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By: Marcus Morgan, M.Ed., Exercise Science, Fitness Professional
If you need help with fitness or exercise planning, email me: homefitnessgalore@gmail.com
There are many factors you can measure!
Sometimes keeping up with your fitness progress using paper and pencil can be a bit stagnant and un-motivating when repetitions and sets are all you see. How?
Doing the same exercises over and over again can be unproductive and occasionally changing things up may help you see your fitness results produce new evidence! Technology in the gym is not the "end all" for monitoring results in the gym. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using paper and pencil to log your fitness data. Understand that it's the new information that measures good perspectives when pinpointing change.
If you want to increase the perspective of your fitness results, you can use my recommendations in addition to paper and pencil to log your fitness results—be more accurate in developing an approach. Don't worry about complicating your fitness experience with expensive lab testing and advanced technology, do the best you can with what you have—record good information!
1. Step on a scale
A basic bodyweight scale can assist you in logging important fitness information—a scale should be a standard on your fitness journey . It is easy to use and convenient in most gym locker rooms . You can easily use a scale to see if you have gained or lost weight. Simply record the weight and the dates to create a list of comparative data. Scales are useful when cutting weight, and when you're trying to bulk. Weigh yourself once a week on a scale before your workout.
Benefits
Scales are conveniently found in homes and gyms
Large numbers on digital scales are easy to see
Weighing yourself once a week is FREE
Scales are transportable
2. Measure your Body Fat
The idea is that body fat is a substance that you don't want if you are desiring to lose weight. When measuring your body fat composition, the number that shows is not the same as a bodyweight scale. Your body fat composition can be measured with a caliper or with a device using electrical signals through your hands or feet (BIA - biolelectrical impedance analysis). It is far more easier to use a device that has BIA. Modern battery powered bodyweight scales have the sensors for BIA body fat detection as well as handheld devices. Simply record the body fat measurements that you obtain and you have a way to keep track of your progress.
Benefits
BIA is really easy to use
Devices to check bodyfat are usually portable such as a digital scale, caliper, or BIA technology
Downside
Devices can be easily misplaced
3. Check a Tall Mirror
A mirror is obviously not designed to record data on, but it does give you the opportunity to observe changes. It is a convenient way to observe subtle changes in the way your body looks. You may already know what kind of image you want, but using a mirror to observe body shape grants you the opportunity to capture an image for before and after body changes. Be sure to record the dates of when the pictures were taken to track your progress over time. You may observe lagging body parts or find other areas that may be developing nicely.
Benefits
Most bathrooms have mirrors
Use a mirror to take pictures of 'before and after'
4. Use a Tape Measure
The good old fashioned measuring tape comes in handy when you are desiring to monitor size changes in your body. Tape measurements are often associated with the use of a scale and body fat calculations when performing physical fitness health assessments. Personal trainers and health professionals measure forearms, biceps, chests, stomachs, legs and calves to identify the before or after development from previous measuring sessions. Logging your measurements into a spiral notebook or your smartphone helps you keep track of the results you get from working out. By the way, when measuring your extremities (arms, legs, calves) try measuring the non-dominant side of the body alone.
Benefits
Tape measures are convenient and transportable
Downside
You may need assistance with holding the tape measure
Sometimes measuring the same area consistently can be a struggle
5. Monitor Reps, Sets, & Weight.
Instead of performing every exercise today until failure or extreme fatigue without regard, try keeping track of your repetitions (reps) and weight to develop quickly. There's nothing wrong with giving an all out effort towards non-specific fitness goals sometimes, but try tracking exercise reps, sets, and the weight you used, to help identify progress in strength and endurance over a month.
Try it this way: During a given exercise, perform so many reps until you stop at a certain number, say 12—that's one set. Do another set of 12 reps—that's a second set! It's that easy. Record how many reps your did in each set, and make sure you record any weight that you used—you'll have a nice track record every exercise session.
Benefits
Organizing the number of repetitions helps you monitor progress
Downside
Sometimes fatigue can make you not reach target repetitions
Bottomline
The tips and ideas I have recommended for you are very practical and beneficial to monitor your fitness progress and to make adjustments. Be sure to check out the fitness equipment that is available to you and make your fitness accomplishments consistent and valuable for your steadfastness in fitness.
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