Tracking Your Weight Gain Program
Tracking Your Bodybuilding Training Routine
Keeping track of your bodybuilding training program is essential to achieving success. Unfortunately many people overlook its importance, despite the fact that those that keep accurate records inevitably achieve the greatest success. 
Whether you are a novice or an experienced bodybuilder, building muscle can be challenging at the best of times. The more diligent you are at keeping accurate records of your progress (or lack thereof), the more prepared you will be to overcome any obstacles that you face on your journey.
In spite of its relative simplicity, you might wonder why most people don’t keep track of their bodybuilding programs.
There isn't one simple explanation to this question, but one thing seems quite evident; Most people are just down right lazy and couldn't be bothered to track their routine!
One thing that is for certain, is that these are the same people that end up doing the same routine every week - constantly wondering why they haven’t made any gains.
They are the ones that can never seem to get over that plateau and back on the road to muscle gain... The people that give up altogether when the results don’t come pouring in after only a few weeks.
One of the reasons that these people don’t reach their goals is that they haven’t equipped themselves with the tools that a tracking program can provide.
A tracking program gives you a history of your efforts that will help motivate you to work harder in order to make more significant gains and reach your goals.
More importantly, it also allows you to see what is and isn’t working for you; it gives you the information needed to allow you to adjust your program in order to maximize your results.
Now let's take a look at the best way to track your bodybuilding program...
How to Track Your Muscle Building Program
There are two options for tracking your bodybuilding program. The first option is to simply use a notebook and pencil. If you are frugally minded or just want to keep things simple, this traditional method is probably your best choice.
Make sure that you have your notebook handy during workouts and at meal times so you can input all of the statistics in real time. Some people try to input information at the end of the day, but unless you have a very good memory you should probably avoid this route as the 
accuracy of your records may be effected.
The second option you have for tracking your muscle building program is to use tracking software that works on portable devices such as PDA's and Iphones.
Tracking software is becoming increasingly popular, as the price of these devices continues to drop and more well developed software programs become available.
The portable tracking software allows you to keep records of every aspect of your program from the amount of weight lifted for each exercises, to the number of calories consumed per meal. Once you have input your records in to your PDA, you simply connect it to your computer to automatically transfer the data to the program on your PC.
Whether you choose to use a notebook or PDA to track your bodybuilding program, the key to a successful tracking program is accuracy and consistency. Keep up to date records of both your body composition, and your diet and weight training regimens, and keep track of as many details as you can.
During your weight training workouts, you can record all of the information between sets while they are fresh in your mind. This will keep you focused on your workout and help eliminate any distractions.
The easiest way to track your diet is to write down the necessary information after each meal, and make any necessary calculations at the end of the day.
Tracking Your Bodybuilding Routine: What to Track
Tracking your bodybuilding program can be simplified by breaking it down in to the following two elements:
1. Tracking your body composition - Tracking your body composition consists of taking your body weight, estimating your body fat percentage, estimating your lean body mass, taking anthropometric measurements, and taking photographs.
2. Tracking your diet and training routine - When tracking your diet, you should keep detailed records of the amount and type of foods and supplements you consume. For your weight training routine, keep track of everything from frequency/intensity/time, order of exercises and so no. Remember that you can get as detailed as you like. Ultimately, thee more variables you track the better.
Part I: Body Composition
Body composition measurements will paint a picture of how your body is responding to your weight gain program.
Keeping accurate records of your body composition is very important, since it is one of the best indicators of your progress. Don’t rely on any single measurement track your progress as it is not an accurate depiction of your changing physique.
Here is what you need to track:
- Weight- Check and record your bodyweight weekly. A typical bathroom scale will suffice as long as
you use the same scale each and every time you weigh yourself. Make sure it is calibrated before each use. The key here is not necessarily the accuracy of the scale but the consistency of the measurement. In order to maintain this consistency it is important that you weigh yourself under the same circumstances each and every time. Those being: always weigh yourself first thing in the morning, stripped down, keeping the scale in the same place, before you eat and after evacuating any excess body fluids (that means empty your bladder). The more consistent you are with your body weight measurements, the more accurate your overall records will be.
- Body Fat – This is an equally important measurement as you are on a muscle building program not a fat building program! If the weight that you are gaining is all body fat then there is something seriously wrong with your training program that needs to be addressed. This measurement should be taken every 14 days. Body fat can be estimated in a number of ways, again the emphasis is on consistency. There are commercial scales available that measure body fat, as well as a number of methods you can use at home with inexpensive equipment. The most common method is skinfold measurements.
- Lean Body Mass – After you have obtained the first 2 calculations you can estimate your Lean body mass. This is a simple calculation using your body weight and your body fat percentage to determine what amount in pounds of your total body composition is lean mass. Lean mass includes muscle, bone, fluids, etc. basically anything that isn’t body fat. Remember the higher your lean body mass, the better.
- Anthropometric Measurements – Anthropometric measurements (measurements of body parts) should be recorde every 2 weeks. Now it is time to measure the guns, as well as the other crucial areas of the body. To begin you will need a tailor’s tape measure, your trusty notebook and for this exercise it doesn’t hurt to have a volunteer (hopefully that vixy from the adductor machine). Use this anthropometric tape measure diagram to help you locate the necessary areas for measurement.
Part II: Nutrition and Training Journal
In this section you will record and keep track of the intricacies of your bodybuilding training program. Where section I keeps a record of your results, this section will show you how you got there. It is in this section that you can analyze what parts of your program are and are not working, and make adjustments accordingly.
This is why it is crucial for you to keep track of every element you can. If you find that you aren’t getting the results you expected, then you should be able to use these records to fine tune your program to maximize your results.
Remember - everyone's body is different, and what works for some may not work for others. With a combination of good records and a little trial and error, you should be able learn exactly what works for your body and how to fine tune your program to achieve maximum muscle growth.
Here is what you need to track:
- Nutritional Intake – In this section you can get really serious about tracking. Keep in mind that the more information you have, the better, as you will be more easily able to estimate what is or isn't working in your program. Here you can record every detail of the foods you consume including types of food, calories consumed, macronutrient ratios, times of meals and so on. If you don't want to get too detailed the very least you will need to record is your daily intake of Protein, Carbohydrates, Fat and Water. If you are a beginner then it is recommended that you keep an accurate journal of your food intake for the next few weeks.
- Weight Training – It is absolutely vital that you record all of the details of your weight training program. Record the exercises in the order they were performed, the number of sets & repetitions, the amount of weight used, speed of each repetition, and the intensity and duration of each workout.
- Supplements – Supplements will no doubt play a role in your bodybuilding program so it is important to record the details of what you are using. It is important to do so in this section to determine there level of effectiveness. Like anything else some products may work better than others, some may offer no benefits whatsoever. Make accurate records of product used, start dates, amount taken (dosage), frequency and time taken (twice a day, morning, after workout etc.)
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