One advantage to an App is that it logs the time in between sets, so i can tell if i need to give it another minute before I start my next set to maximize reps. Sometimes you can rush through your workout and not even realize it. I can look at the previous week and see that I was only resting for 60 seconds which is why I could only do 4 reps…
I don’t buy into the whole newby idea…Veterans have to get scientific with it to make gains. We have to make sure the newby’s never catch up to us.
[quote]pdub690 wrote:
memory works…
Maybe you need a log if you’re a newbie, but after a few weeks shouldn’t it just be engraved in your mind? It should be routine, like you could do it while you’re sleeping. If not, you either have a really low IQ (no offense) or you don’t pay enough attention to your time in the gym.
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I switched up my routine and am making gains in poundages or reps on almost every single exercise. On some body parts I swap out different exercises because my 2 gyms have different equipment. There’s no way I can commit all that to memory. There’s no way I’d want to. I don’t see why people who don’t use logbooks have such a problem with those who do.
As far as IQ, I hold a bachelor’s in comp sci (plenty of #'s floating around) and earned my masters in information systems while earning a 3.9 GPA. So that’s not the issue. Neither is paying attention because I don’t talk to a single soul when I’m working out. Keeping the logbook proves the opposite. That I am paying close attention to what I’m doing in the gym.
[quote]Stuntman Mike wrote:
Do your sets, write the shit down, and continue. I don’t have an ipod touch or an iphone, but after some sets I’m out of breath and I can’t fucking operate my pen, why would I try to operate some little device.
.[/quote]
This is exactly why I use pen and paper instead of a “gadget” and I’m in IT guy. Before I go to the gym I print out my last workout (I’m at a desk all day), take the sheet down to the gym, jot down my new numbers, and then upload them in my spreadsheet on google docs when I get back to my desk. The whole process takes 2 minutes. It’d be easier to just keep them on my “gadget”, but too distracting and a pain to dick around with.
Greetings everyone. My first post here on T-Nation after lurking for a time.
While I can appreciate the’“simple is better” mantra with the gadget vs. pen and paper issue, I think there’s something to be said for noobs who haven’t memorized several hundred exercises and how to perform them-some of these apps can be great learning tools as well. Immediate comparisons of performance over time is also pretty handy.
This doesn’t mean dicking around on your phone for several minutes between sets. Some of these apps are very easy to tap a few times then you just throw your phone/player back in your pocket.
Has anyone had any luck with FitnessBuilder? It seems very, very comprehensive. Link below.