When you first start lifting weights, it’s all about the weight on the bar going up. This phase of training is fun and exciting. However, like most things… the better you get… the harder you must work for continued progress. Weight on the Bar PRs become harder and harder to come by in training. Here are a few other things that are useful to keep track of in order to recognize your ongoing progress.
Personal Records Worth Recording
(1) Volume – the amount of work you do during a session. We typically start with 5 exercises at ~ 3 sets per exercise. This would be approximately 15 work sets during a training session. Over time, this will need to go up. Keep notes on the amount of “work” sets you complete each session.
(2) Rep Prs – a close cousin to the Weight on the Bar PR is the Rep PR. Let’s say you’ve bench pressed 135 for 5 reps previously and your current program has you completing an AMRAP (as many reps as possible) set at 135. If you hit more than 5 reps, you’re winning. Keep track of that.
(3) Technique PRs – when you start training, the lifts feel very complicated. There’s a lot to remember. Over time, however, the lifts become more automatic. Be sure to keep this in mind as you move from requiring constant intra-set coaching to occasional intra-set coaching. Your movement has improved!
(4) Workouts Completed PR – this one is my favorite. Seeing folks stack win after win is the most important PR in my opinion. I’ve been coaching since 2005. I’ve seen a lot of clients / members come and go in that time. After 20 years of coaching, I can tell you without a doubt, the single most important quality need for success is consistency. Showing up week after week. Celebrate these milestones!
Keep in mind that all the results you want from training come from training over a (very) long period of time. I’ve always found it more enjoyable to focus on the small improvements along the way rather than waiting until you “get there” to allow yourself to be happy / enjoy the process.
Want to see what your training could look like? Book a Meeting with one of our coaches and we’ll get you moving in the right direction.
