A fitness enthusiast spends about one or two hours a day at the gym, track or playground. All that time and effort towards health and well-being yields results — some evident and others intangible. Fitness tracking and maintaining a fitness journal can help people understand their journey better and act as a guide and motivator.
A fitness journal is, in essence, a personal coach, problem solver and cheerleader all rolled into one. It encompasses a vibrant tapestry of your triumphs, struggles and aspirations. Each entry tells a story of dedication, progress and unwavering determination that fuels your fitness trajectory. It provides benefits, practical tips and insider secrets to take your fitness expedition to loftier heights.
How a fitness journal helps you
A fitness journal can define clear goals and map out a plan to achieve them. Writing down your objectives, be it losing weight, gaining muscle or improving endurance, creates a roadmap for growth.
“You can track the resistance needed for the [fitness] phase that you are going into,” says Jaish George, a fitness coach at ElevateX, Ernakulam, Kerala. “This gives both you and the trainer more knowledge about the phase you have gone up or come down, or where you got stuck, and whether you lower the resistance or increase the weight when you get stuck.”
Through fitness journaling, you can track your progress over time. It gives you a visual representation of your consistency, areas of improvement and where you excelled. Fitness tracking helps you pick out patterns and trends in your journey. Correlations between your workouts, nutrition, sleep and overall well-being can help you solve problems easily.
Maintaining a fitness journal will hold you accountable as well. As you record your workouts and progress, you become more aware of your choices and behaviour. It helps you stay on track and be consistent by reminding you of your commitments while bringing more value to your training time.
Motivation from fitness tracking
Reflecting on your journal entries can be a powerful motivator. “People who do not track their workouts have a higher rate of dropping out,” says George. “On the other hand, those who practice tracking know if they see the changes reflected in their performance. With noticeable results, they are more likely to continue [their efforts].”
With fitness journaling, you can celebrate milestones and remind yourself of the obstacles you overcame as you work on your weak points. On slow days, flipping through your journal can reignite your fire and remind you of the purpose of your journey. When facing challenges or plateaus, a fitness journal becomes a valuable tool for problem-solving. You can review past entries to identify what worked and what did not, to help you adjust your approach and find solutions to overcome obstacles.
Metrics to track in your fitness journal
When tracking your progress at the gym, you can use several key metrics to measure your achievements and log them in your fitness journal.
- Weights: Tracking the weight you can lift is a classic metric in strength training. “Progressive overload involves gradually increasing the demands placed on your muscles and body over time,” says Naman Sharma, a sports nutritionist and fitness expert at Fitelo, Chandigarh, India. “You can do this by increasing the weight you lift, the number of repetitions or sets performed or the intensity or duration of cardiovascular exercises.”
- Repetitions (reps): You can also increase the weight while maintaining the same number of reps, which signifies growth. By tracking this, you can know when and how you are making progress. Even one extra rep with the same weight shows progress.
- Sets completed: A set refers to a specific number of repetitions performed in one go. By tracking the number of sets completed for each exercise, you get a clear picture of your stamina and endurance. Gradually, you can increase the intensity of your workouts.
- Workout duration: Monitoring the time spent during your workouts is useful for cardiovascular exercises like running, cycling, and the elliptical machine. “Look for signs of improvement such as faster times, increased distances or greater numbers of repetitions,” says Sharma.
- Rest periods: While it may seem counterintuitive, tracking your rest periods between sets or exercises helps ensure you’re not taking too much time between sets, which kills your warm-ups. “Pay attention to your perceived effort during each session. If an exercise feels too easy, it might indicate the time to increase the challenge,” says Sharma.
- Body measurements: Tracking your body measurements can provide insights into changes in your body composition. Progress photos will also give you a visual representation of your body changing.
Takeaways
- Fitness journaling provides structure and accountability to your fitness journey. You can define your goals, track progress and know where to add more work.
- By recording metrics such as weights lifted, reps and sets, you gain valuable insights into your performance and optimise your workouts.
- By keeping a fitness journal, you can identify patterns, spot trends and make connections between your workouts, nutrition, sleep and overall well-being. Thus, you can work towards better results.
- Fitness journaling serves as a motivational tool and a platform for self-evaluation and problem-solving.
