Training Journal

A Training Journal can be a useful tool in tracking progress, and ensuring that goals are set for continuous improvement. I have kept a training journal from time to time, but have had difficulty sticking to it, partially because I have often made the journal more tedious and complicated than it needed to be.

I don't believe it it is critical to track every single set and rep in a workout. My new training journal is far more simple and less tedious to use. I basically list all the exercises I perform from across all workouts on the same page. I then track only the best-effort working-set, which will be the benchmark to surpass in the next (heavy) workout.

Here is a sample of my journal:

Squats: 165 x 23
Calf Raises: 160 x 18
Leg Curls: 70 x 12
Bench: 225 x 12
Incline Smith: 185 x 12
Seated Row: 135 x 14
Pulldown: 150 x 12
Shrugs: 225 x 12
Seated Curls: 40 x 9
Barbell Curls: 95 x 7
Standing Press: 95 x 14
Side Laterals: 30 x 12
Kickbacks: 25 x 14
Lying Tricep: 60 x 14


Seeing all the exercises together, also gives a pretty good view of what my strong and weak points are, and where I need to focus and prioritize in my training.