Write It Down, Reap The Rewards

If you have your eyes set on a goal of losing weight or packing on some lean muscle in the coming months, you could greatly benefit from keeping a detailed workout log.  Accountability in a workout program is crucial if you actually want to achieve your desired goal and guesswork certainly has no place in the gym.

In order to be successful in your health and fitness endeavors, you need to first identify exactly what your goal is.  Make it realistic, then set it in stone by writing it down in your workout log.  You don’t want to lose “some weight this Summer,” you want to “lose fifteen pounds by September 1st” or “drop two dress sizes by September 15th”.  Setting an actual goal, with a deadline will give you something to track as you move through your workouts and force you to be accountable for your set backs along the way.  Some people will do anything to skip a workout, but if you give yourself a concrete goal with a deadline that is creeping ever closer that could be just the motivation you need to drag yourself to the gym on days that you would rather stay in bed – and that is precisely what will help you reach that goal on time.

Now that you’ve got your goal set, your next step to success is to borrow, find or formulate your own solid strategy for reaching the goal.  If you don’t have a well thought out and focused training plan to get you to your goal, odds are you probably won’t reach it.  There is more to getting fit than just showing up at the gym and wandering around looking for an empty machine – if you want to lose weight or gain lean muscle you need to perform the appropriate exercises.  There are tons of free and reputable sources online to guide you in selecting the appropriate exercise and/or complete workout program to help you reach your desired goal, all you need to do is the leg (or finger) work to find them.

Once you’ve got your workout program figured out – put that into your log as well.  Now you’ve got a schedule to follow once you hit the gym this will help you to do more working and less talking while you are there.  Keep track of the reps/sets or time on each machine that you complete, noting how you felt, whether or not you completed each portion of the workout as prescribed and why – this can go a long way in making the necessary adjustments that will ultimately help you reach your goal.  No single workout program is perfect for everyone and making notes about what was too easy or difficult will help you tailor the workout for your particular fitness level.

The actual workout isn’t always the most difficult part, for lots of people it’s sticking to the workout that poses the problem.  If you have a rock solid plan that holds you accountable with a goal and a deadline that you can see on a regular basis you will be much more likely to stick to your plan and achieve your goal.