How to keep track of logging and planning?

[jimdab]

How do you guys keep track of logging and planning your workouts? I want to be able to better keep track of my advances and not have to take too much time to figure out what I'm going to be doing the next time I work out every time I go workout.

So far my best help has been posting my own journal here on the board but I want something more so I can be more organized in my routine plans.

Do you guys buy any workout organizers that you can fill in or anything like that? Or anybody have any other good useful tools or tricks?

[eekrazyk]

I use Excel to track and plan my workout routines. I usually create a separate sheet for each workout or week depending on the size and I'll fill that in while I'm working out. I'll plug the numbers back into Excel afterwards and use those results to plan the details for the next workout.

[mal1980]

i use a ballpoint pen and a small note pad

[SchemeSC]

http://www.amazon.com/BodyMinder-Wor...9004009&sr=8-1

[mts3]

I use a log that I keep on Google spreadsheets just so I can get to it either from work or from home.

I took that and made it into a form for Excel that will fit 8 workouts on a page. I use Rippetoe's Starting Strength plus a few accessories and that form has worked well for me for 8 weeks.

Tyson

[getfit74]

I use Excel as well, have several printed up and take one to the gym each day. Makes tracking your progress a lot easier. I've got them all the way back to 1999.

[Kurume]

I personally work out at home, I take down stats and info on my notebook, and usually before I go on bb.com to check the workouts, make sure form is correct, or plainly look for more new/different exercises, then after I workout I post it on the board, I would really advice you post on the boards, it's nice to get suggestions, comments, and motivations from your bb peers (unless u just started of course, no one's gonna notice it yet), if you DO start one online tell me, i'll definitely sub and help you out. Oh yea it's also great puting thoughts out on the online journal, easier to type and edit, and it's quite organized.

[jimdab]

Here's what I've been doing in case anyone likes this idea. This is good if you carry your phone with you into the gym, otherwise you won't like it. The benefit is you don't have to carry a pen or pad. The drawback is there's no hard copy untill you transfer it to somewhere afterwards....

I use microsoft word or notepad and type up what I'm going to be doing into a small area on the screen, then I make it a large font, and then I take a picture of the text using my cell phone camera, and finally I set the picture as my cell phone wallpaper.

Then, when I'm at the gym, I open up my cell phone and I can see the picture, which would say something like this:

---(top of picture)---
SQUATS - 395x8x5
SLDL - 550x6x5
CALFRAISE - 230x10x4
etc....
---(bottom of picture)---

except my squats are slightly lower than that. Then, after each exercise, I just make a phone call to the numbers that I want to log in and immediately cancel the call.

For example, if I was to do 4 sets 8 reps of 395lb squats and a 5th set of only 7 reps, I would put in something I can understand, such as:

395*4*8*1*7
or
395*4*8*395*1*7

And then I hit CALL, and then immediately I hit END. This will save it in the outgoing call log. Just be sure to remember the order you did the exercise if any of them have similar weights since you are only logging in numbers. On my phone I can't use spaces while calling so I just use the asterix in between numbers and I can figure what I logged in when I got home.


I kinda like doing this but I worry about taking my phone in to the gym with me, one day I think I'm going to drop a dumbell on it.

After all that I usually just come to this board and post my results in my journal, that's how I actually keep track of day-to-day progress. I think I'm going to try printing out excel templates and cutting the sheets into 4 pieces and just taking a pencil. But I just wanted to share what I've been doing since I think some people might like it (or not).

[John Prophet]

I just keep a steno pad with me. I used to write em on scraps of paper then come back and post them to a log but I kept getting behind.

When I write out the new workout before going to the gym I just look back at the old one and basically try to get one more rep or add some weight.