The Value of Exercise Analysis for Weight Training Over 40

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.

Essentially, when you are journaling make sure you create a detailed record of the muscle group trained, each movement used in that training, and how many reps you performed of each movement. For example, assume one day of your cycle focuses on triceps using arm extensions and dips. Your journal entry would be similar to this: Triceps- Dips (8 reps), Arm extensions (12 reps). Also, note the total time you trained and the time spent on each movement.

The more information you provide, the better you will be able to track your progress. If you are a beginner at fitness over 40, you cannot include too many details. Once you learn how your body responds to strength training, you will know which information is most helpful and you can modify your entries accordingly.

Keeping an exercise journal helps you easily identify when you have overworked a muscle group and make corrections. For example, if you are overworking a muscle group in the beginning of your training session, you may notice you cannot do as many reps later. If you feel unusual pain or need a longer resting period, you ought to be able to see what part of your training session caused the injury. This will help you prevent repeating the injury and causing greater damage.

Your warm up routine should also be tracked, including cardio, weights, and stretching. If your muscle gain is not what you expected or if you are sore afterwards, this could be from an inadequate warm up. You will want to compare periods of substantial progress to period of little or none and see how your warm up varied. Then, you will be able to adjust your routine accordingly.

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.

It does not matter how much you have researched bodybuilding over 40. No one ever starts with a program that is perfect for them. Champion bodybuilders know they can get maximum results if they use exercise journals to track their progress and adjust accordingly. You can use your journal to create a great fitness plan tailored to your body, your life, and your goals.

Check out Scott Fishers website to read more tips and articles on fitness for over 40 and bodybuilding for women over 40.

Popularity: unranked [?]

Share and Enjoy:
  • Digg
  • del.icio.us
  • Facebook
  • Google Bookmarks
  • Reddit
  • StumbleUpon
  • Twitter
  • Twitthis
  • Yahoo! Buzz
  • Print

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Leave a Reply