The Importance of a Logbook.
How many of us are in a rush after a WOD that we make a quick scribble in our logbooks or worse, we don’t even bother writing in them. These logbooks hold the potential to breaking through plateaus, and bettering ourselves on a frequent basis. CrossFit works so well because we can quantify every WOD or lift we complete and measure our gains. Let’s have a look into what we can use our logbooks for and why they are so important.
1) Record every WOD, lift, or progress on a skill. CrossFit is known as a Strength & Conditioning Program that is quantifiable. This means every WOD or Lift can be measured. The importance of this is so we can track our progress and also so we don’t have to guess what weight we used in our last effort of Fran. We can turn straight to the page and check.
Tip: Create a table in the back of your log book which has all your 1Rm, 3RM, 5Rm etc and benchmark WODs for quick reference.
2) What did I learn? Logbooks can also be used for jotting down points that you learnt throughout the session. Was it to ‘keep the elbows up during your front squat’ or ‘push yourself under the bar during the split jerk’. Jotting down little cues like this start you off on the front foot for the next time you attempt the movement. This is how progress is made. And if your like me, I remember detail better when I write it down.
3) How did I feel? One day you may turn up to the box pumped an ready to go and break multiple PR’s, then the next day find just the bar heavy. There can be a huge difference from day to day. Jotting down how we felt during the session is also a valid tool for improvement. If we have several ‘flat’ days in a row, flick back through the log book and look at the volume to see if you are you over training?
Keeping a record of these points is an important part on our journey to becoming better CrossFit athletes and just all round better at life.
