Informal poll: How many of you incorporate some sort of plan into your training or sport?
For example, I keep a training log for my strength training and I know exactly what lifts I’m going to do, at what weight, and for how many reps and sets each session. I also have four fixed days to lift each week, with room to slide the day over if necessary.
I can visibly see progress on paper, in my log.
I’ve noticed that this is working well for me, in part, because I don’t have room to wiggle out of anything. I’m not hardcore! It’s a miracle I’m doing this!
Maaaaybe if I’m down for something like Chins AMRP (as many reps as possible) for 3 sets, I might find I’m less motivated to really do AMRP.
But if the log says 80% pause squats for 5 sets of 5? That’s what I’m doing. No questions asked.
Plan? Not necessarily a plan, but I make separate running, purposeful walking and cycling goals every 6 months then track them on an app so I can see my progress. I don’t always meet my goals - but I keep them high - so I aim high!
I use an app called Jefit to track eveything – so I can see progress & I can also know from my logs what my weight setting is for every machine. I also have created some custom workout plans so I know what machines I will be doing depending on the plan. (The app suggests assigning plans to week days, but just have them numbered 1, 2, 3, 4 – I try to go to the gym every other day and if, for example, I did plan #1 on Monday than on Wednesday I’ll do plan #2) I love the app because it is very easy to fill in the info & also it has a built-in timer that I can set between reps.
Sometimes I deviate from the plan because of access to machines — that’s the one downside of a large gym with a lot of people. If I am feeling energetic I’ll add extra reps to the last set of the routine – that’s my clue the next time I come in to either add another rep to the beginning or try moving up a weight, depending on how many reps I’m doing at that point.
My only Plan is to do one long run on the weekend and a couple runs during the week. My Plan also in theory includes doing pushups and dips a few times per week to get my arms tones up but that “Plan” doesn’t always work. I should do planks as well but that definitely hasn’t made it into the Plan yet…
I track all my activity on my RunKeeper app on my phone.
@MichaelNKat , I know the machine’s calorie counts aren’t accurate, I just think it’s funny that I feel like my workouts on the treadmill feel like much more work than on the elliptical. I suspect I should up the intensity of the elliptical workouts.
@mathmom Eemember that you are supported on the elliptical. That makes it feel a lot easier- at least to me.
I don’t do too much of a training plan anymore except for shooting for certain weekly mileage and a long run distance. I do log every step via Garmin which syncs through Garmin Connect to Strava and RunningAhead. On RunningAhead I select what course I ran, what shoes I wore and write my notes. It fills in the weather for me. I like data! It gives me all sorts of charts and totals.
@Midwest67 - I keep an excel spreadsheet showing my daily run mileage (3 different color coded columns corresponding to my running shoes- helps me know when they need replacement), walking miles, run pace, rowing and time spent at yoga. I also have a column for notes.
I am an accountant so this is kind of how I roll, but reading this I realize that I am a little weird, too.
I am not a recorder. I never even thought about it in the beginning. I wonder if it came from my swimming days where nobody cared how many yards we swam. We only cared about meet times. I did try to keep a few logs for a few years, but I find that I get too obsessed with numbers and get depressed if I’m not always improving. Back in the day, I did make and stick to mostly self made training plans, I just didn’t record them. Now, I have a loose weekly plan but take what my body has to give for the day and be happy with that. For awhile I didn’t think I would ever run again.
In contrast, H has logged every single set and weight for every lifting session since he was 14 years old. All of his log notebooks are nearly stacked in our closet.
I get my programming from the “mothership.” Actually, I pay for my online programming. And if you want, you can send the coaches a short video of your lift or any other of the workout elements. And you log the elements of your workout online in order to track your progress.
BTW, I’m also enjoying @MomofWildChild running stories. I sometimes run with a sandbag or “wreck bag” on my shoulders/back and, during the winter, I use them on the treadmill. I’ve had my share of accidents trying to simultaneously stop the treadmill workout and also throwing the bag off my back due to exhaustion.
Also, just like MoWC, I’m athletic shoe person. It took me a long time, but I finally found a good running and gym shoe.
@Midwest67, you really hit the nail on the head with having a plan. It can be the difference between training and exercising. Training plan vs exercise routine. One’s not better than the other for purposes of health and weight management but if you have specific athletic goals, ya gotta have a progressive plan that you track. For the last 6 months, I’ve kinda been laying back a bit and just working out for fun and maintenance but this weekend I’m putting together a training program to prepare for a kettlebell certification in October. It’s going to take 5-6 months of of very focused, specific training to be able to complete the 2 day certification program. It has mandated movements I must master with specific weights ending with 50 1 arm snatches in 3 minutes. So I definitely need a plan to get me to that point.
For those interested in putting a plan together for themselves, have you come up with goals that are specific, measurable, attainable, relevant and time-bound? It’s the starting point for putting together a plan. If instead you are interested in fitness, generally improving your strength, flexibility etc, it’s still great to have a written routine that you track so that you have consistency and can see your growth as it happens.
@calmom, I’ve been thinking about using software to track workouts instead of keeping paper charts. Did you find Jefit to require a time consuming learning curve?
@mathmom, I know what you mean. I also find the treadmill to be much tougher than the elliptical. I feel like the treadmill beats the crap out of me even though I’m training in the same heart rate zones I use on my bikes and the elliptical.
No formal exercise plan, other than “keep off the couch”. I like it if I run 2 or 3 times a week, but that does not always happen. Eventually I’d like to also add an exercise class or something for core strength. This week I have considered do 7minute workout (from cellphone app) again.
