I love keeping records, I love my training log thread, it’s not complictated,but it’s not K.I.S.S. either, I like that my body responses well to the programs that I’ve been doing. I like finding commonalities with programs I’ve used, so when I’m advanced, I know what works, and what doesn’t.
[quote]Headhunter wrote:
One of the stock complaints about any Martial Arts system is that it doesn’t prepare a person for actual combat. Some come close (kina Mutai, Brazilian JJ, Hapkido come to mind). However, nothing can ever actually be a fight to the death like…a fight to the death (no rules, no ref).
In the same way, having a plan for the weights just doesn’t match up. One of TC’s columns (I think it was his) talked about how he could OH Press 400 lbs, but had a lot of trouble moving furniture.
So, its all about goals. If you want to increase the weights for a meet or add mass for a show, a plan is probably wiser. For anything else, its pointless. Reality is NOT a plan. You can make all the plans in the world, then one thing changes and the plan goes all to hell. That’s REALITY.
One of my sons is applying to West Point. They like football players because they can stay calm when the plan goes all to hell…which it usually will.
Lift, keep adding weights until you can’t lift it, go home.[/quote]
Just to let you know, you’re writing some of the stupidest shit I 've ever read. If you don’t want to take 30 seconds to jot down what you did on a certain day, fine, but don’t come on here whining about it.
By the way, the martial arts analogy was one of the worst I’ve ever heard. Not even close to same thing.
[quote]rmccart1 wrote:
If you don’t want to take 30 seconds to jot down what you did on a certain day, fine, but don’t come on here whining about it.
[/quote]
Seriously. I have a hard time imagining the work ethic of someone who considers that (and 30 seconds is generous, by the way) to be just way to inconvenient. If you don’t want to do it, more power to ya, but hop off the people who do.
Every post trying to justify that whine is more effort and time than it takes for a weeks worth of weight recordings.
Something is really odd here. Are you people actually saying that recording progress shows low self confidence and no enjoyment of the iron game?
Maybe some of you have amazing memory, but I constantly strive to be stronger than my previous workouts and the only way to absolutely know progress is to have access to the weightlifting information of previous workouts. If you can remember it all in your mind, more power to you.
I record every workout and I still love training. I don’t calculate 80%1RM etc., I still listen to my body, but recording my weights does wonders for my progress.
[quote]anthropocentric wrote:
<<< Are you people actually saying that recording progress shows low self confidence and no enjoyment of the iron game? >>>[/quote]
I’m not
[quote]Headhunter wrote:
I love math (hs math teacher) but it gets left at home when its gym (or dochang) time.
[/quote]
If this is true, then you should know that mathematics is a valuable tool with myriad applications. We use it for our finances, our workouts, our diets, our cars, and other things that are far too numerous to list here.
“I can’t believe guys who keep track of the macronutrients and calories they eat! Who needs that dweeb accountant stuff? Leave the math at school, nerds!”
If you are a representative example of a high school teacher, no wonder our system of secondary education is a laughing stock.
[quote]Headhunter wrote:
One of my sons is applying to West Point. They like football players because they can stay calm when the plan goes all to hell…which it usually will.
[/quote]
I’m sorry, but this is just too comical.
[quote]Tanizaki wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
I love math (hs math teacher) but it gets left at home when its gym (or dochang) time.
If this is true, then you should know that mathematics is a valuable tool with myriad applications. We use it for our finances, our workouts, our diets, our cars, and other things that are far too numerous to list here.
“I can’t believe guys who keep track of the macronutrients and calories they eat! Who needs that dweeb accountant stuff? Leave the math at school, nerds!”
If you are a representative example of a high school teacher, no wonder our system of secondary education is a laughing stock.[/quote]
I think what he is saying is that anyone who is whipping out their calculator in the gym to find what % of their 1rm to use is probably missing the point.
[quote]anthropocentric wrote:
Something is really odd here. Are you people actually saying that recording progress shows low self confidence and no enjoyment of the iron game?
Maybe some of you have amazing memory, but I constantly strive to be stronger than my previous workouts and the only way to absolutely know progress is to have access to the weightlifting information of previous workouts. If you can remember it all in your mind, more power to you.
I record every workout and I still love training. I don’t calculate 80%1RM etc., I still listen to my body, but recording my weights does wonders for my progress. [/quote]
That’s not what I’m saying, by the sounds of it you do exactly what I do.
