Something I have never been convinced of is the value of tracking anything more than weights and reps in the core barbell lifts (squats, presses, and pulls).
And the longer in tooth I become, the less I am interested in doing even that.
Why?
The following:
* Beyond the first six to eighteen months of serious training, progress ceases to be linear as intangible factors that cannot be tracked or measured and having nothing to do with training hold ever greater sway over your results or lack thereof,
* You are far more likely to act upon statistically insignificant spikes or lulls in performance by programme hopping when the correct course of action is to continue what you are doing,
* You become a slave to the notebook and spreadsheet, incapable of applying critical thinking to adjust your workouts on the fly as circumstances demand (e.g. if a piece of equipment you want to use is occupied or if you are feeling less than stellar),
* “Mission creep” occurs shifting focus from what matters (turning up and doing the best you can do that day) to what does not (the precise weight you use on the lat pulldown)
For the avoidance of doubt, I am not saying that tracking is bad or that nobody should do it.
Beginners especially would do well to keep a notebook with them as they train to keep a record of their achievements to spur motivation if nothing else.
But I do think they should confine their scribblings to the basics (weights used for the main lift(s) of the day and reps for the same, perhaps underlining personal bests if feeling spicy).
And those who have graduated from the novice phase?
Chill out and enjoy the journey would be my advice.
At this point, progress is made by punching the clock week in, week out, month in, month out, year in, year out interspersed with bouts of “getting serious” when you do crack out the calculator and spreadsheet (for example, when pursuing a new one-rep maxes in the core lifts per what I teach in “The Six Week Peak”).
Anyway.
If you are interested in learning a way of training that involves little (or potentially no) tracking whatsoever, yet still spurs slow yet noticeable gains in muscle, strength, fitness, and aesthetic appeal, I recommend you work with me for three months on my programme:
“Silver Era Secrets”
The fee is £1200, so it’s not cheap by any stretch of the imagination.
Although if you consider that you will learn the skills you need to keep progressing long after we have parted ways, the price makes more sense.
But it is still fairly expensive and absolutely not something you should purchase without carefully reading the below-linked sales page in its entirety:
https://philtyreman.co.uk/programme/
Thank you,
Phil Tyreman