What happens to your training motivation when the temperatures start dropping, rain starts pouring and evenings become darker? Statistically, there’s a clear drop in the number of outdoor activities and workouts completed in the fall months. So, if you are like most people and putting on those running shoes or jumping on your bike feels a little less exciting than it did in June, why not give your training routine a welcome boost by hitting the gym instead?
We’ve gathered a few tips for tracking your gym workouts, but before that a few words on why weight training is good for you and your body.
Why take your workouts to the gym?
Strength training (including workouts done using your own body weight or using extra weights) has a number of benefits for everybody – even endurance athletes such as runners or cyclists:
- Strengthening the right muscles helps you increase speed*
- Increased muscular coordination improves the economy of your runs*
- Improving your structural fitness helps to prevent injuries.
And if it’s relevant to you, strength training also helps build muscle and lose fat as well as providing a boost for your metabolism. All good reasons to activate your gym membership!
Tip 1) Wear your heart rate monitor to keep track and to optimize workouts
Monitoring your heart rate at the gym is helpful for finding the right stress level for your workout. So, connect your HRM belt, press the Start button and select Gym as the activity type to automatically collect and view your heart rate data during workout.
Note that while lifting weights, a chest strap sensor can give you a more accurate measure of your heart rate than a wrist-measuring smart watch. A chest strap also doesn’t limit the movement of your wrists and can therefore be a more comfortable and safer option.
Tip 2) Add workouts manually and leave your phone in the locker
If you’d rather not keep your phone with you while at the gym, you can always add workouts manually later on. Tapping on the big + sign in the home screen takes you to the Add activity screen, where you can manually enter the details of your workout.
Whether tracking your workouts during or after, it’s still a good idea to type in the kind of training you’ve done. For example, type in “leg day” or “Squat = 5 sets of 5 reps”. Not only does this help you in planning future workouts, but you might also be surprised at your progress later on!
Tip 3) Stay motivated with your training diary
Talking about monitoring your progress, the training diary is a log of all your Sports Tracker activities and the best way to get an overall view of your progress and see how much you’ve accomplished. If you want to view your history in a specific activity, such as gym workouts, just use the search bar or the Choose a sport button.
If weight training still doesn’t feel like it’s your thing, most gyms also offer, for example, running mats and stationary bikes for you to take your favorite outdoor activity indoors. And if the local gym feels intimidating, ask a friend to tag along or enlist the help of a personal trainer to help overcome any gym fears!
Jaakko Soudunsaari – likes to write long and run longer
Tip: If you need support with the app please contact our customer service.
Yv
Existe el idioma latino?
Sports Tracker
Hi! Unfortunately no, only English.
Nicola
Ciao tutti queste notizie posso averle in lingua Italiana? Grazie
Sports Tracker
Hi Nicola! Unfortunately our blog is only in English.
Patrick
Por favor cambien de idioma yo no hablo ingles. Solo latino
Sports Tracker
Hi Patrick! Thanks for the feedback. You can select to use Sports Tracker from 19 different languages. Here are more information: https://blog.sports-tracker.com/2018/08/26/sports-tracker-in-your-own-language/.