Tracking progress is one of the most powerful (and overlooked) tools in strength training. Consistently recording your workouts will give you valuable insights into your progress. It allows you to see where you’re improving, identify areas that need adjustment and keep you on the right path toward achieving your goals.
By tracking factors like weights lifted, reps completed, and even recovery times, you can clearly see how your body is adapting to your training. But tracking isn’t just about data. It is also about motivation, accountability, and making informed decisions to get the best results from your workouts.
Why tracking is essential for progress
Tracking acts as a roadmap for improvement. When you have past workouts to look back on, you can adjust your future workouts with confidence. This also makes applying principles like progressive overload (gradually increasing weights or reps) far more effective because you have clear records showing when and how you last increased intensity.
Knowing you’re making progress is a huge motivation boost as well. It’s easy to give up when you do not see progress in the mirror. Also, having a plan helps you stick to your training and adjust it when needed.
How to start tracking workouts
It doesn’t have to be complicated. You can use a simple notebook, a spreadsheet, or even apps designed for strength training. What’s important is consistency. Start by noting down:
- The exercises: Include the type of exercise, weight, reps, and sets for each session. This will help you spot patterns in your progress, showing where your strength is improving or where you may be plateauing.
The simplest way is to write down the progression and check it when you have reached it.
Once you’re comfortable tracking the basics, you might consider adding in more advanced elements:
- Other exercise details: Record rest intervals, perceived exertion, and recovery times. These small details provide insights into how your endurance and conditioning are changing over time.
- Recovery: Include notes on how you feel before and after workouts to understand your recovery better and avoid overtraining.
| Date | Exercise | Weight | Set x reps | Rest time | Effort (1-10) | Notes |
| 12 Dec | Squat | 32.5 kg | 5 x 8 | 2 min | 8 | Increase kg next week |
| 12 Dec | Benchpress | 25 kg | 5 x 7 | 2 min | 9 | felt hard |
| 18 Dec | Squat | 35 kg | 5 x 5 | 3 min | 9 | can do! |
- You can also track Body Composition Changes: If body composition is part of your goal, tracking measurements, or other metrics alongside strength data provides a fuller picture of your progress. You could measure your waist circumference, or your bicep/chest/leg circumference (if you, or body fat percentage (if you have a body fat scale), or measure a skinfold.
| Date | Weight | Waist | Body fat | Biceps/chest/legs |
| 19 December | 74 kg | 37 inch | 27% | … |
| 19 January | 69 kg | 35 inch | 24% |