Tracking Workouts for Better Results

Do you track your workouts?

If you do, great! If not, you should think about it.

Read on to learn why tracking your workouts will help to drive better overall results!

When I refer to tracking your workouts, I am referring to recording the weight and repetitions for each exercise you complete.

You can record this by old fashioned pen and paper, in notes on your phone (which is what I do) or with one of the many workout apps out there. Just try to avoid using your memory as your tracking device. It can sometimes let you down!

First off, if you are tracking your workouts, that means you have a plan already. A list of exercises to be completed for that workout. This is very helpful to make sure you complete everything you need to do for that workout day. If you have ever tried just winging it at the gym as far as what exercises you are going to do, you know how easy it is to slack off or skip out earlier then you know you should have and therefore not getting the most out of yourself and what your workout should have been.

With your exercises pre planned out, you now complete the exercises and record the weight that you used along with how many repetitions you did for each set. Now when you come back to the gym to repeat that workout the next time, you know exactly where you left off in terms of what weights to use. This keeps you always progressing and lets you challenge yourself to always try to beat your last workout by adding another rep or increasing the weight. Again, if you have ever tried to wing it, trying to remember what weight to use for an exercise, you will know that you can waste a set or 2 (and the energy that goes along with it) trying to figure out what a challenging weight is again.

Every rep counts and every set counts so by tracking, you ensure that you are always getting the most out of your exercises and workouts. Over time this little change can add up to big changes in your results.

Tracking gives you accountability, and it gives you motivation. Every time you add an extra rep or increase the weight you can see your progress in real time.

Tracking will also allow you to identify when you may have plateaued with your current workout routine and exercises, letting you know it is time to make a change. You will know this when you have gone a few weeks in a row with no improvement in your exercises, or maybe even seen a decline in performance. Something you might miss if you are not tracking your workouts.

Start tracking your workouts to get to your goals faster, stay motivated, and get the most out of your workout time!