When trying to reach your fitness goals, it helps to have a plan that checks your progress every step of the way. Here are a few ways to track progress more effectively:
- Think Quarterly
Corporations file annual reports to measure business progress over the previous year. But they also produce quarterly earnings reports, as well as weekly, daily, and even hourly sales reports. The idea is to examine the data and see what's working. If sufficient progress isn't being made, adjustments and changes are implemented. Many people start the process of making lifestyle and fitness changes at the beginning of the year. A goal of losing 20 pounds in one year, for instance, is more manageable if the person who sets a goal can track a five-pound loss in the first quarter, a three-pound loss in the second, etc. The idea isn’t to get on the scale every 10 minutes, but you do need some kind of tracking with everything you do. - Set a Baseline
At EXOS, coaches track the progress of athletes constantly so that athletes can see their improvements in strength, endurance, and power, as well as the changes in their body composition. You might not have a team of performance coaches tracking your results, but having that process in place is just as important. "What it does is provide a baseline for improvement," says EXOS founder Mark Verstegen. If, for instance, you completed a workout and did not return to that specific workout for several weeks, it would be difficult to track progress if you had not logged any data from the first workout. - Get Better With Every Repetition
The idea is to replicate that first repetition over and over with a shorter rest interval. That's no different than a swimmer or runner looking to cover more distance in less time. "I want to look at the first rep and compare it to the second and subsequent reps" says Verstegen. "Did you decline or get better? You want to sustain that first performance. That's truly showing that you're getting fit. You're not just good for one rep or set, but you can repeat it a second or third time." - Use Tracking Tools
There's no shortage of gadgets and smart phone apps to measure progress easily and effectively. EXOS Journey is an excellent option for all participants in The Trust program. If you're a technophile, take advantage of your skill set. But the important thing is to track the progress, even if it's on a simple spreadsheet or a sheet of paper.