In this article, 4 Reasons To Keep A Training Log, I’ll review the importance of tracking your workouts by using a training journal. Let’s be real, anybody can hit the gym and knock out a workout. Yet if you want to make real progress, you have to have a plan. That not only means following a specific routine, it also means tracking your progress by keeping a detailed training log. What info should you put in it? Keep reading and find out!
The Training Log
While I suggest a small notebook you can easily carry with you, many lifters opt for an app. That’s fine, and most apps are set up so all you have to do is enter your info. However, I tend to think people get too wrapped up in their phones in between sets. Then what happens is what should be 1-2 minutes rest between sets becomes 10 minutes rest because no one can put their phone down.
When I trained at home, I kept an 8” x 11” notebook. Now I train at the Y, so I leave my phone in my locker and carry a 4.3” x 5.7” spiral notebook in my pocket. It does get a little beat up, but I refuse to carry my phone. I’m not interested in spending 30 minutes on one exercise.
What Info Should You Track?
At the very least, track the date, time started, time ended, exercises, all sets, reps, and weight. Some lifters track meals eaten before training, supplements used, mood and how they feel. You can also track exercise performance impressions.
The 4 Reasons To Keep A Training Log
Reason # 1 – It Motivates You To Stay With Your Program
Keeping a training log provides motivation. I’m assuming you’re implementing progressive overload by consistently adding weight to the bar. I am. When I’m in the gym and look at my log and realize how far I’ve come in terms of weight on the bar (or machine), I get really pumped and motivated to keep going.
Reason # 2 – It Details Your Progress
You can use a log like I just suggested, and it is a great tool to track progressive overload. However, some lifters add details like body weight and measurements to their log. This means you can measure not only strength progress, but muscle growth and fat loss progress as well.
Reason # 3 – It Provides A Training History
Way back in the day, I remember reading an article about training logs, and one of the then famous bodybuilders, maybe Frank Zane, mentioned referring back years to get a long term picture of what he’s accomplished in the gym. I’ve done the same thing. If I want to know what I did 5 or 10 years ago, I’ve got the training log. I have a power rack in my home gym, and I wasn’t sure exactly when I bought it. So I went back and found the log and saw that I bought it in 2006 (this is 2025).
Reason # 4 – It Helps You Make Adjustments To Your Program
For the most part, your basic routine should not change, especially if you’re using progressive overload. But that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t mix up your isolation exercises every, say, 6-8 weeks. Some lifters reach a point where they feel they are as big and strong as they want to be. Therefore, perhaps they switch to a different type of progressive overload. I’m thinking of intensity techniques, for example. Others might switch to frequent variety, moderate weight, and higher reps.
You can use your log to see what exercises you’ve used in the past that might work well now. That’s even more true if you write down notes about how the exercises you’re doing worked for you. It’s also a reference if you’ve used intensity techniques in the past.
Finally, if you track supplement use and results, you can use that info to make adjustments as needed to your current supplement program. For example, if I used prohormones 15 years ago and decide to go on a fresh cycle now, I’ll want to find the appropriate training log for any info that can help get the most out of the cycle.
Summary
As you can see, there are at least 4 good reasons to keep a training log. After all, what better way to know if you’re on the right track? Don’t wing it or try to remember what you’re doing for your workouts – write it down (or use an app). Remember, you can’t get to where you want to go if you don’t know where you’ve been and where you are now. No doubt you track your supplement use, so don’t forget to stop by illpumpyouup.com and stay stocked!