Here’s another way of putting it, when I train, my performance depends on my body and my record keeping is based upon my performance.
Body /(greater than symbol wont work so I’ll use “/” instead) Performance /Training Log.
To me my body is the most important variable so if my performance dips I just log a lower performance, no big deal.
Some people walk into the gym with their entire session planned out (down to rest periods) hoping that their body will be able to keep up.
Training Plan / Performance (hopefully) / Body (hopefully).
To them their plan is the most important variable so if they find that their body doesn’t just follow a script the confusion ensues.
I can’t speak for anyone else but that’s what I’ve been talking about.
[quote]Tanizaki wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
I love math (hs math teacher) but it gets left at home when its gym (or dochang) time.
If this is true, then you should know that mathematics is a valuable tool with myriad applications. We use it for our finances, our workouts, our diets, our cars, and other things that are far too numerous to list here.
“I can’t believe guys who keep track of the macronutrients and calories they eat! Who needs that dweeb accountant stuff? Leave the math at school, nerds!”
If you are a representative example of a high school teacher, no wonder our system of secondary education is a laughing stock.[/quote]
I think you may have just proved the point that has been made without realising it.
The numbers are not important until you reach a point where very specific actions are required. Using your diet example, if you remove the macronutrient breakdown etc. and keep the actions (i.e. eat more, eat less rubbish etc.) would you still get results?
Yes.
If you keep meticulous records but you don’t actually make the right actions will you still get results?
No.
There’s nothing wrong with keeping records, or using them to help you make changes, but you shouldn’t rely on them. I believe that you do best basing your actions on results, not records.
Ok IQ,
Here’s what I do. After I change into my lifting clothes, I write down (based off of previous workouts) the exercises that I plan to do on this given day.
e.g. Upper Day:
A1) Weighted Dips
A2) 1 Arm DB Row
B1) Weighted Chinups
B2) DB overhead press
etc.
The exercises are set, but the reps/weight are purely dependent on what my body is telling me…even though I strive to be stronger than previous workouts.
After each work out, I see where I’m improving and I see where I’m not improving. It also lets me know the weights/reps I should be aiming for in future workouts.
I agree that one should listen to their body, but I’m not fully convinced that keeping records is detrimental to the learning process.
[quote]rmccart1 wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
One of the stock complaints about any Martial Arts system is that it doesn’t prepare a person for actual combat. Some come close (kina Mutai, Brazilian JJ, Hapkido come to mind). However, nothing can ever actually be a fight to the death like…a fight to the death (no rules, no ref).
In the same way, having a plan for the weights just doesn’t match up. One of TC’s columns (I think it was his) talked about how he could OH Press 400 lbs, but had a lot of trouble moving furniture.
So, its all about goals. If you want to increase the weights for a meet or add mass for a show, a plan is probably wiser. For anything else, its pointless. Reality is NOT a plan. You can make all the plans in the world, then one thing changes and the plan goes all to hell. That’s REALITY.
One of my sons is applying to West Point. They like football players because they can stay calm when the plan goes all to hell…which it usually will.
Lift, keep adding weights until you can’t lift it, go home.
Just to let you know, you’re writing some of the stupidest shit I 've ever read. If you don’t want to take 30 seconds to jot down what you did on a certain day, fine, but don’t come on here whining about it.
By the way, the martial arts analogy was one of the worst I’ve ever heard. Not even close to same thing.
[/quote]
Well, aren’t we a good little accountant?
Do you REALLY cancel your workout if forgot your pencil and notebook at home? Or do you just lift?
Quit lifting pencils and start lifting the WEIGHTS!!
[quote]Stronghold wrote:
Tanizaki wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
I love math (hs math teacher) but it gets left at home when its gym (or dochang) time.
If this is true, then you should know that mathematics is a valuable tool with myriad applications. We use it for our finances, our workouts, our diets, our cars, and other things that are far too numerous to list here.
“I can’t believe guys who keep track of the macronutrients and calories they eat! Who needs that dweeb accountant stuff? Leave the math at school, nerds!”
If you are a representative example of a high school teacher, no wonder our system of secondary education is a laughing stock.
I think what he is saying is that anyone who is whipping out their calculator in the gym to find what % of their 1rm to use is probably missing the point.[/quote]
Yup.
You’re there to be a beast, to crush the GD weights! Then, having that mindset, we’re supposed to record rep tempo, and ‘Geez, did I beat my lift from 6 months ago?’, and on and on?
