I was wondering what other people here do in the way of training and nutrition logs.
Do you keep a training and/or nutrition log?
If so, how detailed?
I’ve kept both (on the same page actually) for years, in detail. The routine, the exercises, the # of reps and sets, the weight, and personal aside notes on how I felt with the workout. Diet I write down what and when I eat. I don’t break down macro nutrients unless I have a reason to.
If you do this a long time, you end up hitting plateaus and have times when either the program or the diet isn’t working, or even just your life in general begins to lack balance in some aspects.
I’d be lost without my journals to refer to, because often history repeats itself, and the journals will give you a quick reference as to how you approached a problem in the past and the results you got. When you just go stale or blank pull out the journals and get some new ideas or a boost.
What Rebecca said concerning training logs.
As far as the food log, when I’m keeping one it’s because I have specific goals in mind and am following a specific plan.
For example, I recently completed T-Dawg 2 and it was important for me to track macronutrients as well as daily caloric intake. I found it nice and handy to use a small pocket sized spiral notepad that I could keep with me at all times, and track the food, protein, carbs, cals, and fat.
Thanks for the input. I personally keep a training log with much detail, and only a food log when I go on a specific diet, much like mamman.
Anyone else, or do you all just wing it or use instinctive eating/training?
I consider nutrition to be the most important aspect of trying to reach your physique goals.
Personally, I only keep a food log. Training is pretty instinctive, perhaps I should keep a training log but like I said, I think nutrition is the most important aspect of them all.
If I don’t keep a log, I’ll probably only eat like 3,200 calories and think at the end of the day, “damn, I ate a lot today.” The only way you can really be sure is to write it down.
I record the time I ate the food, description, macros (P/C/F), calories for each meal. Then at the end of the day I tally the total calories, protein per lb. bodyweight, and P/C/F ratios.
I get one of those small thick notebooks and use the front for my training log. I turn it over and upside down and go from back to front with my nutrition log. The best part of keeping logs for me is that it keeps me honest. I am far less likely cheat on my diet if I know that I have to write “4 doughnuts, 1 triple thick shake, and half a bag of oreo’s” in my log.
I made an excel spreadsheet that incorperates diet, training, cardio, and supplementation. then there are some trend lines and you can see, over time, which methods were most effective for your goals at the time. You can see if cheater’s diet worked at a higher body fat, which it does. It also makes altering your diet easier, as you just change the quantities, and everything updates. Because you know as you lose fat or increase lbm, you need to continually update your required cals. You can also trend weight moved, if you want, to track your progress in the gym. I havent figured out the most effective way to do that because several issues, such as reps, tut, rep counts, all play into how much you move and how often.
but that is what I do. Im an excel geek.
Yep,
I keep both usually. I always keep a training log. I write out my workout a few hours beforehand and then I keep track of reps and weight used, along with side notes telling me how my form was and how I felt during the workout. As for food logs, I do keep them, but only when I have a specific goal in mind. Like right now, I am trying to bulk up…so I keeping track of macronutrient ratios and meal combinations and TRUST ME…it WORKS!!! But I dont keep a food log all the time. I generally eat the same foods everyday…so it is just a matter of “tweaking” my diet here and there. But like I said, if I have a specific goal in mind…I def keep a food log
I have to disagree. Training is the most important part of reaching your goals. check out the dog lb. i put my training log on there.
jodgey - can you send me that excell spreadsheet? if it’s anything how it sounds i bet it’s pretty kickass. and yeah it does sound like you’re an excel geek. 
so far i have only kept a training log, my diet is my weak side, need help with it.
think i may be too lazy, but i may now get another note pad for a diet log.
paul, or anyone.
if you want a copy of my logs, send PM me your email address. I hve sent it out to about ten people now. all I ask is that you critique it and give me some feedback on making it better.
Tim
i was checking out that excel spreadsheet you sent me. all i’ve got to say is holy fucking shit… that thing us huge and extremely comprehensive. you must have spent forever and a day making that thing. great job!
A day and a half of nothing but that and planning cheater’s diet. My grad advisor wasnt too appreciative, but I was also grading an exam and two homeworks, so I had an excuse.
Glad you like it. Hope it proves useful.
I kept a nutrition log before - it definitely keeps you honest in what you eat. It keeps you away from shit foods.
As far as training log, I’ve never kept one. I find it cumbersome and a hassle. I keep everything I need to know in my mind. I know how many sets/reps I did last week, and I know my goals for this week. Training is important to me, so I make sure I have it stored in my head.
I believe that you do need a training log/nutrition log in the beggining. But, then after a couple of years of training you souldn’t need one. Unless you are slacking in the gym or hit a plateau.
Why, do I say you don’t need a training log/ nutrition after a couple of years. Is, that you should all ready know what works and doesn’t. And that train log does is get in a way of a fast more efficent work-out.
Now, I do take a daily log for my clients, but for myself I already know what I am going to do in the gym and so I do it.
fitone, i dont know about the training log bogging you down. I print out my workouts beforehand, again, on excel. When I finish a set, I just write down the wieght and reps. The part that takes forever is setting it up. But once you get to the gym, having the log keeps you honest. Or at least it keeps you from wandering from one piece of equipment to another. It acts just like the food log. Once you commit to it on paper, it really makes it hard for you to pop that bag of cheesy poofs, or go get the slice of pizza. Likewise, once you say that you are going to do this exercise for so many sets. . . its kind of hard to leave boxes left blank.
Plus, Im not good enough to remember what I did the week before, or how many times. having the log gives you the opportunity to push yourself to your absolute limit.
Im just stating what works for me. you guys may be much better with efficiently organizing your workout without writing it down.
See, I don’t like pre-set training routines, such as what you do Jodgey. I have my goal specific days, but I don’t go in with every specific lift in mind. Squat/dl days, I obviously do both, but then I might do leg curls and calves one day, and ghr’s and extensions the next (not really, just an example). Bench day I always do flat (when I’m allowed via PT and Dr.) and then I follow up with incline db’s. After that I may do db flyes or machine flyes or weighted dips. Having a pre-set routine just makes me feel like I’m not doing enough or the right exercises.
I do tend to get training ADD.
How do you know what your pr’s are for every exercise if you dont write it down? There is no way you can remember all that. Especially if you train westside because there are about 1000 max effort exercises you can do.