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Training(logbook vs no logbook)

Bah i always trained by following the logbook and at start the first couple of years it helped me to progress.... Now i don't know why, but makes me anxious as fuck, so i stopped using it since 2 months and i restarted improving (we are not talking about 1kg of muscle a week but the usual slow and steady progress).
I just remember weights, if i don't,.no problem i put in a weight that i feel comfortable and i do all the reps until mechanical failure, rest, back off, next exercise.

I think that from time to time it's better to forget about your training logbook.


Logging food and cycles instead it's a good way to understand what works for you and what not, and tbh you should never stop doing that.
 
I can tell you how I ate and train from years ago. My recent picture and how I look at 62 is not guess work. I don't know why anyone wouldn't log foods and training with these simple to use phone aps. I even log blood pressure on an ap.
What apps do you recommend? I’ve tried a few but all of them seemed to be less than user friendly but it’s been a while.
 
I have been using the app Fit Notes for a while now. Its very simple to use and you can add your own movements and delete ones you dont use. It has helped me progress and focus more on pushing certain movements, but im not trying to beat last workout every time.
 
What apps do you recommend? I’ve tried a few but all of them seemed to be less than user friendly but it’s been a while.
I currently use myfitnesspal for diet and fitnotes for training. Both are fairly easy to use.
 
Hi,

Wondering what your guys stance on this is. A lot of people are so focussed on a logbook nowadays with progressing each lift @rpe 8.6776767 with TUT 4.56464 seconds. What happened to just training hard(and sometimes take sets to failure of course)? When you train hard, rest, eat you will grow. Seems like people are making things way to complicated those days and forget to actually train hard.

Thoughts?
I think a logbook is good to have, but being a slave to the logbook can kick yourself in the ass if you are not careful. Listening to your body should always come first. But keeping an eye on overall progression is good for holding yourself accountable to not be completely subjective - because if my volume (=reps*sets*weight) isn't improving somehow over the whole course of the training block, I'm most likely treading water and get nowhere. Of course this depends if it is a bulking, cutting or maintenance block, e.g. not trying to go for progress on the bar while I'm cutting 😁

Edit: And I don't use any gadgets for tracking mine, just a good old pen and paper logbook and a pencil - Pencil because sweat won't smudge the writing if it drops on my logbook, which it will because I sweat a lot 🤣 Writing it down somehow also feels different than using an app or excel etc. I like to keep all electronics turend off/away while I'm lifting anyway, just useless distractions.
 
I tried Fit Notes! Thanks for sharing it. Very nice app!!!
Like you, I tried a few a while back and stayed with old school pen/paper and maybe excel. Fit Notes was recommended by a buddy and I'm now 3 years in. Only issue, you need to move the file when you upgrade your phone for history to come with it. Not an issue once you know and now you do!
 
Like you, I tried a few a while back and stayed with old school pen/paper and maybe excel. Fit Notes was recommended by a buddy and I'm now 3 years in. Only issue, you need to move the file when you upgrade your phone for history to come with it. Not an issue once you know and now you do!
But still sometimes logbook makes me anxious.... I think that next 6 week mesocycle will be done 100% without it. I will log just the weight.
 
Used to use paper logbooks, but now just fitness apps. Once I found an app I never went back to pen and paper. Always used logs, it’s how I know I’m trending in the right direction. If things get stagnant for too long or I regress, it allows me to go back see what needs changing.

Cage
 
What apps do you recommend? I’ve tried a few but all of them seemed to be less than user friendly but it’s been a while.
Honesty your own google sheets template is best, you can dm me if you want me to send you a copy of mine and you can modify it.
 
