Keep Exercise Journals For Real Results

Always make sure to keep a detailed training journal. By keeping a journal of your training sessions, you will have a detailed log of your every exercise you perform along with reps, sets and how much weight you lifted. It's also great to document how you felt before, during and after your training session along with any food/supplements you took before and after you trained. By keeping an exercise journal, you will have access to a wealth of information and be able to detect specific areas in your current training routine which can be changed or improved upon.

One of the biggest mistakes most people make is to continue on with a training routine that simply does not work well for them. As the old saying goes, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting different results". Don't let exercise insanity set in. Make sure to always switch up your training routines and document each one of them into your exercise journal. When you look back on your training journal, you will see specific patterns where you are succeeding and also where you're falling short. One of the most important pieces of exercise advice is to figure not only "what to do", but more importantly "what not to do". When you know the areas to avoid, your progress will skyrocket!

You can download our FREE exercise journals here:

http://www.shapefit.com/exercise-journals.html

Kris Bierek is a fitness specialist for the health and fitness site http://www.ShapeFit.com where you can find FREE fitness tools like fitness newsletters, dieting tips, weight loss help, exercise questions and a free fitness analysis to help you get into the best shape of your life!

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

In this Oct. 15, 2008 file photo, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, right, listens to Timothy Geithner, president of the New York Federal Reserve, before speaking at the Economic Club of New York. President-elect Barack Obama is likely to name Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary in a time of intense economic turmoil as he rounds out the upper echelon of his Cabinet, a senior Democratic official familiar with the deliberations said Friday. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)AP - President-elect Barack Obama intends to name Timothy Geithner, president of the New York Federal Reserve, as his treasury secretary to confront the nation's intense economic turmoil, senior Democratic officials said Friday.



President-elect Barack Obama, with money in hand, looks to pay for his order during a visit to Manny's Deli in Chicago, Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. (AP Photo/Charles Dharapak)AP - While President-elect Barack Obama publicly sidelined himself during congressional debate over an auto industry bailout this week, he and his top aides quietly prodded congressional leaders to find a solution to rescue struggling automakers.



Nebraska lawmakers Tom Carlson, left, of Holdrege, Lowen Kruse of Omaha, John Wightman of Lexington, and Norm Wallman of Cortland visit briefly Friday, Nov. 21, 2008, on the floor of the legislature just before the final vote of LB1, which puts a 30-day age limit on children who can be dropped off at Nebraska hospitals under the safe haven law. The bill easily passed 43-5. (AP Photo/Bill Wolf)AP - Gov. Dave Heineman signed into law Friday a bill adding a 30-day age limit to a safe-haven law that allowed 35 children — including teenagers as old as 17 — to be abandoned at state hospitals. The law, approved hours earlier by the Legislature in a 45-3 vote, goes into effect Saturday, and makes Nebraska the 14th state with a 30-day age cap. It had been the only state with a safe-haven law without an age limit.



Joerg Schoenbohm, Brandeburg state Interior Minister and current chairman of the German Interior Ministers Conference, center, opens the final day of the ministers meeting in Potsdam, Germany, on Friday, Nov. 21, 2008. At left is German Federal Interior Minister Wolfgang Schaeuble. German security officials said Friday they will drop their attempt to pursue a ban of the Church of Scientology after finding insufficient evidence of unconstitutional activity.  (AP Photo/Bernd Settnik Pool)AP - Germany is dropping its pursuit of a ban on Scientology after finding insufficient evidence of illegal activity, security officials said Friday.



Canadian Minister of National Defense Peter MacKay, center, shakes hands with his Australian counterpart Joel Fitzgibbon, as U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates walks past at the conclusion of a news conference on Friday Nov. 21, 2008, in Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, Canada. The three are taking part in discussions of International Security Assistance Force's (ISAF) Regional Command South, which is comprised of forces from Canada, Australia, Denmark, Estonia, Netherlands, Romania, United Kingdom, and the United States. (AP Photo/The Canadian Press, Mike Dembeck)AP - Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday he would like to add significant U.S. forces to the war in Afghanistan before national elections scheduled for next year, and that grim depictions of backsliding in the seven-year-old war are "far too pessimistic."



AP - A college student committed suicide by taking a drug overdose in front of a live webcam as some computer users egged him on, others tried to talk him out of it, and another messaged OMG in horror when it became clear it was no joke. Some watchers contacted the Web site to notify police, but by the time officers entered Abraham Biggs' home — a scene also captured on the Internet — it was too late.

AP - The Nebraska Supreme Court on Friday ordered a year-old boy back into the home of an adoptive couple who had to give him up months ago after not telling the biological family the woman was pregnant.

