Life Fitness Vol 2: Tracking Workouts

Sorry for the length of time it took me to get this volume out I hope it was worth waiting for.

Tracking Part 1: Workouts
Tracking your workouts is essential to making progress!

I cannot express how important tracking your workouts is to maintaining a health routine. If you don’t track your workouts you won’t know what you do well, what you need to improve and what you are over doing. Tracking is as important as warm-ups and cool-down when it comes to preventing injury.

There are several Methods for tracking your workouts and their intensity. My preferred method is using a heart rate (HR) monitor for cardio and a worksheet for weight lifting.

Note*You might think that all HR monitors are the same. I beg to differ. Choose a HR monitor that can track multiple workouts, has a calorimeter, and if possible one that syncs with your computer. A good HR monitor has a chest band and wrist unit, avoid the ones that require you to press two buttons to get a reading as this is hard to do in the middle of a workout. I prefer Polar Monitors and you can get a great one for around $120 retail. Just do it! It is well worth the money. If you are counting calories for gaining or losing weight then a calorimeter is very handy for your weight lifting as well.

Let’s cover weight lifting first. For weight lifting you need to track multiple items: rep, set, and type. I prefer a worksheet with each exercise listed and fill in the blanks. This keeps me from forgetting an exercise, or a set. If you repeat the exercise later on, list it separately. Here is an example of a professionally generated worksheet that goes with a DVD series I use. As you can see, even though the exercises repeat, they are listed separately. When recording your exercises make sure to record number of repetitions- how many times you did the exercise; weight- how much resistance you use (dumbbell, barbell machine doesn’t matter as long as you use the same one or one similar next time) and if you need to increase, decrease or modify for body weight exercises. This lets you know next time what you need to try.

Myth: I shouldn’t stop and change weight or modify an exercise once I start. Truth: If you pick up a weight that is too heavy and realize that you can’t finish your set (8-10reps for size/strength; 10-12reps for lean) then change. If you realize that your weight is too light you have two choices: stop and increase weight or do more reps. You should feel “the burn” at the end of the set. For body weight exercises you can modify them to make them easier or harder. Push-Ups are a great example. Go to your knees for easier reps with full range of motion; Lift one leg off the ground for harder reps. Modifying is not a sign of improper working out or that you are “weak”, “not good enough” or any other macho stupidity. Refusing to modify is a sign of too much PRIDE.

When tracking your cardio it is best to use a high quality HR monitor. I have used several Polar Monitors and they work great. A simple one is available at most stores that sell some type of sporting goods for $40. I suggest however, spending the extra $80 if you can and getting one that can measure calories burned and upload the info to your calendar online.I currently use the Polar F6.

Next, you need to track your zones. While they vary from person to person, they should follow this basic pattern: HR 125-145bpm Low intensity/ Fat Burn Zone, HR 145-175bpm Medium to high intensity/ Cardio Zone, HR 175+ High intensity Zone and can’t be maintained for extreme periods.
Here is a layman’s method of measuring your intensity:
The talk test method of measuring intensity is simple. A person who is active at a light intensity level should be able to sing while doing the activity. One who is active at a moderate intensity level should be able to carry on a conversation comfortably while engaging in the activity. If a person becomes winded or too out of breath to carry on a conversation, the activity can be considered vigorous.

Once you determine your zones you can schedule your cardio workouts appropriately. Remember, higher intensity is not always better. If you are trying to burn more fat then low intensity yoga may be better than high intensity running. Your plan needs to fit your goals.

I saved one of the most important parts for last--setting goals. Whether you are a professional athlete or a stay at home mom (or dad like me) you need to set a specific main goal and specific sub-goals. A main goal is something like I want to lose 8 pounds in 1 month. This gives you something to shoot for. To accomplish that you need sub-goals or goals that can be achieved every day. To lose weight at the rate of 2 pounds a week you have to cut 1,000 calories a day, this is a sub-goal. You also may have to increase your exercise regimen (sub-goal 2). You can then track the results in a diary, which I will cover more in Tracking Part 2: Calories In/Out. Results that you can see will go a long way to helping you be consistent and progress well.

Goals are also important for your daily exercise, weight lifting and cardio. When lifting weights you should start each set with a goal in mind. For example, if you are doing dumbbell curls you might want to start with 30lbs and complete 9 reps. Reaching the goal is not always important, having one is essential. If you don’t know what you want to accomplish how can you do it? If you can’t make it to 9 reps with good form do as many as you can and record it. If you reach 9 and still have more do as many as you can and record it. Notice on my worksheet that on some exercises I have written a “+” , “-“ and “*” these let me know if I reached my goal and if I need it to change. Goals and tracking work hand-in-hand.

For cardio you may have a goal of staying in a specific HR Zone for a set amount of time. This can be difficult. If I set my Zone at 145-155bpm at the beginning of my workout I may be moving much faster than I will be at the end. Don’t allow your HR to increase just to maintain speed, it isn’t natural. Think about it this way, as you drive your car it runs out of gas, so do you. Eventually you have to stop and fill up your car. Your body is not a machine with infinite exhaust capabilities like a car (if you give a car tons of gas it will keep going until it runs out). Your body has a finite source of energy and a finite amount of storage for toxins produced by working out. Eventually you hit a point where you have maxed out your resources. Unlike a car it doesn’t happen all at once, but happens overtime in a workout. Pace yourself based on your HR zone and you will build up your body’s stores and endurance. At the same time you will be maximizing your potential to reach your goal.

Next time I will talk about tracking your food intake and how much you burn.

Sensei TJ