- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Coaching Changes
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Nothing has helped out my gym visits nearly as much as tracking my exercises
Posted on 5/30/25 at 9:39 pm
Posted on 5/30/25 at 9:39 pm
My gym has an app to track exercise. There’s actually a competition to see where you rank every month in who has done the most activity which is fun (if flawed a not accurate). I actually find that hugely motivating. Now there are people who are obviously lying on there (the guy in first has more than double the number of calories burned as the person in 2nd place because he claims to do 3 hours of cardio a day at least) but it’s still fun. My goal this month was to be in the top 50 and now I’m looking to be in 34th or 33rd place. It helps motivate me to add exercises to keep the activities up so my rankings rise.
But the app always pulls up your last time doing that exercise. I cannot express how valuable that is for certain exercises. Especially machine exercises. Feel it’s helped me keep pushing my limit, either by being motivated to add extra reps or weight more consistently than I have in the past.
It also helps me to help motivate me to add more variety. I definitely was guilty of doing 4-6 exercises and calling it a day. Now I am more confident to track I am getting to 8-12 exercises
But the app always pulls up your last time doing that exercise. I cannot express how valuable that is for certain exercises. Especially machine exercises. Feel it’s helped me keep pushing my limit, either by being motivated to add extra reps or weight more consistently than I have in the past.
It also helps me to help motivate me to add more variety. I definitely was guilty of doing 4-6 exercises and calling it a day. Now I am more confident to track I am getting to 8-12 exercises
This post was edited on 5/30/25 at 9:58 pm
6
Posted on 5/30/25 at 10:37 pm to athenslife101
I've been doing PPSA workouts for about 18 months now
Rule #1 is always "write everything down"
Great rule. Great results
Rule #1 is always "write everything down"
Great rule. Great results
Posted on 5/31/25 at 10:26 am to Displaced
Also getting very good (expensive) running shoes has also really really really helped. Keeps a pep in my step the entire workout
Posted on 5/31/25 at 10:48 am to athenslife101
It dumbfounds me that there are people who don’t track what they do at the gym. How do they know if they’re improving?
Posted on 5/31/25 at 11:34 am to tigercross
quote:
It dumbfounds me that there are people who don’t track what they do at the gym. How do they know if they’re improving?
I don’t really track, other than keeping general mental notes. I can tell if I’m improving by remembering what I usually lift, by remembering what reps I generally do, by looking at and listening to my body. It’s not that difficult.
Posted on 5/31/25 at 11:38 am to Mo Jeaux
quote:
I can tell if I’m improving by remembering what I usually lift, by remembering what reps I generally do, by looking at and listening to my body. It’s not that difficult.
So… tracking
Posted on 5/31/25 at 12:02 pm to Mingo Was His NameO
Then are there really people who don’t “track” who regularly go to the gym? I don’t use an app or follow “Rule #1” of writing everything down. I can’t imagine anyone other than an absolute novice or retard who goes to do a dumbbell press and can’t remember what they lifted last time.
Posted on 5/31/25 at 12:23 pm to Mo Jeaux
quote:
Then are there really people who don’t “track” who regularly go to the gym? I don’t use an app or follow “Rule #1” of writing everything down. I can’t imagine anyone other than an absolute novice or retard who goes to do a dumbbell press and can’t remember what they lifted last time.
The biggest benefit of tracking for me is looking back over the months and year(s) at my de-loads and resets of my working maxs. I have a homemade spreadsheet I use to track workouts, primarily my working maxs on main lifts, but I don't necessarily keep track of specific reps of accessory stuff.
Posted on 5/31/25 at 12:45 pm to NOLALGD
Yeah, that’s an example of what everyone in this thread (other than Mingo) meant by “tracking”. Perhaps we should all have been more precise in our lingo for his benefit.
I can definitely see how that could be helpful, it’s just something that I don’t do. It seems like it would take the fun out of the gym to me.
I can definitely see how that could be helpful, it’s just something that I don’t do. It seems like it would take the fun out of the gym to me.
Posted on 5/31/25 at 12:48 pm to Mo Jeaux
quote:
Yeah, that’s an example of what everyone in this thread (other than Mingo) meant by “tracking”. Perhaps we should all have been more precise in our lingo for his benefit
There are absolutely people that just wander around the gym, slide the pin in a weight on a random machine and then do “10 or so for a couple of sets”
There’s a thread with these very set of facts on this board monthly
Posted on 5/31/25 at 12:59 pm to NOLALGD
quote:
The biggest benefit of tracking for me is looking back over the months and year(s) at my de-loads and resets of my working maxs. I have a homemade spreadsheet I use to track workouts, primarily my working maxs on main lifts, but I don't necessarily keep track of specific reps of accessory stuff.
Yep. I love being able to look back and see what my working weight was for a specific lift a year or six months ago and what my AMRAP was. It’s an easy reminder when I feel like I’m not making much progress. Great motivation when I do a deload and blow way past my reps from the last time I was at a particular weight.
Posted on 5/31/25 at 10:03 pm to tigercross
I don’t track
I lift to failure and if it’s too light, I bump up in weight.
Only way I know is by setting PR’s on main lifts…
Oh and the fact I’m looking better
I lift to failure and if it’s too light, I bump up in weight.
Only way I know is by setting PR’s on main lifts…
Oh and the fact I’m looking better
This post was edited on 5/31/25 at 10:21 pm
Posted on 6/1/25 at 11:38 am to athenslife101
quote:
he claims to do 3 hours of cardio a day at least
Dem cortisol levels, doe?
Posted on 6/2/25 at 8:19 am to athenslife101
To each his own. Been there done that. For beginners say less than 5 yrs my biggest advice is to have a plan before walking through the doors. No need to continue to track lifts forever. There is a point where you naturally max out.
Posted on 6/2/25 at 8:54 am to bayouvette
Variety is also important. At least in high school and college, they said to switch up your exercises at least every two months. Or if I want to focus on going to classes for a few weeks and then transition back to weight lifting. Whatever it is, there might be plenty of slight changes where tracking will be helpful
Posted on 6/2/25 at 10:03 am to Mo Jeaux
It’s ok! Mingo knows everything
Posted on 6/2/25 at 10:11 am to lsucoonass
quote:
It’s ok! Mingo knows everything
He's not wrong on this one. I have seen the same people every morning for three years now who just put the pin in and do half assed exercises/sets and they haven't changed one bit. At what point do you realize going to the gym every morning is a waste when you aren't changing your body one smidge? People are stupid.
Posted on 6/2/25 at 10:13 am to athenslife101
quote:
they said to switch up your exercises at least every two months
This doesn't matter. What matters is:
diet/lifestyle
intensity
Dorian Yates did the same exact exercises for years. Never changed. What he did do was train with extreme focus and intensity. It matters.
Posted on 6/2/25 at 12:55 pm to ronricks
quote:
I have seen the same people every morning for three years now who just put the pin in and do half assed exercises/sets and they haven't changed one bit. At what point do you realize going to the gym every morning is a waste when you aren't changing your body one smidge? People are stupid.
Right, but that’s an effort thing.
Posted on 6/2/25 at 1:09 pm to Mo Jeaux
quote:
Right, but that’s an effort thing.
Its several different things. They are there almost every morning between 5 and 6 AM so that is some effort much more than most have. Its mainly just stupidity and not knowing proper diet and exercise.
Page 1 of 3
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News