Workout Logs and Why You Should Have One

I am a huge proponent of workout logs and I always have been.  In fact, you will hardly ever find me at the gym without a workout log of some sort in tow.  There are several reasons why you should adopt a workout log. Here are just a few.

1. Increase efficiency - Everyone should go into the gym prepared. If your idea of working out is walking around and hopping onto whatever piece of equipment is available, then you are not going to get the type of results you are looking for. Go in with a workout plan written down and follow it. It will help you reach your goals faster and also help you get in and out of the gym that much faster.


2. Keep's you honest - If you write down everything you do, then there is no second guessing yourself. You won't find yourself cheating on a set because you don't "remember" the last weight you used.


3. Motivation - It's a very satisfying feeling to look at a log and see the progress right there in front of you. Whether it’s weight loss or strength gains; seeing it on paper will add some realism to what you are doing and make it that much more meaningful.


4. Obtain your goals – Let’s be honest. We all go to the gym because we want to achieve something.  But if you don’t keep track of your progress, how are you ever going to know that you reached your goals. Right your goals down in your workout log and then track your progress to it.

I have gone through many workout logs over the years. I have used everything from a notebook to a professional workout log that I purchased (and hated).  But the benefit of using so many different forms of tracking is that I know what I wanted from a workout log. I combined all of those features into a simple but effective sheet. I designed it to fit onto one of those small half sized clipboards. The small form factor allows it to easily fit into a duffel bag and its small enough not to take up a lot of room on the gym floor. They are cheap and easy to find (I bought mine at Wal-mart for 3 bucks). I put 2 logs on 1 sheet as to help save money on paper as well (because that’s the way I roll)

Below is a sample log that I filled out with some simple sample data. The key in that last sentence is “sample”. That was not a real workout so please don’t judge me based on it! :)

I have also provided a download link below should anyone want to adopt these workout logs for their own personal use. Enjoy and happy tracking!

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Site Redesign

As anyone can clearly see, I have redesigned my blog.  A few days ago I was looking around the old site and noticed that I hadn't written much lately. It's not that I didn't have anything to write about, it's just that I am not that great of a writer. My old theme was a magazine style theme that tended to make the reader believe they were going to be reading something fantastic and mind blowing. That is not really me.  I would sit down at my computer and try to come up with a story or article that would really impress my readers. In the end, I usually had nothing that lived up to my own high standards.  So I started to think about why I started the blog in the first place. It originally came about as a place to place my thoughts about working out, nutrition, food, etc. It was never meant to be a place where I could single handily solve the world's obesity problems.  The old theme made me think that was what I needed to do.

I set out to modify the original theme into a more personal site.  I wanted full articles on the page with easy links for comments. I wanted some simple widgets on the side and a toned down advertising section. About an hour into my tinkering, I really managed to screw up the old theme and quickly realized it wasnt going to do what I wanted it to do. So I set out to find a new theme. If you visited the site the last few days you have probably noticed quite a few different looks as I messed around with different ideas and concepts.  Totally I finally settled on (for now) the theme you are seeing before your very eyes. It's clean, refreshing, simple, and loads pretty fast.

Most importantly,  I feel it really allows me to open myself up to start writing about more simple things. Things like the struggle I am having at the gym lately or my lack of motivation to eat right. The old theme didn't allow me to share that very well. This new theme is going to open up a a whole new world for me. Watch out!

With all that said, what do you think of the new theme? Do you see anything that could be different? Is it easy to read and follow? Is it easy on the eyes? Do you like it? I am open to opinions and thoughts. I really want to make it into a great site.