5 tips to track your progress and evolution in weight training

Follow your evolution in bodybuilding is essential to achieving your goals. Whatever your training program, it's by measuring your progress that you'll be able to gain muscle or lose fat. In this article, I invite you to discover a few easy-to-implement routines to help you stop stagnating.

Why should you monitor your progress?

Work out Most of the time, it meets a specific objective: getting back into shape, losing weight, gaining muscle mass, improving general physical condition, etc.

Reaching these goals requires several sessions a week at the gym.

From the very first weeks of training, beginners will be able to observe the onset of physical transformation. But they will quickly face a phase of stagnation. If you are in this situation, discover without further delay my advice to continue to progress.

And it's even worse for experienced athletes who have been working out for several years. This is because the body gradually becomes accustomed to the constraints it faces during training. Muscles adapt and develop more slowly.

Every repetition or every kilo gained on a bench press, deadlift, squat or one of the many isolation exercises is a huge step forward. But to know this, you need to keep track of your progress from one exercise to the next. weight training session on the other.

With time and experience, tracking your progress will help you build a tailor-made bodybuilding program. You'll know exactly whether a particular exercise is delivering the benefits you're looking for.

Knowing your progress in weight training is also essential to stay motivated. As in any sport activity, motivation is a driving force for success. And what better way to stay motivated than to watch your progress and reach your goals?

The best tips for measuring your progress in weight training

1. Set goals for yourself

Tracking your progress in bodybuilding goes hand in hand with setting objectives. In fact, this principle applies to all sports: fitness, crossfit, running, etc.

Week after week, you will be able to compare the results obtained according to the objectives previously set.

Your goals are personal. In the run-up to a competition, a bodybuilder will be aiming to reduce body fat to 6 or 7 %. Conversely, someone looking to build muscle will increase their calorie intake to gain 5 or 6 kilos on the scale.

Whether you are doing physical activity for lose weight or to gain muscle, defining a vision on the short, medium and long term is the starting point.

2. Keep an up-to-date training log

There are different factors of progression in weight training.

The weights used, the number of repetitions, the tempo or the recovery times are all parameters to measure to know your evolution.

Of course, it is impossible to remember all these different elements for each of the weight training exercises in your sports program. It is therefore in your best interest to record your performance in a training workbook physical or digital.

You can prepare your sessions in advance, according to your objectives, or call on the services of a specialist. sports coach who will design a personalized program for you.

3. Observe your body

In the vast majority of cases, bodybuilders are looking to build a strong, healthy athletic body.

One of the best ways to appreciate your physical transformation is to look at your figure in the mirror. You'll quickly see if you've managed to lose weight or build muscle in your upper body and legs.

Even the slightest change in your body is a sign of progress. For example, if you're doing a dry run, you'll gradually see your abdominal muscles appear. This means you're on the right track and your physical preparation is working.

4. Weigh yourself regularly

To be sure you are making progress, it is best to confirm your visual observations by weighing yourself regularly.

Ideally, you should step on the scales once a week, in the morning on an empty stomach.

Whether you want to bulk up or lose fat, your progress will never be linear. You may gain a few grams, even though you've been losing weight for several weeks. This is a normal phenomenon that can be caused by countless factors: lack of sleep, higher-than-usual stress levels or eating too much salt. There's no need to worry about it as long as it's exceptional.

5. Follow your diet

Strength training and sports nutrition are inseparable.

To progress in bodybuilding, your efforts at the gym alone will not be enough. You will also have to pay attention to your diet.

To control your daily calorie intake and macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and fats), be sure to record what you eat in an application such as MyFitnessPal.

To conclude

With these 5 tips, you can now follow your muscular progress. Whether you're a beginner or a more advanced exerciser, every improvement involves setting realistic, measurable goals. Then keep track of your performance at each sports session, and watch your physique develop until you've achieved the result you're aiming for!