Lift the GD weights!!!
[quote]Tanizaki wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
One of my sons is applying to West Point. They like football players because they can stay calm when the plan goes all to hell…which it usually will.
I’m sorry, but this is just too comical.[/quote]
You obviously live in a world where everything always works precisely as planned, where no new variable suddenly pops up. Nah, your kid never gets sick on the worst possible day, your car always starts, and reality is just one big equation.
Now, genius, what do you do if you tweak your ankle on your all-planned-out Squat day? Gee, I guess you won’t beat last week’s squat numbers, will you?
You gents are trying to plan the unplannable. Its Jurassic Park all over again.
[quote]anthropocentric wrote:
Ok IQ,
Here’s what I do. After I change into my lifting clothes, I write down (based off of previous workouts) the exercises that I plan to do on this given day.
e.g. Upper Day:
A1) Weighted Dips
A2) 1 Arm DB Row
B1) Weighted Chinups
B2) DB overhead press
etc.
The exercises are set, but the reps/weight are purely dependent on what my body is telling me…even though I strive to be stronger than previous workouts.
After each work out, I see where I’m improving and I see where I’m not improving. It also lets me know the weights/reps I should be aiming for in future workouts.
I agree that one should listen to their body, but I’m not fully convinced that keeping records is detrimental to the learning process.[/quote]
Same here, you’ll get no arguments from me.
[quote]Headhunter wrote:
Tanizaki wrote:
Headhunter wrote:
One of my sons is applying to West Point. They like football players because they can stay calm when the plan goes all to hell…which it usually will.
I’m sorry, but this is just too comical.
You obviously live in a world where everything always works precisely as planned, where no new variable suddenly pops up. Nah, your kid never gets sick on the worst possible day, your car always starts, and reality is just one big equation.
Now, genius, what do you do if you tweak your ankle on your all-planned-out Squat day? Gee, I guess you won’t beat last week’s squat numbers, will you?
You gents are trying to plan the unplannable. Its Jurassic Park all over again.
[/quote]
Jurrasic Park? I dunno this is just silly. If I tweak my ankle on a legs day I’ll do an extra arm day instead and eiher record what I did or write “Hurt leg did arms instead” into my log book so I have an idea of what I’m doing. Just because I might hurt my leg on a leg day doesn’t mean I’m going to go into the gym completley unprepared.
We get the whole “Just fucking lift” idea hat you’re pushing here. And yeah blood sweat and tears will get you further than a weakly executed super plan, hus the attitude guy with no plan is ahead of the dweeby planed dude. But what about this. What about if I go to the gym with a shitload of attitude AND a plan? That is, I vigorously APPLY myself to a good plan. You know like say… basically every professional athlete in the history of sports has done.
Don’t you think I’ll be ahead of the guy who vigorously applies himself with little to no structure in his workout?
[quote]amigu wrote:
Jurrasic Park? I dunno this is just silly. [/quote]
Pretty much. This guy’s argument started somewhere in his ass and is now just all over the fucking place.
Honestly, I had a fairly long post written, but Headhunter’s points are just so pitiful and defenseless that debating them actually makes me cringe. Like I’m clubbing a baby seal or something.
OP: Provide an actual argument…and then maybe I can stop laughing long enough to pretend you are saying something worthwhile.
You could have made a decent point at the beginning, but you took it to an awful extreme that just alienates whatever support any intelligent person would have originally thought of giving you.
Glad I’m not the only one here who feels this way. Good post.
[quote]Headhunter wrote:Do you REALLY cancel your workout if forgot your pencil and notebook at home? Or do you just lift?
Quit lifting pencils and start lifting the WEIGHTS!!
[/quote]
Pull your head out of your ass. I bring a slip of paper about 1.5" X 2.5" with my exercises, weights, sets, and reps on it, so that I don’t forget anything. I don’t bring a pen. If I make it through the workout as planned, then I have that slip of paper to use to record the workout on a .txt file. If I fail to do the workout as planned or if I’m having a good day and manage to do more than what I had planned, I remember where it differed, then record it.
Either way, it takes literally about 90 seconds, because I’m sort of meticulous about my columns lining up on the computer. If you only realized how pathetic you sound, you’d take your own advice, shut up and lift weights, and take a minute at the end while you’re drinking your Surge to write it down.