You are taking all of the right supplements. Your form is flawless. You are committed to going to the gym every day, at precisely the time you set out to do so. But you’re still not satisfied with your results. You want more.
Lucky for you, the simple tool that is a bodybuilding workout log can help you take your workouts and fitness to the next level. The simplicity of the tool is almost hilarious – a pen and a book – but in terms of impact it will do more for you than any over-hyped workout supplement.
SEE ALSO: YourWorkoutBook – The Ultimate Workout Log
Benefits of Using Bodybuilding Log
Here are my top reasons for why you should be recording your workouts at the gym—
- Easiest Way to Know if You Are Progressing. Gains in muscle size and strength aren’t always readily apparent. But the proof is undeniable if on paper you are squatting heavier and for more reps now than a month ago. And if you know that you are progressing, you are going to stay motivated.
- Keeps You Focused. Going to the gym without a plan is awful. You float from machine to machine, make idle small talk with that guy you partied with once back in the day but whose name you don’t remember, check the football scores in the cardio theatre, and ultimately leave the gym when you feel like it, instead of when you are done your workout. Having the day’s sets written out for you gives you a plan of action so you can get in, wreck house, and get out.
- Looking at Your Past Workouts Will Fill You With Overwhelming Pride. Flipping through the pages and pages of workouts from days past gives me goosebumps and the warm fuzzies. For not only does the act of doing this remind me that I can and have worked exceptionally hard at one point, it gives undeniable evidence that there is no reason I cannot continue to do so.
How to Make the Most of It
- Record Your Results ASAP. We all like to think that our memory is impeccable, but in reality, we are not all Rainman. There is a hurricane of other thoughts kicking up a dust-storm of competing thoughts, so blast out your set and write it down right away and avoid wondering “did I lift 305 on my second set, or was it 325?” later on.
- Note How You Were Feelin’. Reps and sets are nice, but to really get into the guts of your performance you need to be able to connect the dots to causes of why you’re not performing optimally. Things like rest, stress and naturally, diet, all play a factor, so if you slept for 1.5 hours and smashed 12 Double Whoppers at 4am after drinking double Mcallan’s all night, maybe you should make a note of that.
- Evaluate. Every once in a while go over the past few weeks or months or workouts and see where you have really been improving, and where things progressed slower than expected. Can you extrapolate any reasons for your performance? Multiply the good stuff while cutting out the things that are detracting you from achieving peak performance.
Boom, so there you have it. Next time you head to the gym, do so with your log under you are and you will have a plan of action to help you get closer to achieving your goals faster than you thought imaginable.
