10 Effective Ways to Track Your Strength Training Progres
Tracking your strength training progress is essential to achieving consistent growth and reaching your fitness goals. It allows you to measure your improvement, identify areas for improvement, and make necessary adjustments to your training routine. Tracking your strength training progress also serves as a powerful motivational tool. It allows you to witness tangible evidence of your improvement, which can boost your confidence, motivation, and dedication to your fitness journey.
Seeing the numbers increase, witnessing changes in body composition, or surpassing previous personal records provides a sense of accomplishment and reinforces the belief that your hard work is paying off.
Are you tracking your training? if not you probably should be…
So with that in mind, here are 10 effective methods to track your strength training progress:
1. Training Diary:
Pros: A training diary provides a comprehensive record of your workouts, including exercises, sets, reps, and weights used. It allows you to track your progress over time, identify patterns, and make informed decisions about your training.
Cons: Requires consistent and accurate recording, and may be subject to human error or forgetfulness. (Or you might just spill your tea on the notepad) You might be a pen n paper type of person, but come on… It’s 2023!
Ru Cameron - Old School
2. Spreadsheet:
Pros: Now we’re talking… Similar to a training diary, a spreadsheet offers a systematic and organised approach to tracking your workouts. It provides a visual representation of your progress and enables easy comparison between different training sessions. With a bit of skill you can also create training visuals that represent your development and you can also send screenshots of them to your mum for praise… (Just me then?)
Cons: Requires some technical skills to set up and maintain. May be less portable compared to a training diary, Doesn’t always work well on a phone.
3. Progress Shots:
Pros: Progress shots capture visual changes in your physique over time, providing a tangible representation of your progress. They can be a great source of motivation and allow you to compare your physical changes.
Cons: Progress shots may not accurately reflect your strength gains, as changes in body composition can be influenced by factors other than muscle growth, such as diet and hydration. Can also be a trigger for people if they feel they’re not seeing results.
4. Scales:
Pros: Regularly weighing yourself can provide a general indication of your overall progress. Consistent weight gain over time suggests muscle growth.
Cons: Bodyweight alone does not provide a complete picture of strength gains, as it does not distinguish between muscle and fat. It is essential to consider other metrics alongside bodyweight.
Andy Miles at Farm Strong 2022
5. Performance in Competition:
Pros: Participating in strength competitions allows you to gauge your progress against other athletes in a competitive setting. It provides an objective measure of your strength and can be highly motivating.
Cons: Competitions may not be accessible or practical for everyone, and they typically occur infrequently. Additionally, other factors such as technique, nerves, and external variables can impact performance.
6. DXA Scan (Dual-energy X-ray Absorptiometry):
Pros: A DXA scan is a highly accurate method of assessing body composition, measuring bone density, fat mass, and lean mass. It provides detailed information on muscle gains and changes in fat distribution.
Cons: DXA scans are generally expensive, require access to specialised facilities, and may not be necessary for routine progress tracking. If your concern is pure strength, it has limited use. BUT… I have used DXA before and it’s accuracy is unparalleled.
7. Fitness Apps:
There are numerous fitness apps available that offer features specifically designed for tracking strength training progress. Pros: Convenient and portable, automate data entry, provide exercise guidance and analysis. Cons: Reliance on technology, varying accuracy and reliability across apps. The key here is finding an app that works for you and sticking with it. Personally, I think HEVY is a pretty good app for strength work.
Annie… Not to be messed with.
8. Wearable Devices:
Wearable devices such as fitness trackers or smartwatches can track metrics like heart rate, calories burned, and workout duration. Pros: Continuous monitoring, automated data collection, provide insights into training intensity. Cons: May not accurately measure strength progress, limited exercise-specific features. Personally, I’m not a fan for strength work… They’re too unreliable at this point.
9. One-Rep Max Testing:
Periodically testing your one-repetition maximum (1RM) is an effective way to gauge your overall strength improvement. Pros: Objective measurement of maximum strength, helps determine training loads, motivates progress. Cons: Requires proper form and safety precautions, not suitable for beginners.
JMACS Warm up!
10. Personal Trainer or Online Coach:
Working with a personal trainer or coach who specializes in strength training can provide expert guidance, monitoring, and progress tracking. Pros: Tailored programming, accountability, expert feedback. Cons: Additional cost, scheduling constraints, (PT) limited autonomy.
Tracking your strength training progress through various methods allows you to monitor your performance, identify areas of improvement, and make informed adjustments to your training program.
Whether you prefer traditional approaches like a training diary or embrace modern technology like fitness apps and wearable devices, find a method that suits your needs and preferences. Remember, progressive overload is key to consistent progress, so use these tracking methods to measure and adjust your training effectively. Keep striving, stay dedicated, and watch your strength soar!
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