The below is an example of a training log taken from a Blogger Blog I share with my wife to track our daily workouts, eating, and goals. I use a little shorthand, since I’ve been doing this for years. Each day immediately after each exercise I write what I do on a small whiteboard I got from Target for $1 in those little bargain aisles just inside the door.
I can usually get 2-3 days to a board if I’m doing weights, or 5 to a board if I’m doing just cardio.
Right now I’m in full-on training mode for Elbrus Race 2012 (still not locked in, so not totally committed unfortunately – the visa and flight issues at the end of August are causing me moderate stress as I strive to overcome those obstacles). Hence I am not doing heavy weights, but am going for high volume of light weight to flush blood through my muscles and build endurance and vascularity. (some research has shown an increase in acclimatization with greater vascularity)
I really suggest you log your training for best results. I use a blog that I’ve marked as “Private” and given access (by logging in) to myself and my wife. There are a slew of social sites now where you can do the same thing and share it with all your friends, but I’ve been doing this longer than there even were such things, and I really don’t want to share my every day sweating, despite some of more frequent post topics.
One of my favorite aspects of the online blog version of tracking my workouts is that I can give them labels or tags, so I can find groups of exercises with common themes like “going for maximum vertical per hour” or “squat day” etc. and compare where I am now with where I was a year or two ago.
Key to log below:
I: Inversion Table
ITM: Incline Treadmill
SLDL: Straight Leg Deadlifts
FS: Nordic Track Freestrider
RC: Roman Chair
DB: Dumbbell
M-: Combo Machine
GHR: Glute Ham Raise
xxxx’/yyyy’ left is from machine display, right is from calculator
181.6 lb
I: 2:00
FS: L8 – 12:00 – 2000′
Box Stepping/GHR-Poles 25 ea
Stairmaster: 90:00 – 75 spm – 4500′
Daily Total Vertical: 6500′
Tuesday July 10
180.2 lb
I: 3:00
Incline Treadmill: [1800′ – ~mph – hands-free]
1.19 mi – 47:24 – 30% – (1.506 ave.) – [39:50 pace] – 1884.96′ – (2386/39.77 vert per hour/minute)
Superset: 2x {
Standing Wide Row: 25 @ L3
Box Squat: 10 @ 65 lb Safetybar
DB Shoulders: 25 @ 10 lb ea.
DB Fly: 25 @ 10 lb ea.
}
Hyper/RC: 25 ea
Side Plank: 30 seconds ea.
Incline Treadmill: [2000′ – 1.6 mph – hands-on]
1.32 mi – 49:27 – 30% – (1.602 ave.) – [37:28 pace] – 2090.88′ – (2537/42.28 vert per hour/minute)
Daily Total Vertical: 3800’/3974′
Wednesday July 11
182.0 lb
I: 3:00
FS: L8 – 12:00 – 2000′
ITM: [2012′ – 1.6/7 mph – way hands-on]
1.33 mi – 47:00 – 30% – (1.698 ave.) – [35:20 pace] – 2106.72′ – (2689/44.82 vert per hour/minute)
Stairmaster: 36:00 – 80 spm – 1920′
Daily Total Vertical: 4012’/4106′
Thursday July 12
181.4 lb
I: 2:30
ITM: [2000′ – 1.6 mph – still too much hands-on]
1.32 mi – 44:48 – 30% – (1.768 ave.) – [33:56 pace] – 2090.88′ – (2800/46.67 vert per hour/minute)
Superset: 2 x {
Box Squat: 15 @ 65 lb
SLDL: 15 @ 145 lb
Seated Calf: 15 @ 85 lb
}
Stairmaster: 48:00 – 80 spm – 2560′
I: 3:00
Daily Total Vertical: 4560’/4650′
Friday July 13
183.4 (rice and popcorn and veggies and soup)
I: 2:30
FS: L6 – 12:25 – 2000′
12″ Box: side/rear/front stepping 25 ea; Pole Squat: 25 ea;
GHR – poles: 25 — way out!
ITM: [1000′ – 1.6 mph]
.67 mi – 24:54 – 30% – (1.614 ave.) – [37:10 pace] – 1061.28′ – (2557/42.62 vert per hour/minute)
Superset: 2 x {
M-LPD: 25 @ L5
M-Row: 25 @ L5
DB-Fly: 25 @ 10 lb ea
DB-Shoulder: 25 @ 10 lb ea
Buttup: 25
Partial Pushup: 25 !!
Swing DB-Bicep: 25 @ 10 ea.
}
Daily Total Vertical: 3000’/3061′
Saturday July 14
183.2
I: 2:30
ITM: [3374′ – 1.7/2.0]
2.225 mi – 72:00 – 30% – (1.854 ave.) – [32:22 pace] – 3524.4′ – (2937/48.95 vert per hour/minute)
Stairmaster: 48:00 – 100 spm – 3200′
Daily Total Vertical: 6574’/6724′
Weekly Total Vertical: 28,446′ / 29,015′