Competitive bodybuilders and other fitness experts know that keeping an exercise journal is an important part of their success.

An exercise journal allows you to analyze and track your progress. If you are able to analyze how you achieve both forward progress and set backs, you will know how to adjust your training to make yourself stronger, healthier, and better.

When you are keeping an exercise journal, make sure you make a detailed record of the muscle group trained, the specific movements used, and how many reps you performed. For example, if you are focusing on your triceps through arm extensions and dips your journal entry should be similar to this:  Triceps- Dips (6 reps), Arm Extensions (14 reps). Also, you will want to note the total time trained and how much time spent on each movement.

The more information you include, the more you will be able to analyze your progress. If you are just beginning with over 40 fitness, there is no such thing as too many details. Eventually, you learn how you body responds to strength training and will be able to recognize which information is most helpful to modify your entries accordingly.

If you keep a detailed training record, you will also be able to quickly identify when you have overworked a muscle group and change. Often, if you are overworking in the beginning of a session you will notice that you are not able to do as many reps later in the session. If you notice unusual soreness or that you need longer rest, you will be able to identify which parts of your training caused the injury. When you can prevent repeating the injury you can prevent more critical damage.

Your warm up routine should also be tracked, including cardio, weights, and stretching. If your muscle gain is not what you expected or if you are sore afterwards, this could be from an inadequate warm up. You will want to compare periods of substantial progress to period of little or none and see how your warm up varied. Then, you will be able to adjust your routine accordingly.

Expert bodybuilders also chronicle their nutrition, such as their daily intake of proteins, carbs, and fat. If you are bodybuilding over 40 then you will need to pay special attention to your nutritional intake because of your changing metabolism. You will also track the number of calories you consume and when. If you are having difficulty building muscle, you may not be consuming enough calories to counteract your training. If you are putting on unwanted weight, you may have to consume fewer calories or do more cardio.

Additionally, there is other information that would be helpful to include. Some experts recommend establishing a numbered rating system to describe your energy level and mental outlook. The morning after you train, record your number. Track how you are feeling so that you can analyze which training methods give you the most energy and motivation. Change those methods which overly exhaust you. As an example, if you find you are too sore the days following a change to your cycle, you may have to lower the intensity of your workout.

It does not matter how much you have researched over 40 bodybuilding. No one ever starts with a program that is perfect for them. Champion bodybuilders know they can get maximum results if they use exercise journals to track their progress and adjust accordingly. You can use your journal to create a great fitness plan tailored to your body, your life, and your goals.