Correctly logging workout data

[Steve Winn]

About 3 weeks new here and I'm pretty impressed with the site and what I've read from y'all!

My question relates to exercises like push ups, step ups, chin ups, and the like - should these be logged as repetitions only (no weight value unless you've added weight)?

When I log squats, I just record what's on the bar, but (and I know it sounds hypocritcal) when I record chin ups, I record body weight + added weight.  Push ups, I just record reps. 

What do you do?

BTW, those rankings inspire this soon-to-be 43 yr old to throw his hat into the ring! 

[Everett]

hey Steve,
for my bodyweight exrcises, I just log my reps.  For chin-ups, whne it's the weighted version, I only log the added weights.  Adding my body weight would confuse me too much    I like to know if I'm getting stronger by the amount of weight I can add.

[Paul]

Welcome, Steve.  43 is YOUNG! - just look at "Banana" George Blair who took up water skiing at 45 and was still barefooting, 1 foot, handle in teeth, 40mph in his 80s!  Check him out here:  http://www.bananageorge.com/  So hit those rankings! 

I'm with Everett on this - the convention is to record reps only for bodyweight exercises and leave "weight" blank.  Of course there's an impact if you lose some serious weight because doing pullups at 175lbs of bodyweight is easier than if you're carrying 215.  That's why gymnasts and martial artists usually outperform powerlifters in BW exercises - it's all about power to weight ratio (just like race cars).





 

[Tai Hau]

Steve,
Nice to meet you on these here boards.  We're now waiting for you on the rankings boards!

[Steve Winn]

Thanks guys, that helps.

On chin ups & dips, I'm still questioning, because if your bodyweight changes, it skews the numbers; plus, you are actually lifting the weight.

But, if I hear you right, the convention is to stick with added weight only.  So, I probably need to adjust some numbers.

Paul, my power-to-weight ratio is best on pull ups, so look for an appearance there!  I'm not sure if I even want to hit 400+ squats...that's amazing (or crazy)!

[Paul]

Steve I agree with you on dips and chins because dropping 10lbs could mean an extra rep or two.  However, the convention has always been to record reps only probably because the goal of these types of exercises is more of a power to weight indicator rather than a measurement of resistance.  In the military they don't care whether you're lean or stout; you gotta' bust out the reps or you get kicked to "motivation" status. 

In FitSync you can select Edit Data and go back and correct previous logs which also helps if you reverse numbers (like 225 reps and 12lbs for bench - I've done that a few times).

On the BW squats, you'll find that once you start doing them it becomes more of an endurance exercise rather than pure strength but you will get a great burn, much more than leg extensions or presses on machines. 

Real important, start slow even if you feel great and think you can do 250 your first try and stretch and hydrate.  Since I used to ski competitively and now ride a lot I thought hey, these are easy so did a ton on my first try and was crippled for a week.  Best is if you can ride a stationary bike right after and then 15 minutes of stretching and lots of water.  Watch your lower back which will go out before the legs. 

Give it a shot, David and I need someone to scare us into pushing a little harder!