Log Book Vs More Instinctive Training

You thought about doing a bit of both? Maintaining a log of all lifts and working towards a general training plan but allowing flexibility depending on feel when it comes to RDs and exercise selection. Maybe in your plan, listing bodyparts rather than specific exercises.
eg
Compound Leg (depending on feel choose Back Squat, Machine Squat, Leg Press)
Quad (Leg extention, lunges)
Ham (Laying, seated, SLDL)

You'll still have the exercises done and weights lifted recorded and can aim for progression but with that flexibility of change.
 
Jared said:
You thought about doing a bit of both? Maintaining a log of all lifts and working towards a general training plan but allowing flexibility depending on feel when it comes to RDs and exercise selection. Maybe in your plan, listing bodyparts rather than specific exercises.
eg
Compound Leg (depending on feel choose Back Squat, Machine Squat, Leg Press)
Quad (Leg extention, lunges)
Ham (Laying, seated, SLDL)

You'll still have the exercises done and weights lifted recorded and can aim for progression but with that flexibility of change.
Click to expand...
Kinda defects the purpose then doesnt it [emoji52] :-)
 
I've always been a log book trainer, but with FT i'm logging the compounds and then doing what I enjoy and feels the best. I'll see how it goes tbh but I am enjoying it. Making a nice change
 
I like the log book, you can't argue that getting stronger will lead to getting bigger
I also like periods of freedom where I train what I like how I like...
I'd say I gain atvavsteady rate doing both.

Pros n cons for me

Log book
Pros -
You can see progress right there is black and white.
No fucking about in the gym, get in hit it hard and fuck off.
Focus is high.
Sense of achievement when you rape the logs ass hole with weigh and rep.

Cons -
Pressure of beating last session... If you dnt it feel bad... Iv spent a week felling like a cunt after not beating my numbers.
Risk of injury (I'm very injury prone)

The big one- I find that with a log book and a set number in my head I struggle to hit true failure...
As I surpass last week's numbers am I really maxing out or am I subconsciously giving up due to the fact that I'm already satisfied with the set...

Instinctive
Pros -
I hit true failure, I keep going and what started out as a single set may turn into a rp, drop, ss, tri, giant set etc but I know I'll be truly fucked up by the time done...
Feeling of freedom
No pressure
Always a great pump
Lower injury risk.

The log book is a funny old thing
If you do chase numbers, iv seen form start to slip, tempo pick up etc just to get the numbers beat...

The log book I think can be used safely
I think progression with slower reps with plenty of tut is safe and effective.
Most ppl get injured when they are after maximal poundage...
If you are truly honest and can progress with a slower tempo and keep to it you can progress, grow and stay safe.

I was playing about with a mixture of tut- 3-4,1-2,3-4 and faster reps.
1st move, compound - tut to failure, then faster reps to hit further failure.
Then 2 moves after this done with a more explosive tempo.

Felt good
Didn't really get to give it much of a go as was litrally a week or two before my op.
But will play about with it and see if I can use the log without injury

I like the log just can't stick to it too long as I tend to get too strong too fast and boom I'm injured

I think for me time off log needs to be about the same as time on log
I get board of it after a while

^^^^^^
Just a few thoughts
Prob dnt make sense
Cba to read it back
 
Very much instinctive for me, I don't keep a log book.

I can see the benefit but I go wity how I feel on the day of the back of a few feeder sets.

It's annoying forgetting where the feeder sets should start though....often end up needless
 
@Jim I think it's more a curate to say you can't get bigger without getting stronger?

I would say you can definitely get stronger without getting bigger.
 
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roy@/_ said:
@Jim I think it's more a curate to say you can't get bigger without getting stronger?

I would say you can definitely get stronger without getting bigger.
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He wouldn't know mate, he hasn't stop growing to find out!
 
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roy@/_ said:
@Jim I think it's more a curate to say you can't get bigger without getting stronger?

I would say you can definitely get stronger without getting bigger.
Click to expand...

I guess if we are talking low reps as in a powerlifter
But I assumed we were talking about gaining size... Or at least that's the way I interpreted the op.

I'd say if your diet is good enough to gain strength in the 6-15 rep range you'll gain size...

Now stop being so pedantic ffs lol
 
Log book all day, record, look back, workout what setup I was using, when dieting I can't remember anything let alone a workout and what weights to use.
 
Never kept a log of anything Ive done, I know roughly what Ive done previous sessions as Ive never done a high volume so would tend to aim to push past that.

Ive been reading over FT and signed up for Scotts seminar in a few weeks and there's no way I'll remember all those sets and rep types so I may have to convince myself to try and log, well see.
 
I'm a logger but I use an app on my phone, it does rest period with a bleep to fire off on my next set, records weights, reps, logs and compares 1rm progress and keeps me from skipping from prog' to prog'
 
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I do a bit of both.. I like to have a routine and know what to aim for as I like to mentally prepare in my mind what I'm doing at the gym that night.. If I don't have a plan I'll sometimes spend most of my session wondering what I'm doing next.. But a bit of a pain to log in a book as I keep training intense so when it's my partners set in there pushing him and then soon as he's finished its my go so rest is minimal

Recently it's been a case of do what my body feels and seems to be working well.
 
As many have already said, both types have their own pros and cons

One thing I would say with regard to log book is that people will really sacrifice form and tempo to hit numbers. For example I have seen youtube vids etc of people taking lots of rest between sets and sometimes poor form just to get that extra rep to beat last week's number.

When I do logbook stuff I make sure I do the reps as strict as poss ie all my logbook reps are deadstopped (bench, squat and deadlift) so I cannot use momentum. And I also have a rule where I cant take more than 1 second rest between reps - if I do then the set is failed no matter how many reps I do

Also I don't get super hung up about it if I dont hit reps one particular week as that is life - other stresses, work, lack of sleep, food etc may mean why I don't hit reps. If it is a one off I don't really care - but if it gets persistent for a few weeks in a row then I will change something up eg take a week off and just do instinctive or eat more or take 2 rest days or sleep more etc

Whilst more weight and reps always equals more muscle mass, the body really doesn't know reps or sets, it just knows tension. Look at the pro BBers, they don't really use log books apart from a very few number eg Dusty Hanshaw, David Henry. The majority train instinctively as they are "pro" BBers and are basically pros at executing paramount tension on their muscles combined with genetics and drugs of course.
 
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