I am 54 yrs old and have have never been much into working out. I try to get 10k steps every day but sometimes don’t get there. I have done yoga twice a week for the last couple years but stopped 6 months ago when my office moved. I have tried to do couch to 5k twice now. First attempt, I had horrible knee pain. I got fitted for new running shoes and the pain went away. So I tried again. This time the pain is in my right hip. I stopped trying to run and even slowed down my walking but am still having pain in my hip when walking. Its been three weeks. I try to stretch daily, the pain in my hip is pretty constant but not excruciating. Do y’all think it warrants a dr visit? I think I am just destined not to run but I really want to give it another try.
@MichaelNKat – I found Jefit a little frustrating in the beginning because I couldn’t always figure out how to get things entered in the right way. But I realized that part of my problem with the interface was that the program has so many options and built in features – and that is with the free version. But once I was familiar with the interface, no problem.
I’ve realized from other’s comments that the need to plan or track might be different depending on the type of exercise. I find it really important for the weight machines because otherwise it would be a lot harder for me to remember from one gym visit to the next what my different weight settings were for each machine. And also having good records allows me to plan to work myself up in a gradual & consistent way, which I think is safest for me. When I first started to do strength training of course I made the mistake of pushing a little too fast --and so, of course, I also managed to injure myself in a way that set me back.
Jefit also calculates a 1RM figure based on what you’ve done- I don’t pay a lot of attention to that except as something of a guide if I feel ready to move up to a higher weight on a machine.
@wannabee35 it sounds like something is still off with your gait. Something is too tight and/or weak and not functioning properly and causing your hip to be overworked.
In my experience, doctors usually give you meds for the pain, order $$$$ tests (MRI) to see if something needs surgery, and if you’re lucky they send you to (also $$$) PT to get to the root of the problem. PTs can range from extremely helpful to a waste of time.
If $$$ is an issue like it is for me - medical costs in our area are very high. for us a simple Dr visit is $150, specialist $250-400, MRI in town costs $2500. I would first go back to your running store. If they don’t know what’s going on, hopefully they can at least point you to toward a doctor/PT that is used to working with runners vs eldery people recovering from falls (most of what you find in my town). And some PTs are able to treat patients without a referral for a little while. When I tore my meniscus (but in denial), my PT was able to work with me for a month before needing a prescription. I also resisted the MRI for as long as possible (6 months) because they has previously been a huge waste of time. Hindsight being 20-20 I should have gotten it earlier but now I also know that I can drive 50-60 miles where they are only $800!
I don’t have a formal workout plan, but do track my exercise. When I use the weight machines at the gym (which I know I should get back to) I have a paper tracking log I made so I can record weight and reps. I also have the settings for each machine, since I can never remember them.
@wannabee35 I’ve had an ongoing right hip issue for several years. It feels like I have a “hitch” in my gait. When it didn’t go away after quite a few months, I researched (https://www.healthgrades.com) sports docs specializing in gait issues. They took an x-ray first. Long story short: IMO the doc was a jerk; he looked at the x-ray and told me I have slight arthritis in my right hip and should stop running. That was it; dismissed. I did stop running for 5-6 months; absolutely no change/improvement. When I related all this to my PC doc, she sent me to PT. There I got a bunch of exercises, which helped a lot. That was a year ago. I’m probably not as consistent with the exercises as I should be, and the issue isn’t 100% resolved, but it’s definitely improved. I don’t run a lot/long distances, but didn’t buy the first doc’s “solution” that I should just stop.
@wannabee35, you definitely should seek the involvement of an appropriate medical practitioner. Most GP docs can do little more than some range of motion testing, prescribe you some anti-inflammatories, send you for some imaging or refer you to PT or a specialist. I would cut through all of that and simply ask your GP for recommendations for a specialist or PT (and a script for PT or a specialist referral if needed for your insurance). My suggestion would be that you see either a physiatrist, orthopedist, podiatrist or PT who regularly works with athletes. You need a medical professional who can not only evaluate your hip but also look at how all the component parts of your entire lower kinetic chain - feet, ankles, knees and hips - are working with each other. And for immediate purposes, I would have an MRI of your hip only if an exam does not reveal any issues with foot strike, stride, joint alignment, muscle imbalances or one of those specialists recommends it.
@wannabee35 - You said " I try to get 10k steps every day but sometimes don’t get there." That’s awesome! Before I started running a few years ago, I was walking a lot and tracking steps. Usually I did not get to 10k (but benefited a lot from trying to make that goal). If running is not the right thing for your body, I say That’s OK.
I sometimes worry that my running 5k about twice a week is less beneficial than the daily walks I did prior. After I retire, I hope to add more walking again. Hopefully a yoga or fitness class too.
My last run in SW Florida for this trip. It cooled off a lot overnight, but was still sunny and pretty. And FLAT. 5.1 miles done which with normal walking around today and airport steps will close the Apple Watch Move ring. I have a job where I can wind up sitting in meetings or in front of the computer for a long time if I don’t obey the beep on my Apple Watch or make myself get up and move. I really do try to do that because I believe sitting too much is a bad thing for bones and health in general. It’s SO easy to do these days. I’ll get up a couple of times during a flight of over 2 hours, which isn’t always easy to do.
I wonder if any of you take sleep seriously? I havent in the past and 5 hrs was pretty much a norm for me. (Part of that developed simply from having so many little kids.) But the more I read about the relationship between health, weight, and sleep, the more I feel like this is something I really need to improve in my life. And, it isnt as easy as I thought, either.
If anyone does take it seriously and has suggestions on how to improve sleep quality, I’d like to hear about that in addition to the diet and exercise conversations in promoting our long-term health.