Have you ever tried to remember everything you’ve done in a week?  What about in a month?  I’ve got a halfway decent memory but when I try to remember the specific details of a week or a month I come up a bit short.  If I really want to remember my actions or things I’ve done in a week, month, year, I make notes.  If I want to remember everything I did wrong in a week, month, decade, I ask my wife.  Think about the last vacation you went on, do you remember everything you did?  Or do you look at pictures and then remember?  If you want to take all the emotions out of it, pictures are just you collecting data.

Data is very important to us.  It reminds us of where we have been, what we have done, and where we might be because of it.  Have our actions promoted improved performance or have they led us down the windy path to the pit of despair?  We are always recording your weights lifted, rounds and times completed, but this is only half the information.  The other half is your at home habits, what do you consume?  How much do you sleep? How well do you sleep?  The more you know the easier it will be to go back an alter things to improve.

So stop leaving your results up to chance.  If you really want to see improvement start recording your data.  We’ll start easy with the big three.

• Foods: what and when.
• Exercise: loads lifted, rounds & times
• Sleep: how much, how good.