Best Way to Track Workouts

Every year millions of people make the effort to exercise and hit the gym only to give up or lose motivation. If you’ve had trouble staying focused or getting excited about it, try recording and tracking your workouts.

There isn’t one best way to track workouts, because it’s all up to you. There’s the old-school method of pen and paper, typing up a spreadsheet for the more tech-driven, and more apps than a restaurant. Of course there are other products you could try, too.

Kicking it Old-School

A best way to track workouts is old-fashioned, whether it’s a notebook or a planner. Each has their own benefits, so let’s take a look at both.

Paper

Notebooks are useful because you can write all over them, meaning you can plan out your workout routine beforehand to maximize your time at the gym. It’s also a good way to track workout ideas if you see one you want to incorporate into your routine.

It’s also great to keep track workouts on the fly, because you can have your notebook nearby while you’re doing sets and fill it out during your rest times. You don’t want to try to remember all the sets, weights, and times of your workouts until you’re finished.

Not only would that distract you from the task at-hand, but with the adrenaline pumping you’d be hard-pressed to keep everything straight. A notebook is one of a best way to track workouts for a reason and you can’t go wrong with a workout log.

Planner 

Speaking of workout logs, a planner is a great way to stay motivated and plan a routine. Not only can you create a circuit to follow, but you’ll be able to plan out days in advance to stagger your dreaded “leg days” or be able to look forward to “cheat day.” 

A planner will keep you accountable to a pattern, but it’s also nice to see how many days in a row you’ve accomplished your commitment to working out. Don’t overlook a planner or calendar as a workout routine tracking sheet.

The negative here is that there’s usually limited space for each day, so you might not be able to fit an entire circuit and all of the related information into the day. It’s best to use a planner as a supportive measure for motivation.

Spreadsheet 

If you’re like many people and either don’t like to write or don’t want to take the time to draw up charts for a workout log, creating a spreadsheet is a best way to track workouts. Like a notebook, you’re able to fill out a spreadsheet with your routine.

You’ll be able to track workouts in a gym with ease by making columns for exercises, sets, and weights if needed. Then it’s just a matter of plugging in the numbers after your workout and seeing your progress. Of course, there is a glaring downside to keeping using a spreadsheet.

While it makes a great workout tracking sheet that has many uses, a spreadsheet isn’t easily accessible at the gym. It’s not like a lot of people carry around a laptop when they workout. There are spreadsheets that can sync to your phone, but sometimes they’re hard to navigate.

All About the Apps 

In the modern era, almost everyone has a smart phone of some kind which means access to an app store. You might be amazed to see how easy it is to find a gym workout tracker online that will make monitoring your workouts a cinch.  

A gym tracker app will usually actively monitor your vitals and movements while working out or just during the day as a whole to give you feedback. Most of the time, they’ll track your distance travelled, calories burned, the times of your workout periods, and some other things.

While most of the best features are on paid apps, you can find a free online exercise tracker if you’re new to working out and just want the basics or don’t need a lot of help to track yourself. Many of these apps also track your sleep patterns.

If you’re old-fashioned and don’t like the idea of an app tracking your every move, a lot of them allow manual input and even have an entry for your food and water intake to offset the calories burned. Workout apps are great as an exercise workout tracker no matter your experience level.

Fitness Accessories 

While we’re on the subject of apps, a lot of wearable fitness equipment can sync with the interfaces or take the place of an app entirely. For example, the KoreTrak fitness watch is a great workout progress tracker no matter where you exercise. 

These handy watches are able to track workout in gym by monitoring blood pressure as well as the calories and other numbers that an app might be able to. They’re easy to wear and range in prices, but accessorizing can be a great boost to your workout.

One of the common sayings in sports is “Look good, feel good, play good.” Whether you’re playing sports or not, the concept is the same: Sometimes you do better when you feel good about how you look.

It can be a watch, a nice pair of running shoes, or a ball cap, but a lot of people find motivation in the equipment or attire they have on when working out. Some people just use music as motivation, but the key is to find a best way to track workouts.

When it comes to that, apps and fitness devices are a fantastic modern approach to keeping tabs on your progress to improve until you’ve achieved your goals.

Recap

There is no single best way to track workouts, because like the workout itself it’s always up to individual preference. You might prefer to use a pen and paper, fill out a calendar by itself or as a visual supplement to another method, or use an app on your phone. 

You can even use a device like a KoreTrak fitness watch, but the important part is to find a way to track your routines and constantly find ways to improve. Have fun working out, eat healthy, and be consistent to reach your fitness goal!