A 2011 paper on weight loss and engagement with a web-based food and exercise diary has shown that people who used the self-monitoring tools often were more likely to achieve weight loss than those who didn’t use them as frequently[xxxviii].
I keep a workout log for my weightlifting sessions and note down the weights lifted each session. It makes it easy to track my progress, and it feels good to see small improvements in each training cycle.
I use a simple Excel spreadsheet for my own workout log, but there’s a huge selection of apps you can download on your phone to keep records of your workouts.
The most popular fitness apps for joggers or people who walk a lot not only work as a pedometer, but also keep the details of each session like distance traveled, speed, calories burned, and so on.
Other apps make it easy to track and increase weights lifted during each session for optimum intensity or simply keep you more accountable by letting you cross off each day with a workout.