Why is Tracking Weights and Workouts Important?
If you are new to any kind of intentional physical training, aside from just moving your body regularly for enjoyment and health, you may be wondering why we encourage our members to keep track of the weights they lift, as well as the results or “score” of their workouts. It may seem a bit fussy and unnecessary if you are just showing up to get in some good exercise and have fun. But, we promise there are good reasons for it and we’re not just trying to give you more paperwork:
If you are new to strength training, starting to track your weights can give you a better idea of what you’re capable of lifting. Your brain will already be occupied with so much novelty with the new style of training and skills that it will be a challenge to remember what weight kettlebell you used last time kettlebell swings were programmed. This creates some unnecessary confusion and chaos as you get ready for your workout.
As you adapt to resistance training, building your fitness and improving your skill level, what you lift will start to change and you’ll need heavier weights to receive an appropriate stimulus! But how can you lift heavier if you never took note of what you lifted last time? Many people think they’ll be able to remember what they lifted last time, but even experienced gym-goers get their numbers confused or forget them entirely.
Sometimes programming will call for doing a lift at a certain percentage of your “max”, meaning the heaviest weight you’ve ever lifted. This is to ensure you’re getting the intensity or effort the programming is intending and, again, that’s very hard to calculate if you’ve never kept track of any of the weight you’ve lifted. Even if you’re brand new to exercise in general and never tested what the maxes of your lifts are, you can use the heaviest weight for the fewest repetitions you can find in your notes. It’s much more useful than a blind guess.
Tracking weights and results of workouts allows you to see your progress more clearly than perhaps anything else! It can be extremely exciting and motivating to see yourself, pound by pound, lift more weight or be able to take on higher skill movements. Seeing this often helps people maintain consistent attendance and start to experience a new kind of fun at the gym.
Tracking doesn’t need to be complex, but just noting the number of repetitions you completed at a particular weight per lift or movement will be incredibly helpful! You can choose to do this using a small notebook, the notes app on your phone, or try one of the many apps created specifically for this purpose (some of our faves are SugarWOD and FitNotes, but there are tons of free options!). It can also be helpful to track some other data, as well, including the speed at which you run and row various distances and how many repetitions you are able to do bodyweight/gymnastics movements and modifications you used, including pullups, single or double unders, dips, and toes to bar. Keep in mind that for some people, tracking things related to moving their body can activate some unhelpful thought patterns or lead to unhealthy behavioral responses. If that’s your experience, it may be best to not track these things and just enjoy the experience!