How Do You Write a Running Journal?

 

Why do you need a training diary

One of the main reasons for keeping a training diary is discipline. Records help you train more consciously, track your progress and feelings during exercise, and control them. The data you receive can help you create a training plan.

The second reason is increased motivation. Sometimes we don’t notice the progress we’ve made. A fitness diary will help you track the number of calories burned, changes in body shape, as well as strength and endurance. This way, you’ll see the results of your efforts.

Who needs a training diary

Who needs a training diary? Basically, anyone who wants to track their training and changes in their body.

If you work out with a personal trainer, then you don’t need to keep a fitness diary. The specialist will monitor intensity, weight, time, and so on. Therefore, careful control on your part is not necessary.

But some trainers still ask you to record data on nutrition and training. This helps them monitor your physical activity and diet outside the gym. This way, personal trainers can prescribe a nutrition and exercise plan as accurately as possible.

Do you need to keep a fitness diary if you go to group classes? During group training, the trainer cannot devote enough time to each athlete. Therefore, the responsibility for monitoring your actions and condition lies with you. In such cases, it is better to keep a training diary and record the process.

What should be in a training diary

Below we will list what information should be included in your training diary:

• date;
• name of the exercise;
• working weights, number of repetitions and sets (for strength training);
• distance and time (for cardio training);
• anthropometric data (your weight, volumes, etc.);
• rest time;
• intensity;
• important notes (your condition, pain, etc.);
• nutrition (amount of water, calories, portions, etc.);
• muscle condition the day after training.

At the very beginning of the diary, write basic information about you before you start training:

• age;
• gender;
• initial weight;
• height;
• initial chest, hip, waist circumference;
• blood pressure and heart rate in normal condition;
• heart rate zones.
• The basic information will be a starting point. Later, you will be able to monitor how your body has changed after training.

How to keep a training diary correctly

There are two ways to keep a fitness diary.

The first method is suitable for athletes with any level of physical fitness. The training process is recorded immediately after each exercise. Do a few approaches - write it down.

This method has a downside: the diary will periodically distract you from training. It happens that athletes focus on filling out their fitness notebook, and not on the quality of the exercises. The training diary should be an assistant in your training, and not their goal. We advise you not to forget about this.

The first method is especially good for those athletes who do not yet know their capabilities. That is, for those who cannot think in advance how many exercises they need to do, with what intensity, when to rest and much more.

But the second method is ideal for experienced athletes who know the limits of their abilities. This method allows you to fill out 90% of the training day in the diary even before the start of the lesson. That is, you write down the names of the exercises, the time of their execution, intensity, weight, and so on in advance.

After training, you adjust the data and fill in the missing information. The second method will save you time and will not distract you during the exercises. But it will only work when you clearly know your limits.

What to use for a training diary

What can you use as a fitness diary? It all depends on your comfort and preferences. You can keep a diary completely independently and write down all the data in a notebook.

There is an option with PDF files, where the tables with data are already ready. You just need to print them out and fill them out. And for those who do not like extra paper, keeping a training diary through online platforms or applications is suitable.

Now we will analyze each of the methods.

Paper diary

If you are going to keep a notebook, we recommend that you draw tables on each page. This way, the information will be structured and easy to perceive.

You should not write each workout on a separate sheet. It is better to record several workouts in a common table. For example, one page is a week of workouts. This will make it easier for you to track the dynamics of your workouts and compare your results by week.

We also recommend that you do not forget to mark rest days and nutrition (calories, products, portions).

PDF file

There are many PDF files on the Internet with ready-made tables for fitness diaries. Basically, they differ little from each other in information. The main difference is the design.

If you are going to use such a training diary, then be sure to think about the place where you will store the printed sheets. If you lose one filled sheet, you will lose the collected data for several days or even weeks.

Electronic diary

Electronic fitness diaries (online platforms or applications) are a convenient and modern option. Since they are accessed via a smartphone or tablet, such diaries are always at hand.

Electronic training diaries are fast and easy to use. However, you should not rely on them 100%: first of all, focus on how your body feels and only then on the application's advice.

• Websites: Fitmus.com.
• Android applications: iWorklog, GymUp and ReGYM.
• iPhone applications: iJock, Gym Record and Fitsession.

Training diary analysis

You have recorded all the necessary information in your fitness diary — what next? The collected data will help you analyze your results and create an effective training program.

All your information is divided into short-term and long-term.

Short-term data is the data whose dynamics are measured during each workout. This could be, for example, load, speed or distance. Today you will try to do a bench press with one weight, tomorrow — with another. These tests and experiments help you better understand what you are capable of. And during the analysis, it is revealed whether there is progress in your abilities.

Long-term data is anthropometric information. That is, everything that concerns your parameters: weight, volume, muscle mass, pulse, and so on. Such data is measured once every one or two weeks.

Also, analyzing your fitness diary helps you adjust your training plan, focusing on your feelings. For example, you noticed from the diary that the same exercise always causes you discomfort or even pain. This is a sign that such an exercise should be replaced with another.