Fitness experts and competitive bodybuilders all over the world insist that keeping an exercise journal was a pivotal part of their success. This is because an exercise journal allows you to track and analyze your progress. If you are able to analyze what puts you ahead and what sets you back, you know how to adjust your training program in order to make yourself stronger, healthier, and better.
When you are keeping an exercise journal, make sure you make a detailed record of the muscle group trained, the specific movements used, and how many reps you performed. For example, if you are focusing on your triceps through arm extensions and dips your journal entry should be similar to this: Triceps- Dips (6 reps), Arm Extensions (14 reps). Also, you will want to note the total time trained and how much time spent on each movement.
The more detail you can provide, the better you will be able to understand your progress. When you begin working toward fitness over 40, you cannot over-document your progress. As you learn more about how your body responds to strength training, you will learn which information is the most helpful and can modify your journal accordingly.
If you keep a detailed training record, you will also be able to quickly identify when you have overworked a muscle group and change. Often, if you are overworking in the beginning of a session you will notice that you are not able to do as many reps later in the session. If you notice unusual soreness or that you need longer rest, you will be able to identify which parts of your training caused the injury. When you can prevent repeating the injury you can prevent more critical damage.
Your warm up cardio, weights, and stretching should also be documented. If you find you are not making progress or are overly sore after training, this may be because you are not warming up properly. If you analyze when you have the most progress and compare that to the warm up performed during periods of no progress, you will probably be able to see how you need to adjust your routine.
Bodybuilders often chronicle their nutrition in their journals as well, including daily amounts of carbs, proteins, and fat. If you are bodybuilding over 40 this will be important because of your changing metabolism. You should also track the amount of calories you consume and when. If you are not building muscle appropriately, you may not be eating enough calories. If you are gaining unwanted weight, you may have to eat fewer calories or do more cardio.
It is also good to track your energy levels and motivation. Create a numbered rating system to describe your mood. Everyday, especially the day after training, record your number. Pay attention to the days you have the most energy and, more importantly, the days when you feel sore or sluggish. If you notice that changes you have made to your training program overly exhaust you or cause pain, you may have to lower the intensity a bit until your body adjusts.
No matter how much they have researched, no one ever starts with a perfect program for bodybuilding over 40. Champion bodybuilders know that they have to track their progress and adjust their training in order to get maximum results. Exercise journals are one of the best tools you can use to create a winning fitness plan tailored to your body, your lifestyle, and your fitness goals.
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