Why You Should Keep a Strength Training Journal & How

Oct 5th, 2007 by Mehdi Tags: Strength Training

Corrie Haffly made a weight training workout sheet not so long ago. Some of you asked for a similar version for the Beginner Strength Training Program. Unfortunately I don’t have workout sheets: I use a strength training journal.

Benefits of Training Journals. I know people who don’t keep a training journal & who’ll say you don’t need one. Whatever. If you’re successful without one, continue. But know the benefits:

Motivation. Looking back at where you come from is inspiring.
Awareness. You get an understanding of what works for you.
Experience. You learn from your errors: injuries, stalling, etc.
Confidence. You’ve got a plan when you go to the gym.

My Strength Training Journal. I used to keep my workouts on pieces of paper. The problem: it was a mess. I couldn’t find back information. Starting Strength gave me the idea of keeping a strength training journal.

I write exercises, sets, reps & weights before I hit the gym. I take my strength training journal with me in my home gym & fill it in while working out.

How to Use Training Journals. Get an A4 notebook. Composition books will last years. Don’t buy a spiral bound notebooks, they wear out too fast.

Write your goals on the front page.
Use a column format: write from top to bottom.
9 to 12 workouts fit on 2 open pages which equals 3 weeks of training.
Put similar exercises on the same line, easier to track progress.
Mark personal records with stars. This acts motivating.
Add comments: injuries, pain, intensity, overall feeling, etc.

Practical Example. Here are some pictures from my strength training journal. Workouts from September 3rd until September 22nd. Notice the column format. The journal is dirty: sweat.

Upper right corner. Day & date first. FR SQ stands for Front Squats. Stars indicate personal records. Work weight is circled. Various info on top: Smolov is the Squat routine I’m doing.

Questions? Post them using the comments or contact me.

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20 Responses to “Why You Should Keep a Strength Training Journal & How”

on 05 Oct 2007 at 5:56 pm1DaveM

Great article. I’ve tried some software based approaches, and always found myself coming back to good old pen and paper. I do use a spreadsheet to help track progress, but that’s because obsessing a bit over these kind of details helps with my motivation (others may find that it makes it more of a chore or a distraction).

I’d recommend one other step to compliment the detailed workout journal: marking your workouts on a calendar. It gives you a bigger picture of when you worked out (seeing the forest & not just the trees, so to speak). You can mark that you had the flu or broke your arm if you aren’t able to work out, but it helps keep you honest about whether you are really sticking with your program. Also, if you hang the calendar where others can see it, it can help (especially if you’ve enlisted others to help you stick with your program). If a gap starts to appear, my wife knows to ask me about it, but she also remarks when I’m working out regularly and a lot. A bit of carrot and stick can be helpful especially when you are starting out, but also in those inevitable times where life gets turned upside down and forces a break on you.

Mehdi: a great follow on article would be on mining your journal to help you improve your program and learn about what works. Hopefully, others will add what they do in the comments, and we can all learn a couple new tricks to add to our tool kits.

Cheers,
Dave
on 05 Oct 2007 at 6:23 pm2James Varghese

Couldn’t agree with you more. I have found that I work out harder when I know for certain that I am lifting more than I did last week or where I am falling behind in terms of gains.

If any of your readers is looking to just buy a journal, I cannot recommend this one enough.
http://tinyurl.com/33ehsx - link to amazon reviews.
It is simple, durable and perfect for most types of lifters - I have been using it for almost two years now.
on 05 Oct 2007 at 6:27 pm3JonPaul

This is one of the most important tips anyone will ever receive. I even see some ideas here that can go to improve my own journal. Thanks!
on 05 Oct 2007 at 7:11 pm4DaveM

I still like the cheap “Composition Book” (the ones with the “marbled” black & white covers that you can find at almost any drug store or supermarket) you can pick up here in the U.S. It has thick cardboard covers, is sewn & taped, the pages are just lined (I like the graph style paper in Mehdi’s journal too) so you can adapt it to your style, & they are dirt cheap (like $2). I haven’t looked at the journal James links to, but found that anything that tries to give me any format is not laid out the way that works best for me. I learned that I want the ultimate flexibility.

I looked at the link, but it didn’t have any pictures of what the pages look like. James, can you describe them or link to a picture? Do they allow for keeping track of non-lifting work outs or is it really just for lifting records? I always like to see other approaches to keeping logs as I usually find at least one good idea.

