Why use a workout log?

Using a workout log is the best way to increase muscle mass, avoid a training plateau, and make sure that your weight gain is as solid as you want it to be.

Have you ever noticed that some people always seem to be writing something down in a notebook between sets at the gym? Do you know what they are doing, and if so, do you know why? These people are most likely writing down the exercises, weight used, sets and reps that they are doing. They may also be writing down comments about how the exercise felt, or how they felt during the workout. Why would they do that?

Some of you might think that there is no place for paperwork at the gym. It�s time to get serious and do some hard, sweaty work, not time to write in your diary, right? You might be right in the short term, only because it might take away from your focus the first couple of times you do it. But the real value of keeping a workout log is to find what works for you, giving you the best results, and to find out what doesn�t work so that you can avoid repeating mistakes.

I have kept a workout log since 1991 and I still go back and look at some of them for help when I hit a training plateau. If I am looking to increase muscle mass, I might go back to a time when I remember that I had been very successful at that. I can look at my training split, the exercises that worked for me, how much weight I used, and how many sets and reps I was doing.

I can follow the workout log through weeks and even months of a set weight training routine, paying attention to the body weight gains I made, and the increase in weight used for specific exercises. At times I have also written down measurements of my arms, legs, calves, and waist periodically, so I can now look back and see how they changed with a certain workout as well.

Check out my workout log and watch my progress!

One benefit I noticed from the very beginning was that I could plan ahead for the next workout in terms of how much weight to use.

Instead of guessing each week, I could look at what I had done the last time, and choose the appropriate starting weight for the next workout. Of course, how much weight I added after the first set would depend on how strong I was feeling on that day. I would also look at what my top weight was, and try to beat it the next time, whenever possible.

A Training Log is very important and vital to your success as a Bodybuilder. As they say, �Failing to plan is planning to fail�.