Logbooks, those are more for preference. You don’t need one unless you want to know #'s. I choose not to keep one based on weight and reps performed but more on the routine that I did, so I can keep track of muscle trained for periodization purposes.
Goals, since a powerlifter is conceraned with #'s and totals and such… for them maybe this is very useful. I don’t know, I have no clue how those guys work. I am here for the build. I could care less if I could bench press 500 or 100. I happen to have pretty good strength but its only a side effect from trying to gain muscle size.
Now a bodybuilder, I don’t think you need logbooks, in fact I think the only one that is useful is a measuring tape and a mirror to track your progress. I don’t even go by weight because there are too many variables like water, fat, glycogen and so forth. I’d prefer to never know what my numbers are and only pay attention to feel and looks.
I’ve went to the gym somedays and had great workouts and the #'s were horrible but the gains were great. If I set a new record for my max bench, is that going to make me any bigger or look better? No. So I don’t bother with it. I prefer to use other peoples comments as my log book. When someone tells me that my arms or chest is looking better or worse, I go by that.
One of the biggest motivators I had to build big arms was because of the insults I had gotten on how small they used to be. they don’t insult me anymore. They ask me for my routine.
To each his own. For me… I’d rather “putt for dough” than “drive for show” if you know what I mean. That’s why I don’t keep logbooks and PR’s, I could care less. I’m not competing for #'s. I’m on a journey to build the most perfect body I can build for myself. That requires alot of pain, alot of intensity and alot of concentration. It never ever once required a logbook or a PR.