Always keeping a exercise log may seem to be a bit of a drag or even a waste of time, but it is really a critical aspect in any good workout plan. Maintaining an in depth progress log and tracking your development may make a massive difference to the level of quality of a person's training. Allow me to share my personal top 5 good reasons to begin and carry on logging:

1. Make Your Workout More Efficient

It may seem like having to go and scribble down info on sets, repetitions as well as weights in between physical exercises will take a lot of time, however keeping a progress log will most likely save you more time than it takes up. The reason behind this is that you’ll be able to see instantly which activity to do next, the number of sets to complete and how much weight you applied last time you did that exercise.

You will also be able to evaluate precisely when to increase weight load, which will reduce the guesswork as well as make sure you can progress more efficiently.

2. It Tells the Hard Truth

People tend to flatter themselves (adult men particularly – studies have shown that guys are likely to see themselves as leaner and stronger than they really are). And our relatives and friends also normally honey-coat their less flattering messages to us. That's okay for most social circumstances, but not something you need on the subject of exercising. Your training record will invariably show you exactly where you have been making great progress – and where you have not at all. It will make any work out you miss blaringly obvious, it will show you exactly where you were lazy and left out a set or two and it will provide you a clear picture of which muscles you are neglecting.

3. Keeping Track of Cycles is Easier With A Log

If you’re taking Creatine or other supplements, you are probably cycling them on and off, to make sure that your body doesn’t get too used to them. And, especially for intense workout routines, it’s advisable to take a one week workout-break every two to three months. It’s also very important to change up you routines every few months, to hit your muscles from different angles and make sure that your gains aren’t all just based on improved inter-muscular coordination.

With a training log, it’s very easy to just add a comment when you’re commencing a new cycle and even mark the date where the cycle ends in advance. Without a log, you’re almost certain to lose track of where you’re at, especially if you’re on several different cycles.

4. It Makes You More Ambitious

The Progress log shows you exactly what you've done in previous workout-sessions. Seeing that history, you almost invariably start forming goals in your mind. You'll be thinking about how much progress you want to make in the coming weeks and months and start setting goals for weights and reps that you want to reach. And of course, having clear goals makes it much more likely that you'll reach those goals.

5. Boost For Your Motivation

Seeing how you have progressed to greater weights and more reps can give you a great motivation boost. If you only keep track by looking in the mirror and stepping onto scales, you might be disappointed.. While it can take a long time for your muscles to bulge noticeably, you strength increase will show up on the log within weeks or even days of starting regular exercise.

Those are my top reasons for keeping track of your workout.. All it takes is a pen and a few sheets of paper. If you want to go a little more sophisticated, put together a tracking-sheet in Excel or ask about tracking sheets at your Gym. Another option is to check if there's a training log application available for your mobile device (lots of options for iPhone and Android phones).