If you are working out on a regular basis it is a good idea to record your workouts so you can monitor your progress. You can start by recording the exercises that you are performing by keeping track of the sets and repetitions that you perform with each exercise. This information is important because it will help you to see if your strength and endurance are improving.

It is a good idea to record as much relevant information as possible in your workout log. Instead of only monitoring your exercises, sets, and repetitions, also try monitoring your breaks between your sets, your body-weight or body-fat, your stretching and even record if you feel muscle soreness after each workout.

Recording the breaks that you take between your sets and exercises will help in varying the intensity of your workouts. You will find that if you are training with heavier weights that you may need longer breaks for full muscle recovery. You also may find that short breaks with a moderate weight can greatly increase the intensity of your workout, and you can accomplish a lot more in a much shorter period of time.

Recording your body-weight or body-fat on a weekly or monthly basis is a good way to monitor your progress. Some of our female clients use their clothes as a guide to their physical improvements. It does not matter how you monitor your progress, it is more important to focus on the advancements in your exercise routine and how it results in your physical improvements.

Recording your body’s response to an exercise routine can also show you a lot about your exercise progression. For instance, if you perform a workout and you are sore the next day, but the following week you are not sore you can see how your body has adapted to the increased physical demands. Recording your body\’s response to exercises can also show you the benefit of certain activities. For instance, you may perform an exercise that always results in muscle soreness the following day, however, a simple stretching routine may reduce the soreness greatly.

Recording your workouts can also help you with variability. A variety of exercise helps to prevent psychological burn-out and physical adaptation. Repetitive and unvaried training programs often lead to a plateau in results and occasionally to loss of strength and over-training injuries.

Recording your workouts is not only applicable for those of you that workout in a gym, it is also great for monitoring your running, hiking, swimming and many other activities. For instance, if you are planning on improving your time in the “Sun Run” it is a good idea to monitor you time and distance with each run. This way you can set personal goals and consistently improve upon your current personal best.

Shaun Karp is a certified personal trainer in Vancouver. For further information call his office at 604-420-7800.