Scott’s Blog

Training logs are a very important tool for optimizing your fitness. To give you some ideas on how to make this more useful, I have compiled some suggestions. Don’t limit your log to just weights, times, or food. Here are some suggestions; many of these I use in my own personal training journal.

Training Log

Monitoring recovery

This is probably the most important use for your log. Remember that progress occurs while you are resting between workouts, not while you are training. I track the following daily:

• Hours slept
• Sleep quality (use a 1-5 scale; 1= poor 5= great)
• Waking mood (same scale)
• Waking pulse rate. Check your pulse rate upon awakening, before rising from bed. The simplest way is to count your pulse for 10 seconds, then multiply by 6. For more accuracy, count for the whole 60 seconds. If your heart rate is more than 8 beats above average, you may be heading for overtraining.
• General daily energy levels: rate on a 1-5 scale. (1=poor;5=great)
• Training/recovery scale-

This is a protocol that I modified from Dan John’s system that was originally presented in the Jan ‘05 CrossFit Journal. Here is how it works: I rank my day’s training on a scale of 1-10, then the day’s recovery factors on a similar 1-10 scale. Each day, the numbers will either balance each other out, or lean to one side or the other. If the training side is consistently higher, I am headed for trouble – likely overtraining, injury, or burnout. If the recovery side is a little higher, then we have an optimal situation, unless it is quite a bit higher. This then might indicate that I am not training hard enough.

Start by ranking the day’s training on a 1-10 scale. This will be subjective, but as long as you are honest and consistent, you will have data you can use. Give yourself 4 points daily for just being alive. Any training that you do will be added to that number. An easy technique workout might be a 5. A brutal workout that left Pukie tapping you on the shoulder would be a 10. A very demanding strength workout, or maxing out on a lift might be a 10 also. If you train more than once a day, or do other sports, you must be sure to factor in everything for the day into your training score. Any physical labor must be added in as well. See the RPE section below for more information on your workout’s effort level.

For the recovery scale, you must “earn” points, up to 10 possible.

Nutrition: 3 points. This is how I track this: If I eat as planned for the day, I hit my protein and veggie goals, and don’t consume any grains, dairy, legumes, or sugar – I get 3 points. I subtract subjectively based on the “infraction” – one point off for a cheat if most of my food was quality, for example.

Sleep: 3 points possible. 0 points for less than 6 hours sleep, 1 point for 6-7 hrs sleep, 2 points for 7-9 hrs sleep, and 3 points for 9+ hours of sleep. In addition, if my sleep quality is poor, I may deduct one point.

Recovery modalities: 1 point. If you do some joint mobility work, foam rolling, stretching or yoga, or get some bodywork done – give yourself a point. This is an area that I probably should expand on – it is that important. Do 10-15 minutes minimum to get your point for the day.

Stress: 3 points. Your lifestyle outside of the gym has a huge impact on your recovery and fitness levels. It is very important to keep this in line for good health – it may even be more important than a good diet or exercise plan!
1 point if you had 15 minutes or more of “alone” time to relax or do something you find enjoyable. (your workout doesn’t count for this) From Dan John’s original article: “Alone” time (1 point): If the athlete had some time during the day to collect their thoughts and relax without any time or work or school issues… you get 1 point. You need to figure 15 minutes at least…but that is not on the internet, phone, or a car, either!
1 point for no relationship stress; zero or even negative points if you are having conflicts.
1 point for play: if you had time to enjoy yourself in the company of others.

Total all of these; that is your recovery score for the day. Record both the training score (TS) and recovery score (RS).

To make this clearer, I will detail my score today. It was mostly an off day; I just did some light shoulder prehab exercises and flexibility work. I rated it a 5. For recovery: 3 points for diet – all quality food choices, and hit my goals. Sleep – 7:45 hrs, decent quality, so 2 points. One point for doing joint mobility and flexibility work. One point for no relationship stress, one point for alone time. No time today for play, or non-work socialization, so no point there. Total = 8. Since my recovery score is 3 points higher than my training score, it was a pretty good rest day.