Bulgarian archaeologists work near a Thracian bronze chariot discovered near the village of Karanovo. A bronze chariot dating back to the second century AD has been unearthed in a Thracian burial mound in southeastern Bulgaria, archaeologists said Friday.(AFP/BGNES)AP - Archaeologists have unearthed an elaborately decorated 1,800-year-old chariot sheathed in bronze at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said Friday. "The lavishly ornamented four-wheel chariot dates back to the end of the second century A.D.," Veselin Ignatov told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from the site, near the southeastern village of Karanovo.



AP - Police have arrested a man suspected of leaving greasy, graphic imprints on the windows of stores, churches and schools in a small Nebraska town. A 35-year-old man was caught in the act by police early Wednesday morning, Cherry County Attorney Eric Scott said Friday. The man hasn't been charged yet, but authorities believe he is the vandal some townsfolk have dubbed the "Butt Bandit."

AP - The New York Knicks traded Zach Randolph and Jamal Crawford in separate deals Friday, parting with their two top scorers to free up coveted salary-cap space for the summer of 2010.

(From left) Senator Hillary Clinton, New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, and Timothy F. Geithner, President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, are seen in a combination file photo. (From left Craig Mitchelldyer, Andrea Comas, Keith Bedford/Reuters)Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama on Friday moved toward nominating Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary and charging the respected head of the New York Federal Reserve with helping pull the United States out of an economic nosedive.



Former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers (L) and Timothy Geithner, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, in a composite image. (Files/Reuters)Reuters - U.S. President-elect Barack Obama may consider Lawrence Summers as a successor to Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, whose term expires in January 2010, a Democratic source told Reuters on Friday.



Leaders of the U.S. automotive industry testify at a hearing held by the House Financial Services Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington November 19, 2008. From left are General Motors CEO Richard Wagoner, Chrysler Chairman and CEO Robert Nardelli and Ford president and CEO Alan Mulally. (Kevin Lamarque/Reuters)Reuters - Detroit automakers began work on turnaround plans demanded by Congress in return for $25 billion in aid as General Motors Corp said it would cut production more and give up two of its controversial corporate jets.



Citigroup Chief Executive Vikram Pandit in a file photo. (Peter Morgan/Reuters)Reuters - Citigroup Inc shares tumbled for a fifth straight day on doubts about its survival prospects after its chief executive downplayed speculation the bank might sell major businesses or merge with a rival.



Traders work in close quarters on the main trading floor of the New York Stock Exchange early in the trading session in New York City, November 21, 2008. (Mike Segar/Reuters)Reuters - U.S. stocks stormed higher in a late rally on Friday to cap another volatile week as investors welcomed reports that President-elect Barack Obama has chosen his point person to combat the U.S. economic crisis, instilling confidence about the administration's ability to take action.



A British military vehicle drives past an Afghan man in Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province October 20, 2008. (Abdul Qodus/Reuters)Reuters - The Pentagon is considering a plan to send more than 20,000 troops to Afghanistan over the next 12 to 18 months to help safeguard elections and quell rising Taliban violence, officials said on Friday.



President Bush walks across the South Lawn to board Marine One at the White House, November 21, 2008. (Jim Young/Reuters)Reuters - U.S. President George W. Bush held talks on ending North Korea's nuclear program with Chinese leader Hu Jintao on Friday, the first in a series of meetings U.S. officials hope will lead to a renewal of six-party talks by early December.



A cleric walks past the national flag and a nuclear logo while visiting the International Koran exhibition at the Imam Khomeini grand mosque in Tehran September 3, 2008. (Morteza Nikoubazl/Reuters)Reuters - Iran rejected Friday U.S. reports it had enriched enough uranium to make an atom bomb, saying this would require steps it had ruled out like ejecting U.N. inspectors and leaving the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).



Peruvian President Alan Garcia delivers a speech during the opening of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit in Lima. Leaders of the 21-member APEC group are to seek ways of turning back the world economic crisis as they gather in Lima amid unrelenting bad news from the Asia-Pacific region.(AFP/Presidencia)AFP - US President George W. Bush began Friday his last scheduled foreign trip, meeting the leader of increasingly important China ahead of a summit aimed at containing a spiraling financial crisis.



Children are being forcibly recruited into the ongoing conflict in Congo. Profile of a former child soldier. Duration: 02:06(AFPTV)AFP - Congo demanded a stronger mandate for UN troops in the conflict-torn east Friday, while residents of a squalid refugee camp said government soldiers killed a woman during a looting spree.




Mixing Things Up

To say that the human body is an amazing machine is an... Read More

Professional Triathlon Training Taking You To Your Best

There are hundreds of different programs for professional triathlon training that will... Read More

Debunking Common Exercise Myths, Part 1

Myth #1: Heavy weights make you "bulky"Heavy weights typically do not lead... Read More

Unstable And Proud Of It! Power to the Push-Ups!

When I get finished teaching you this never-before-seen version of the push-up,... Read More

Stretching and the Warm up ? Are You Confused?

