines hold live fire exercises with South Korean army
NECN
(NECN/APTV) - US Marines gathered at South Korea's Rodriguez Range on Monday morning for part of a 11-day joint live-fire exercise with the South Korean ...
US marines hold live-fire exerciseCCTV

all 99 news articles »


ITN

Rail counter-terror exercise under way
The Press Association
A five-day counter-terrorism exercise led by British Transport Police (BTP) involving railway track searches in north west London is set to begin. ...
Tube counter-terror drill beginsThe Press Association

all 4 news articles »


Mirror.co.uk

David Cameron PR exercise sees mum and wife wheeled out to praise him
Mirror.co.uk
David Cameron yesterday wheeled out his wife AND his mother in a PR exercise aimed at halting his falling poll ratings. In an interview with ITV's Trevor ...

and more »


Soldiers maintain readiness during mass-cal exercise
Combined Joint Task Force 101 - Afghanistan
Fortunately, the injuries weren't real and the bodies were part of a mass-casualty exercise at Forward Operating Base Shank, March 12. ...

and more »


dBTechno

ACC: NAVIGATOR Confirms Diet and Exercise Still Best
MedPage Today
The intervention was designed to help patients lose at least 5% of body weight, reduce fat intake, and increase exercise. Valsartan was dosed at 80 mg daily ...
Search for Better Diabetes Therapy Falls ShortWall Street Journal
2 Drugs Fail to Prevent Diabetes in the OverweightBusinessWeek
Study results leave search for new diabetes and heart disease treatments ...EurekAlert (press release)

all 55 news articles »

Google News

internet marketing business
home | site map
©2008  quick and easy ways to make money