I never used a log book of any sort and don't regret it. And made gains on a regular basis, although diminishing as the years went by of course. I can see where it could be of use especially for some. I never found it difficult to remember what i did the last workout. Tracked calories in my head as well as kept track of body fat year round with my calipers for a comparative measurement. And as for year to year the same thing never worked the exact same twice as i had changed to some degree. And logging rep speed and intensity week to week or year to year is pretty much conjecture as i see it. And how many steps i walked in-between my aerobic workouts would not always be the exact same so everything . So there would be a bit of fluctuation that i would have never been up for trying to track. Mostly i tried to focus on training as hard as i could on that day and was content enough with that.
 
i did log book as a beginner for first few years but as i progressed i became increasingly harder to consistently beat the log book. imo we dont live in a vacuum. a log book is very finite. there were days no way i had the energy to perform and beat last work out. maybe i was stressed from work or didnt sleep good cuz baby crying etc. logging stuff is good for a guide. but has to be approached sensibly or will lead to injury or in my case overtraining etc.
but vice versa there were some days i wanted to lolly gag but i look in log book what i did last week and i am like fack ok i can do that....
 
i did log book as a beginner for first few years but as i progressed i became increasingly harder to consistently beat the log book. imo we dont live in a vacuum. a log book is very finite. there were days no way i had the energy to perform and beat last work out. maybe i was stressed from work or didnt sleep good cuz baby crying etc. logging stuff is good for a guide. but has to be approached sensibly or will lead to injury or in my case overtraining etc.
but vice versa there were some days i wanted to lolly gag but i look in log book what i did last week and i am like fack ok i can do that....
This. I use a log to literally log the ebbs and flows, how I feel and perform, volume, and just a general sense of progression. I'm in a very high stress job, travel a lot, etc. and there isn't a "beat the logbook" weekly option for me. I'm on and off red eyes and sometimes can train 5 days for an hour each in a week and others 3 days a week for 30 minutes.
 
I have logs online but I have never used a log book. I think they are only a good thing but I have never needed one. I am weaker now than I was when I were younger but I look better. Strength is important and I have always pushed and I obviously try to progress over time in weight and reps etc but there are 1001 things and it's about finding the right balance for you. I was benching 4-5pps, leg pressing 10-15pps and squatting 5+pps when I was younger and my chest and legs were crap so there is much more to muscle growth than just getting stronger in movements. Obviously if you get stronger using effective form that hits the targeted muscle that is only a good thing and you will grow as long as you eat right.

There are so many different elements to this that can't fit into 1 post. I think logbook training can be hugely effective in the right circumstances and for many they can do it for years with great success but again in the right circumstances. It's important knowing when to push and when to pull back and ensuring execution is never negatively effected because you need to get an extra rep to beat your previous best.

Everyone is different and whilst I never use a log book I would 100% recommend doing so. Some log everything and I think that can be too much especially with the OCD nature of many bodybuilders. However logbooking your working sets is extremely useful and trying to progress strength whilst keeping to the same execution will only aid in growth. All bodybuilders need to progress all elements (training, nutrition, drugs, recovery, health etc) to ensure optimal results.
 
i always logged and almost always beat the last workout...if i didnt i'd get at least a rep or 2 more in total. if i didnt beat most sets, so what?
always next week....and then i would.
i quit loggin and i lost all desire to push. i moved to volume over HIT, started doin RIR bullshit and regressed.
to the point i was all, fuck it whats the point? and volume is too easy and boring and i got weaker and smaller.
so i went back to HIT, started loggin and once again, that low volume, all out dorian yates/dc style HIT is gettin me back to where i was.
guess im in the 45 percent or so of people who get better results from HIT over easy volume. plus its more fun goin to failure, rest pausin, drop settin.....way more fun pushing myself than stoppin 3 reps short...boring.. fuckin boring
 
i always logged and almost always beat the last workout...if i didnt i'd get at least a rep or 2 more in total. if i didnt beat most sets, so what?
always next week....and then i would.
i quit loggin and i lost all desire to push. i moved to volume over HIT, started doin RIR bullshit and regressed.
to the point i was all, fuck it whats the point? and volume is too easy and boring and i got weaker and smaller.
so i went back to HIT, started loggin and once again, that low volume, all out dorian yates/dc style HIT is gettin me back to where i was.
guess im in the 45 percent or so of people who get better results from HIT over easy volume. plus its more fun goin to failure, rest pausin, drop settin.....way more fun pushing myself than stoppin 3 reps short...boring.. fuckin boring
Im not surprised by your experience. I'd say your more like the 85 percent that are better training hard with moderate low volume. I've tried high volume but realized quickly I hated it so didn't have time to regress lol.
 

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