Lately, I've been receiving a lot of questions referring to the latest... Read More

Benefit of Pilates

One of the main benefits of Pilates is it refreshes your physical... Read More

Great Summer Workouts: Just Add Water

With warm weather season now in full gear, exercisers want to take... Read More

Weight Loss, Bodybuilding, and Exercise Tips ? Keeping Your Body-fat Low; Part 1 of 10

Ever go to a party and wish you were the guy/girl that... Read More

Exercise and Losing Weight for Life ? Avoid the #1 Mistake Everyone Makes!

Do you ever feel like you are working out so hard and... Read More

Yoga

Yoga traditionally conjures up images of long hair, loin cloths and incense... Read More

The Degradation of Fitness Science

The world and our selves evolve and exist in a cyclic fashion;... Read More

Why You Should Learn Tai Chi

Learning Tai ChiTai Chi combines movement, meditation and breathing, to enhance the... Read More

Bodybuilding, Weight Loss, and Exercise Tips ? Goal Setting for Long Term Results

My name is Greg Ryan. I am a fitness expert, professional bodybuilder,... Read More

Optimize Your Exercise: Maximizing the Time Spent Working Out

Diet and Exercise are the inseparable twins that are seen and heard... Read More

Flattening Your Stomach in Four Easy Steps

You look at it every day and wish it would just go... Read More

The Truth About Exercise and Why Its Not Always Good for You!

Exercise is often regarded as a panacea for many things..."if you want... Read More

The Great Forgotten Exercise -- Parallel Bar Dips

When it comes to building lower pectorals, triceps and frontal deltoids, dips... Read More

Workout Without a Gym

You may also have no access to a commercial gym, home gym... Read More

Speed Training With Intensity - Bound To Get Faster

Bounding can be a great addition to your high intensity workouts -... Read More

Defeating Back Pain Forever

Back pain, one of the most common physical, and debilitating ailments today,... Read More

Want a Flat Stomach? - Heres the Best Exercise

The best exercise for the stomach is probably not the one you're... Read More

Why Core is Key

Do you currently suffer or have you ever suffered from any of... Read More

Fitness Focus: Overcoming Obstacles

If you're like me, the quest to be in shape, manage weight... Read More

Exercising for life ? The magic is in the synergy!

Synergy: the working together of two or more things, people, or organizations,... Read More

Exercise Fun

Do you consider exercise fun? Everyone wants to be fit and look... Read More

The Importance of Stretching Exercises

Muscles and connective tissues shorten over time and that results in less... Read More

Exercise: Why YOU Should Do It

Hundreds of Thousands of Americans spend millions of dollars each year on... Read More

Basic Abdominal Exercises

If it's six pack abs that you're after, daily abdominal exercises are... Read More

2 Exercises to Avoid

If you want a good night, then avoid two of these old... Read More

The Lactate Threshold ? Reality or Fallacy?

For many years exercise science has perpetuated the concept of a lactate... Read More

Get Fit From Home!

-------------------- Things Around The House --------------------Don't feel that just because you don't... Read More

Tour of Diet ? Cycling for Your Health

The last seven years, or so, at the Tour de France has... Read More

Tone Up While at Work

I know better than anybody that sitting at a desk all day... Read More

Want To Get In Shape? Watch Another Infomercial!

You know I have always wondered how people of yesteryear, like Eugene... Read More

Take a Break

Writing is a strenuous creative activity, and like physical activity it produces... Read More

Rotator Cuff: Exercises and Strategies to Prevent Injury

Have you ever experienced a dull ache or sharp pain in your... Read More

What the Philosophy of Tai Chi Can Do For You

Taoist PhilosophyTo understand the purpose of the form it is important to... Read More

How to Get The Most From Your Home Workouts

A recent study found that home workouts may do even more good... Read More

Top 10 Reasons To Exercise In The Morning

If I had to pick a single factor that I thought ... Read More

The New Lover Approach to Starting an Exercise Program

Approach a New Exercise Program Like a New LoverHow many times have... Read More

Strategies for Alleviating the Boredom Associated with Exercise

Just about every expert in the ADD field will tell you that... Read More

Get a Health Screening Before You Start Training

So, you have decided to hire a personal trainer to help you... Read More

Attention, Ladies!

Building those impressively sleek shoulders takes a great deal of raw grind... Read More

6 Things A Norwegian Fable Teaches Us About Healthy Perseverance Part 2

4. Ideas, goals and dreams have a shelf life. The man in... Read More

How to Avoid Using Your Home Gym as a Clothes Rack

So here's the situation?You have a home gym, treadmill, elliptical trainer, or... Read More

Exercise: How To Keep Your Kids Moovin and Groovin

One out of five American kids is obese and the numbers keep... Read More

What is the Best Exercise for Weight Loss?

It is a common misconception that aerobic exercise tones/firms muscles. Actually it... Read More