Our ShapeFit workout journals are designed to help you keep a detailed record of your workouts so you can track your progress and make every workout really count! Workout journals are extremely important in recording your gains in both muscular strength and size because they pinpoint every aspect of your training routine. By keeping a detailed workout journal you will learn if you are getting stronger with each specific exercise or if you are plateauing. You will see how your current repetition and set ranges affect your progress. By reviewing your workout journal you will see patterns of how your strength is affected from each training session thereby allowing you to make the necessary changes to maximize your progress.
Along with recording your exercises, your workout journal should also include your thoughts and feelings before and after a workout. Were you tired before going into the gym? Did you run out of energy half way through your workout? Did your muscles get a good pump or did they feel flat when you were training? After your workout were you frustrated with your training session? Were you frustrated with your training session? Did you feel energized or completely exhausted when you finished? These are extremely important aspects to document when keeping a workout journal as the wealth of information gained from documenting these items will provide you with the knowledge to keep succeeding! Also, since a quality diet is critical to achieving muscle building and fat burning results, it is highly recommended to keep a record of the foods you consume. You might also want to download our FREE Diet Journal so you can track your food intake and overall calories. It’s a great tool that allows you to quickly and easily track your diet!
Most people understand the importance of working out. Whether one is trying to build muscle, burn fat, maintain their current physique, or simply stay healthy, we live in a society where exercise plays a key role in our lives. Interestingly, while the importance of fitness is impressed upon us, not everyone recognizes the value of keeping a workout journal.
Perhaps the first sign that workout journals truly perform is that they are often included with popular home workout DVD’s. The first DVD usually includes a fitness test to be taken before starting the actual program. The journal is to be used during this test, as well as throughout the program.
These journals are important for recording body measurements, how many repetitions of each exercise is performed and to document the difficulty of each movement throughout the fitness test. While some people may find this tedious as they are anxious to dive into the program, the journals play an important part in the person’s overall success. As you progress through the workout, it is helpful to refer back to your starting point to see how far you have come. Perhaps the most significant benefit of a workout journal is the motivation it provides. When you look back and see actual changes in your body measurements or realize how much stronger you’ve gotten, it provides a sense of accomplishment which is a very powerful incentive to keep going!
In order to reap the full benefits of a workout journal, it’s important to record other key items outside the gym. For instance, if you do not get as much sleep as you should, it’s vital to document the quality of your workouts to the amount of sleep and recovery you’re getting. Proper rest and recovery is crucial in avoiding issues with overtraining.
Workout journals are not only for beginners. Seasoned fitness experts benefit from journals as much as anyone. For instance, after a period of continuous workouts, one may notice they have hit a plateau and are stagnating in terms of fat loss or muscle gain. This is often an indication it is time to change workout methods. Perhaps you could replace two days of running with a spin class twice a week or train each muscle group only once per week instead of twice. Maintaining a detailed diary of changes in your weight training and cardio workouts is a very effective way to ensure your training continues to be successful over the long-term.
It’s important to remember that workout journals play an important role in one’s overall fitness success whether you’re a novice to the world of fitness, or an accomplished athlete. Not only do journals provide inspiration toward working out, they encourage living an overall healthier lifestyle and greatly improve the probability of long-term success!
