Do YOU log your workout info on MyFranTime.com or in a notebook of some sort? If not, you should. Excerpts from this original article in the CrossFit Journal explain why:
Why Use a Training Log? By Glen Harrison
We all inherently understand the benefits of keeping a training log. However, many of us are either not maintaining one or simply going through the motions by scribbling our WOD times in a notebook or spreadsheet.
A well-maintained training log can provide a wealth of historical data. It can contribute valuable clues about what might have precipitated an injury or what little things you might have done differently the last time you were setting PRs at a feverish pace.
What follows are just a few powerful reasons to take the extra time to keep a purposeful training log and some tips to get the most out of using one.
Injury Diagnosis and Treatment
The most pragmatic reason for keeping a detailed training log is to identify the root cause of a particular injury. While acute injuries leave little doubt as to their cause, most injuries happen over time and are an accumulation of many different types of stressors. These chronic injuries also happen to be the most difficult to diagnose, as well as the most troublesome from which to recover.
Imagine for a moment visiting your physician or therapist with a detailed history of things like specific increases in your training volume, stretching and mobility practices, how much you have added to your squat, and notes on days when a specific movement bothered you. How much more helpful to diagnosis and subsequent recovery would this be than simply telling him or her, “My knee hurts”?
Quick tip:
• Jot down a note if anything hurt or didn’t feel quite right before, during or after training. It can end up being an important clue should you sustain an injury, no matter how insignificant it might feel at the time.
Setting PRs
Looking back at a training log can provide insight into more than just what program you were following, WOD times and the amount of weight lifted. Keeping track of details like overall training time, eating habits, mobility, recovery and weekly training volume will provide just a few metrics that can give you insight into the ideal conditions for maximizing your progress. With so many variables having the potential to affect your success, a training log provides a great way to isolate and track PRs and provide guidance for replicating what works for you.
Quick tips:
• Keep a month or longer “at a glance” page where you simply plan and track your training at a high level days on and off, strength vs. met-con, time domains, etc.).
• Note how you perform when you train at a different time of day than usual.
Celebrating Success
For those of us not at the top of the Games leaderboard or members of our box’s elite, it’s sometime easy to lose sight of progress made. A 185-lb. back squat may not be impressive when compared to some of the monsters in the CrossFit community until you look back and recognize you were squatting 100 lb. just a few short months ago. Formally recognizing and celebrating personal accomplishments like these is how you stay motivated in the long term and continue to progress and grow.
Quick tips:
• Track progress on specific movements and WODs on a separate page so you can easily view long-term progress and trends on how you are progressing each time you tackle them.
• Make a point of logging and celebrating achievements on a monthly, quarterly and annual basis.
Goal Setting
Success in CrossFit—or anything, for that matter—is about doing a bunch of small things consistently over a long period of time. Keeping your goals at the forefront and highlighting details of progress toward these goals are powerful motivators.
Quick tips:
• Set specific and measurable goals with a target date (e.g., “Add 50 lb. to deadlift by Aug. 31”).
• Dedicate a page in your journal for major performance goals and make a habit of reviewing them frequently.
• Schedule a specific day at three-, six-, nine- and 12-month intervals to review these goals, close the loop and ensure accountability.
What Now?
The benefits I have outlined above are just a few things that reinforce the value of recording more than just your WOD time on the whiteboard. What we ultimately get from the data we record is as unique and personal as the reasons why we all CrossFit.
Like anything, I recommend starting small; for many of you, that will be simply writing something down. As keeping the log becomes more of a habit, begin to record more variables like warm-ups, mobility and skill work. Over time, you will realize what extra information is important for you to record, how to use it to set goals and stay accountable, and what impact it will ultimately have on your progress.
Today’s Workout
Buy-in: Get warm BEFORE class with 3 full rounds of the Crossfit Zone Warmup!
WOD: “.Com Sunday 11.10.16”
This wod comes from our friends at Crossfit.com. It’s not that common for us to throw down their programming but today is an exception as we’ve been needing a longer test since getting into our new spot. You can check out logged times online here.
Keep in mind that this could be a VERY long wod, so scale as needed for the movements.
Also, we will have a limit of 4 people on the pullup bars at any one time (unless they have been bolted on securely over the weekend).
Enjoy!
Turts
Rx: 5 rounds for time of –
- Run 200 meters
20 Pull-ups
Run 200 meters
20 Push-ups
Run 200 meters
20 Sit-ups
Run 200 meters
20 Squats - 200m run will be considered to be from the Zone up to the top of Pembroke
- The time cap on this will be 45 min
Zone 3 – Scale to 3 rounds
Zone 2 – Scale to 3 rounds, assisted pullups and modified pushups
Zone 1 – scale as needed
Cash-Out: Easy stretch, you earned it!
