Topic: keeping a training log

[Shaun Le Conte]

We need some topics. I'll start one

I know this crazy guy who has almost never kept a training log even though he's been doing weightlifting off and on for a decade.

Help me convince him to keep a training log

Some of the arguments I have to face:
- the more time passes, the less useful a training log becomes
- why bother with a training log, recording what I did is insufficient because it's too hard to take into consideration environmental and other factors that affect training (diet, sleep, stress, unhealthiness)
- this guy he knows who went to the Pan Am Games never had a training log and didn't like them
- not going to any training camp so it's not like a coach is ever going to ask for it

So you can see the hassle of talking with such an unreasonable person

[DAVE PETERSON]

   
             Shaun, Tell him this; that Fred Lowe who has been training since 1965 & competing also from that date does still keep a training log. Even though he did take a break or time off from Jan 1977 - whenever -  a year and a half he still kept a log for the running he did and the races he competed in. Since I've trained with him ,off and on since 1975,he repeats that :one can't keep all the training you've done in your head,so it doesn't hurt to keep a log ! Of course, he's still at 60 years of age training and competing in Masters competition.By keeping a log you can see just where you're at and also log in how you did in your latest meet and of course you can recalculate what the training weights,percentages,etc.Yes,even I keep one although not as persistently as Fred does.

                                      Best Regards,
                                              Dave P.

[Andy Dick]

I think it would be good to
a. see what he has done and how he did modify his lifting of the environmental factors he faced...if he was super tired one day how he cut it back, if he cut it back what he did the day before that might have had an impact on why he was tired or vise versa for really feeling good.  I think that item A is probably the most important. 
b. What he as done that may have worked for him so if others saw it they might be able to learn from it. 
c. If his training log is like a program plan it gives him goal weights to try to hit at a certain point in time and atleast a rough idea of a plan to get there.  I think it would be hard to just say I am going to lift as much as I can today.  d. If he is weightlifting off and on it will give him an idea of where he was at when he stopped and where he was starting up again and to see how much going on and off affects him. 
e. The old saying "failure to plan is planning to fail"
f. Is his not keeping a log because he is just lazy?

[Shaun Le Conte]

f. Is his not keeping a log because he is just lazy?

Ooh that one is going to sting ;)

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

Is this person coaching themself? That is always tough since its impossible to be objective. I would never coach myself except for the fact that my coach lives about as far away from me as physically possible and still be in the USA (except for Hawaii). If he isn't coaching himself, the question shifts toward why isn't the coach writing down a plan and insisting on an up to date log. Keeping a log is essential in my opinion for anyone serious about our sport. On the other hand, I once trained with a lifter that would take more time writing in his log than he did training. It got quite annoying waiting for him to be ready to take his turns and I don't think it helped him any either to have the extended intervals. 

[Shaun Le Conte]

Is this person coaching themself?

Yes, that has been the case for a long time. It'd be hard for anyone to coach this person.

[Chris Ⓐ LeRoux]

In order to coach someone, you have to have their trust. If this person trusts no one, then they may well listen to no one that tells them how great a log is, I guess. I'll admit to having parts of my log never written, and other parts are missing. Bummer.