Keeping Track of Your Fitness

Hey everyone,

One of our readers has asked: "In some of your posts you refer to fitness logs. Never having used one, I'm not sure what information is important to include in them. Are there any that you would recommend, keeping in mind that I'm a newbie to exercise and don't want to spend all week charting what I've done (or didn't do!!). Thanks."

This is a great question, as it is often something that is overlooked when starting a fitness regime.  We ensure to keep track of each workout we complete.  This helps us remember what we have done, as well as monitor for progress (or lack thereof...). You don't need anything fancy. We use a small notebook that is easily transported with us for travel, etc. We also use a calendar to track our activities (including workouts, walks, bike rides, swims, etc.).  This helps us keep track of how active we are each week. 

For each entry, we include the date and type of workout we are doing that day (for example, Lower Body Circuit Workout).  We weigh in before each workout (measuring weight, body fat percentage and muscle percentage).  Keep in mind, however, that your numbers will fluctuate daily and it is best to use these numbers to track things over the long-term.  Frequently, we'll flip back in our notebook to look at trends in our numbers.

Before each workout, we plan what type of workout and the specific exercises and number of sets we will be completing.  You can even plan your workout ahead of time (we do this if we are doing an early morning workout, so we can get up and already have things planned out). We generally record weights used and number of reps (unless we are doing timed workouts, such as density or FGB).  This allows us to monitor our progress in weight lifted or number of reps over time. Be sure to add in comments of how the workout went that day, any injuries, etc.

Recording your workouts should not take a lot of time. We choose to use a notebook, but there are also many fitness apps available to track your progress.  You need to choose whatever works best for you!

We hope these tips are helpful!  Let us know if there is anything else you do to track your fitness!

-Tannys & Alex