Keeping Records

The only way to know where you are going is to know where you have been. If you are not keeping records then it is hard to know if you are making progress on a consistent basis. If you are really looking to change your physique then you should be recording all of your workouts and probably some aspects of your nutrition. To record you workouts you should keep track of the exercises you performed, the amount of repetitions performed, the tempo that was used to lift the weights, and the rest period you took between sets. All of these aspects determine the quality of your workout, and by keeping records you will be able to track your progress.

Making long term progress in the gym is about continually improving the quality of your workouts which can be done by manipulating any of the variables that I mentioned earlier such as the amount of weight lifted or the rest period between sets. However, if you can't remember how much weight you lifted in your last workout or how many repetitions you lifted it for then you are just guessing the next time you workout. "They say that those who keep records break records."

To track your nutrition I don't think most people need to obsess about counting every gram of everything they eat. This often only makes people stress out more. There are two ways that often help many of my clients. One method is to simply write down every food that is eaten. This will give you a record of which foods provided the results that were obtained. The other method that works well for people is to give yourself a set of nutrition rules or guidelines to live by for a two week period. Track how often you follow these guidelines and the results that it produces. Through this process you can gradually refine your guidelines to find a formula that works for you.