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Sunday, November 15, 2009

The Value of Workout Analysis for Weight Training Over Forty

By Scott Fisher

Fitness experts and competitive bodybuilders all over the world insist that keeping an exercise journal was a pivotal part of their success. This is because an exercise journal allows you to track and analyze your progress. If you are able to analyze what puts you ahead and what sets you back, you know how to adjust your training program in order to make yourself stronger, healthier, and better.

When you are keeping an exercise journal, make sure you make a detailed record of the muscle group trained, the specific movements used, and how many reps you performed. For example, if you are focusing on your triceps through arm extensions and dips your journal entry should be similar to this: Triceps- Dips (6 reps), Arm Extensions (14 reps). Also, you will want to note the total time trained and how much time spent on each movement.

The more information you include, the more you will be able to analyze your progress. If you are just beginning with fitness over 40, there is no such thing as too many details. Eventually, you learn how you body responds to strength training and will be able to recognize which information is most helpful to modify your entries accordingly.

Another benefit to journaling is to be able to quickly identify when you overwork a muscle group and correct it. If you overwork a muscle group, especially in the beginning of a session, you will notice that you are unable to do as many reps later in the session. Also, if you notice unusual pain or need an unusual amount of rest you should be able to pinpoint the aspects of your training session that caused the injury. Therefore, you can keep yourself from repeating the injury or causing more damage.

Your warm up cardio, weights, and stretching should also be documented. If you find you are not making progress or are overly sore after training, this may be because you are not warming up properly. If you analyze when you have the most progress and compare that to the warm up performed during periods of no progress, you will probably be able to see how you need to adjust your routine.

Most fitness experts agree that you should also chronicle your nutrition, such as protein, carb, and fat intake. This is especially true if you are bodybuilding over 40 because your metabolism is changing. Also, you should note the amount of calories you are consuming and when. If you find that you are not able to build muscle, you may not be eating enough calories to counteract your exercise. If you are putting on extra weight, you may have to decide to eat fewer calories or perform more cardio.

Additionally, there is other information that would be helpful to include. Some experts recommend establishing a numbered rating system to describe your energy level and mental outlook. The morning after you train, record your number. Track how you are feeling so that you can analyze which training methods give you the most energy and motivation. Change those methods which overly exhaust you. As an example, if you find you are too sore the days following a change to your cycle, you may have to lower the intensity of your workout.

No matter how much they have researched, no one ever starts with a perfect program for bodybuilding over 40. Champion bodybuilders know that they have to track their progress and adjust their training in order to get maximum results. Exercise journals are one of the best tools you can use to create a winning fitness plan tailored to your body, your lifestyle, and your fitness goals. - 17273

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