Exercise and Fitness Forum

What's in your toolkit?

It?s just common sense, makes the job easier and more efficient. Plus, the most important thing, you get to buy more toys...err?tools to do the job.

My tool kit for training purposes varies from workout to workout, depending on my objectives for the day. When I?m practicing my throwing I don?t need a weight belt and when I?m lifting I don?t need my throwing shoes. But I have one basic tool I?m never without.

My most used and probably most important tool is my log book. Some may call it a training journal or diary. I?ve written down every workout since I was in High School and still have most of my old log books. It?s a quick and easy way to keep track of my progress, set and break goals or personal records, and stay motivated. It can be on index cards, a PDA, computer spreadsheet or just a three dollar notebook like I have. Most important thing is to ?use it?.

There are some basics I put in my log book, starting at the top of the page is always the ?Day? like Monday, Tuesday? and the ?Date?. Even if I take the day off of training, what I call a Slug Day, I still record the Day and Date and that I didn?t do anything or took a Slug Day.  Keeping track on when I rest is as important as when I workout. I?ll write down the reason too. It might be I feel beat up and too sore and need the extra rest. I can look back at my workouts in the log book over the last few days and see that I may have done too much or too heavy and know I should back off.

I don?t weigh in every day or every week for that matter, but I do record my weight at the top of the page. If it?s good, like I lost a pound or two, I?ll circle it. Don?t ask me why. It?s just one of those OCD things I do that ?to me? means I?ve done something. If it?s really something?I?ll put a nice asterisk by the weight. That?s my notation for setting a personal record of some sort.

I would kill for my little asterisks. I try to achieve at least one every workout. That little star on my notebook is better than any medal or trophy I?ve ever won. It means I?ve set a personal record, broken a barrier or achieved a goal. If I get my little asterisk, I?ve had a productive workout. It doesn?t have to be an all time best either to earn an asterisk. I?m 46 years old, way past my prime. All time best are few and far between now. My goals now are to be a little better than I was yesterday. That could be adding 1 pound to the bar and doing the same repetitions or doing 1 more rep with the same weight. If I can?t do either, I might rest less between sets or do supersets.

Some times if nothing is working for me to earn my little asterisk, I do something new.  Changing to different or new exercises is one way to set a new personal record. If you have never done something, the first time is always a new record. Asterisk Baby!

I also put down the time of day and where I train and how long I trained. Time and location affect your workouts more than you might guess and keeping track can show a pattern that might help you in the long run.

Next, I put the actual workouts down. You can notate your workout anyway you want. Just so ?you? understand it, is all that matters. Your log book is for you, so unless you?re showing it to a personal trainer to evaluate, there?s no need to make it legible to anybody but you, if that?s how you want to do it. Personally, my handwriting is like a doctor?s on crack. It only gets worse when trying to write after a heavy set of squats.

Also buried throughout my log book you?ll find lists of body part measurements on a particular day or a list of long term goals. I cut out motivational pictures that inspire me and paste them on a workout page. I?ll find a quote that gets me jazzed up and write it down to read while I?m working out. It?s your book, put before and after pictures, pictures of your kids or your boyfriend. Whatever it takes to get you motivated and inspired to do your best.

A basic workout log for me might look like this (if I could take a word processor to the gym):

Monday, 9-18-06

Chest and Delts 

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do."

1 pm to 2 pm @ power shack

20 min warm-up (walking, stretch, abs)

Incline DB Press 30 x 12, 40 x 6, 50 x 6, 70 x 6, 80 x 6, 90 x 6, 100 x 6, 110 ³ x 4 * (the 110 ³ I would look up from my last chest workout with 3 being my previous best or 3 reps with 110 Dumbbells?since I got 4 this time?I get an asterisk! This is why you keep a record of workouts?it?s hard to remember exactly how many reps you may had done last week or a month ago on this exercise).

DB Incline Fly 40 ¹³ x 12 x 11 x 12 (I did 40 pound dumbbells for 12 reps first set, 11 reps second set and 12 reps again on third set. The last time I did this exercise I did 13 reps with 40 pounds, so I didn?t set a personal record here. But I may have rested less or the extra work on the DB Press wore me out).

1 Arm DB Overhead Press 30 x 5, 40 x 5, 50 x 5, 60 x 5, 70 ⁵ x 5, 75 x 4 * (I didn?t set a new PR here either with the same weight. I had done 70 pounds for 5 reps the workout before and only got 70 for 5 reps this week. So I moved up to 75 pounds to set a new record with 75 pounds, since I had never done 75 pounds before, any amount of repetitions is my new record, which I?ll try to break the next time I do this exercise).

Hanging Leg raises  3 sets max (3 sets as many repetitions as possible)

Good workout ? short and sweet!  (I?ll usually make some comment about how the workout went or how I felt. Some times I?ll put what kind of mood I?m in or what?s on my mind. Like.... My blue shoes don?t really go with this pink tutu and it makes my butt look big. I need new exercise clothes).

If you only get 1 thing from this article, let it be that you start keeping a record of your workouts. It will be the single biggest improvement you can make to any exercise program. It doesn?t have to be just for weight training. I can be for running, walking, yoga, spinning. I log all my throwing workouts too. Just start doing it.

If you like, come to the Weight/Resistance Message Board here on Obesity Help and post your workouts online. I get lonely over there.