Thanks,
Dave
on 05 Oct 2007 at 7:21 pm5DaveM

I thought of a couple other suggestions. One of the reasons I like blank, lined pages is that I use my log to plan the next several weeks. When I’m ready to lift, I can quickly see what I planned to do. I think any log should allow you to do this rather than having to write out your plans somewhere else and then having to keep track of loose pages.

Finally, I keep a rubber band to use as a book mark. I can open right to my current page, and it helps prevent the pages from flying around when I’m working out with a fan on (which tends to be as much as I can).
on 05 Oct 2007 at 7:46 pm6James Varghese

Hey Dave,
I did find a picture of the pages.
http://tinyurl.com/2n6fsn
Before using this journal, I originally used a smaller composition book like you do and then moved onto some self-designed sheets that I put together in Excel. Then I stumbled onto this journal and since I had a gift certificate for Amazon, I figured why not.

If I didn’t use this, I would still make sure I was keeping track of my progress somehow. Writing down your results and then looking back on your progression is a great feeling.
on 06 Oct 2007 at 8:02 am7Mehdi

I use an excel sheet as a “plan” to know where I’m heading for. Just a general outline. The journal has the actual work.

Follow up is a great idea. I’ll put it on the list, thanks for the suggestion Dave!
on 06 Oct 2007 at 8:03 am8Mehdi

If it works for you, continue James. Personally I like the “freedom” a simple composition book gives you.
on 06 Oct 2007 at 8:03 am9Mehdi

You’re welcome JonPaul.
on 06 Oct 2007 at 8:04 am10Mehdi

Yeah I do that too Dave: little line up of the next workouts based on what I did.

Keep the comments going btw Dave, you’re adding great value here
on 06 Oct 2007 at 4:31 pm11galapogos

I do online journals instead, posting them on internet forums. I also plan exactly what I’m going to do, down to how heavy each side of the barbell should be(so I don’t have to think in that 90s rest interval )

I also find that a graph of the lifts can be motivating, and tell you what you’re doing right vs what you’re doing wrong. Seeing when the lifts are going up vs when they’re plateauing can be helping in troubleshooting. Graphs are much easier to read than numbers.
on 06 Oct 2007 at 5:39 pm12Young athlete

Use microsoft excel to setup a schedule set it up with all your work out plans print out the plans for the next month keep it in a binder. Do this when you are trying new work outs you can compare old gains to new ones
on 06 Oct 2007 at 9:55 pm13Mehdi

How do you keep an online journal Galapagos? On a forum?

Graphs are too much work for me
on 07 Oct 2007 at 2:21 am14MarkFu

I agree with DaveM. i used various software programs in the past, especially for speedskating workouts and races. Really nothing beats a compoisition book. i found an nice one with hard covers and plenty of paper for $4. Unlike Mehdi, I try to avoid the sweat and will admit to using a scrap piece of paper while at the gym and writen in the journal when I get home. I also like to use a highliter pen to feature my pr’s or memorable workouts for quick reference. I also maintain a spreadsheet for all my max lifts, be it !RM, 3RM and so forth. My blog is my online log. (Would a fitness log be called a “flog”?) Just wondering.
on 07 Oct 2007 at 8:25 am15Mehdi

Flog. Why not, great idea Mark, hehe flogs. Sounds good to me. About the sweat: I think it adds to the look of the gym etc.
on 07 Oct 2007 at 9:26 am16galapogos

Yup on forums. I type much faster than I write, and my handwriting isn’t that great
on 07 Oct 2007 at 9:33 am17Mehdi

I know what you mean, I got the handwriting of a doctor. Why don’t you keep a training log in StrongLifts.com Forums too galapogos? You’re experienced from the comments I read. I’m interested in your training approach, could learn from you.
on 07 Oct 2007 at 4:22 pm18galapogos

Oh, I didn’t even know you had a forum. Will bookmark it now. Well I don’t wanna keep too many logs since it’ll be a pain updating them all 3x a week, so for now I’ll put my logs where I put them. If you’re interested in my log links I can pass the URL to you privately.
on 02 Jan 2008 at 11:40 pm19demizer

Hey Mehdi,

Do you think you could post clearer pictures? I can’t really make out what is going on in your journal.

Thanks!
on 02 Jan 2008 at 11:55 pm20Mehdi

@Demizer
I would have to shoot some. What information do you need exactly? It’s just vertical columns with the exercise, warmup sets, work sets, stars for records, various info about overal feeling/pains/etc and dirt from sweating.

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