Do You Record Your Workouts?

I have a spreadsheet that I use to keep track of my workout. I’ve also been posting my workout log on my “Starting back from anxiety attacks” thread.

[quote]BIGRAGOO wrote:
I hate writing. [/quote]

DITO…
I record my workouts in my muscles. :)The cells have good memory.

I don’t really record my workout. It’s the other way around, I have every workout planned: the exercises, the weights I plan to use, sets, reps, rest periods.

Only when I deviate from the plan (which happens quite a lot I must confess), do I have to take notes.

[quote]BIGRAGOO wrote:
I hate writing. [/quote]

for those of you that don’t speak cajun, allow me to translate:

i don’t know how to write. give me something deep fried. with hot sauce. and a beer.

[quote]Dan Fouts wrote:
I like what I see here.

Here is my trick: teacher’s record book.

Dan[/quote]

…you mean some place actually sells those things? I always thought those were special items, made just for teachers. Kind of like police cars. Do tell: where do you find them at?

[quote]Dan Fouts wrote:
BIGRAGOO wrote:
I hate writing.

for those of you that don’t speak cajun, allow me to translate:

i don’t know how to write. give me something deep fried. with hot sauce. and a beer.[/quote]

LMFAO!!! Me cher you smart yea.

I got one of the blank excel templates from exrx.net The only thing I do different is insert a new worksheet for each workout, that way I have a whole month in each workbook file and then each day has it’s own tab at the bottom.

I can post a link if anybody’s curious.

““You have a very good memory, then? If I do 4-5 exercises in a workout, there’s no way I’m going to remember the weight, reps, and rest time for the whole workout. If I’m following a 5x5, that would be 20-25 sets. Nope, I need my notebook with me!””

i do have a good memory in general, but i also do 5x5 but i dont change the weight, so this is easy to remember

i move up the weight the following week if i make all 5x5, if not, i can remember how many i missed by

I’ve been recording faithfully for a few years, starting with single spreadsheets printed out on which I’d put the particular workout I was doing. ow I use a short, thick spiral book that holds a week in two pages–should last a year.

Along with sets/reps x weight, for each workout I list the date, supps for that day, and other things that might be affecting the workout.

I have often thought that the dullest thread ever on the forums would be on the topic HOW we record in our logs. I’m sure we have developed some quirky styles of notation.

I’ve been using those old school accounting journals. The one with several columns for adding in entries. Works great since there are preset blocks for just about anything.

[quote]conorh wrote:
I got one of the blank excel templates from exrx.net The only thing I do different is insert a new worksheet for each workout, that way I have a whole month in each workbook file and then each day has it’s own tab at the bottom.

I can post a link if anybody’s curious.[/quote]

I’m curious.

I’m also curious as to why everyone but me seems to have a fancy notebook. Mine’s just one of those cheap things from wal-mart. It also stinks a little because it’s been doused in sweat.

[quote]chsbob wrote:
mattwray wrote:
I’ve been recording mine since 95. Fun to look back and see how dumb I was back then, haha

What kind of template do y’all use for Excel? I’ve tried different things, but could never find anything I liked for it.

I also put my info into a "handmade"spreadsheet not the world’s best by any means but works and its free. I have lottsa stuff on it also: daily food diary with C/P/F/C, treadmill activity, speed, HR, weight,and exercise, pounds, sets, reps, etc.

Email me here with your ‘real’ email address and I will send it to you. [/quote]

thanks bud, sent you an e-mail…

[quote]magnetnerd wrote:
conorh wrote:
I got one of the blank excel templates from exrx.net The only thing I do different is insert a new worksheet for each workout, that way I have a whole month in each workbook file and then each day has it’s own tab at the bottom.

I can post a link if anybody’s curious.

I’m curious.

I’m also curious as to why everyone but me seems to have a fancy notebook. Mine’s just one of those cheap things from wal-mart. It also stinks a little because it’s been doused in sweat. [/quote]

I tried to email it but I don’t think it worked. Here’s the link to the excel file, it’s most of the month of January.

http://www.public.iastate.edu/~conorh/january.xls

I don’t write it in the gymm, but when I get back at home I write everything on a work file (date, volume, poundage and goals for next workout).

yes, absolutely, have been doing so for at least 6 years. i also have a stopwatch so i can time my rest period and sometimes set. i can refer back and find out what i did last time so i can make improvements with weight or reps

Keep it all in my head. I go and lift…

…but I was thinking about starting to record it all. Now that you mention it I might…

Thanks guys!

I am using a pretty cool software program from big fitness. It is free to download and of course you can puchase for a fee. I like it because you can do all your workouts and cardio along with diet and body stats. I am thinking about purchasing it, for if I start to pick up clients again doing personal training. It can keep track of multiple clients. Just enter the info and there it is.

[quote]steveo5801 wrote:
Keep it all in my head. I go and lift…

…but I was thinking about starting to record it all. Now that you mention it I might…

Thanks guys![/quote]

I too keep things in my head. Probably way too much but I have been really good at remembering the weight, reps, and resting time for each.

I am guilty for not remembering what exercises I did 6 months or longer ago however. Hard to remember why my program is lacking in some areas. Usually what I do is pick out the weakest link through periodic testing (like bp…where I stick and then start to focus on that area more) I think I’ll fess up and get a log book.

I used to, but I couldn’t decide how much shit to record. Would I record more than just sets, reps, and weights? Maybe add rest periods? Length of set? It got too ridiculous.

Then I started my transition to powerlifting and kettlebells. After that, I just recorded weight for DE days, and sets/reps for KBs, max weight for DE days. i found that it worked better for me. I lost my log though. I get to start fresh now, only now gotta decide which info I think I should retain in writing.

[quote]Dan Fouts wrote:
[tangent]

who actually ‘farms’ their log books? our buddy Dan John raves of the value in this … we could likely all benefit from doing it more often or again …

so, your homework assignment for this week: what have you learned by farming your log book? what works? what doesn’t?

Dan[/quote]

Yep, I need to “farm” my notebook, especially if I haven’t used an exercise for a while, I need to remember the load used so that I don’t waste 1-2 workouts getting the weight correct. I also record my weight, BF% and tape measurements every few weeks and always before and after starting a different program, that way I can see what gave me the best results in body composition changes.

I guess I need to add more comments on things such as how I feel and what else is happening in my life e.g. flat out at work, like in the examples that DJ gives on his website from his journals. Sometimes set/reps don’t tell the full story.

Cheers,

Ben