Weight Loss Program

One of the main things I do with Evernote is logging mine and my clients workouts. The best part of using Evernote for remembering your workout logs is the search capability.

I used to use paper journals to keep track of workouts. I’d even get specially formatted workout journals from online or local book stores. They were great for logging specifics of workouts each day, as well as having ‘benchmarks’ in the back of the book. However, even with good formatting and organization, the problem was always in searching for workouts.

The reason I log workouts is so I can compare my results. If I was going to do a workout with squats for example, I’d want know what my results were from the last time I did them. This was always a major pain in paper journals. It meant flipping through hundreds of pages or even multiple journals, if I had them near by. This was particularly so if I wanted a results from a few previous workouts.

Using Evernote has simplified this entire process. First, it is very easy to log my workouts. Second, all my workouts now stay in ONE journal that I can access from anywhere. Third, searching for the last time I did a certain workout or exercise couldn’t be easier.

Here is how I set up a Workout Journal in Evernote.

Step 1: Create a new synchronized notebook called “Workout Journal”

Step 2: Create a new note for each workout.

Step 3: Naming the note.

This is a key component, especially for when searching through workouts at a later date. I use 2 elements in my naming scheme. #1 – Details of the main component of the workout. This could be something like “Circuit”, “5K run” or “Back Squat x3”. #2 – The date. My notes are ordered by date created, but I like to have the Month and Day in the title for quick reference when comparing two workouts and the time I took between them.

Step 4: Logging consistent details and results.

Over the years I’ve come up with a very consistent way of writing out my workouts and how I log results. This too can become key when searching and comparing workouts later. For example: writing “situps” in one workout and “sit ups” in another will not allow me to compare those two workouts in a search. Create consistency with your naming scheme.

Step 5: Search and compare; this is where the magic happens! Once you have logged a bunch of workouts, being able to search through them and compare your results lets you track your progress over time. Below are some screen shot examples of comparing running workouts with a search of “Run” and “800m Run” more specifically.

“Run”  

“800m Run” These types of searches will also work if I want to find a workout I did back in “January” or compare specific strength workouts like “Back Squat x5”