During the actual workout, there are several things you can add to simple sets and reps. For individual exercises, I rate three things, as follows:
• RPE- (rating of perceived effort) 1-10 scale. 1=very easy, 5 moderate, 8 very hard, 9 – 100% effort; almost failed 10=failure Rate whichever was the hardest set of the exercise.
• RPT- (rating of perceived technique) 1-10 scale. How good was your technique for the exercise? Be honest; 10 is perfect. Rate you average rep quality.
• RPD- (rating of perceived discomfort) 1-10 scale. This rating is for any pain that was present during the exercise. This is not the pain of effort, but rather pain from any brewing injuries. Beware if your RPD is any higher than a 3.

The RPE and RPT (RT) scales were originally measures used by Bulgarian Olympic Weightlifting coaches. The late Mel Siff wrote about this in his epic book “Supertraining”.. More recently, Scott Sonnon has expanded on them a bit, adding the RPD scale. A way to track these more efficiently is to record your TED instead. (technique, effort, discomfort) So, for example:
Weighted Ring Dips 45 lbs x 5×5x5 TED = 872 (technique was an eight, effort was a 7, and discomfort a 2 – I had a slight pain in the right shoulder)

These numbers are useful to gauge progress. Some examples: The longer that you train an exercise, your technique numbers should improve. If your technique is poor, then the effort level must be reduced until your technique is solid. If your effort levels are always very high, you may hit a plateau. If the discomfort slowly creeps up on an exercise over a period of time, you are likely headed for an injury.

In addition to tracking each individual exercise, I assign a TED ranking to the workout as a whole. You can use this number to plug into your workout score as discussed above.

• Bodyweight – Only measure this once per week, max!! Some shouldn’t even check this often. Daily scale watching seems to lead to a certain neurosis about weight. Your bodyweight will always fluctuate several pounds up or down from day to day. Obsessing over this will enviably lead to frustration, whether you are trying to loose or gain weight.
• Body fat measurements - I get my biosignature measured once every 1-2 weeks. This is an accurate body fat measurement that also reflects my hormonal profile. This is a service that I offer at CrossFit Portland for those interested.

Food Log

Finally, to the food log side. I only track everything when I am making a change, or trying to root out food intolerances. However, I always track mealtimes, and a general overview of the day’s eating plan, plus anything notable.

• Time of meal
• Foods/beverages eaten – what you ate and how much
• Where you ate – see below
• Supplements – if you take any supplements, note it here
• How you feel 1-2 hours following – This can be useful to really get you diet dialed in. If you feel lethargic or sleepy, likely that you had too high of an insulin response. Reduce the carbohydrate load in the future and see how you feel.

You can also track possible food allergies or sensitivities with this section. After a couple of weeks, review your log to look for any trends or reactions to certain foods. Watch where you eat, as well. Sometimes you may see a reaction to foods eaten only at a specific location. This might indicate an irritating additive present in the food served at that location. Removing the food allergens from your diet will improve recovery from training, not to mention making you feel a whole lot better!

So there are some things to think about when planning your log. You don’t need track all of this stuff all the time – but most of it is quick and easy when you get in the habit. There are also many other items that could be added to your log, based on your individual needs. Good luck!

Well, as usual, I am running behind on posting! Things have been busy, but food has been very good. My breakfasts haven’t been anything different than what I’ve posted before: leftover meat and nuts, or a few veggies scrambled with omega-3 eggs. Two breakfasts that were a bit different:

Broccoli stems and eggs – peel and cut the broccoli stems into thin wafers, then chop these into halves or quarters. Saute in olive or coconut oil, adding garlic and basil. Once the veggies have softened, add the eggs and scramble.

Eggs Benedict with Holindaise Sauce – I got this one from Gourmet Nutrition. The recipe and book is not Paleo, but I converted the recipe. Grill onion slices to replace the muffin that is normally in this meal. Top with a tomato slice, sauted spinach and mushrooms, deli turkey meat, and a poached egg. I topped it with sauce made with olive oil mayo, coconut milk, a bit of Dijon mustard, and lemon juice. Tasty!!

Have a great Thanksgiving! Don’t worry about any cheats today, the stress of worrying about them might be worse than the cheat itself. Here are a few strategies that you can employ to lessen the effects a bit: Green tea before a cheat meal will lower the insulin response an bit, as will taking your fish oil first. Also, have some fresh lemon juice in your water. Take extra servings of meat and veggies, and smaller servings of the carb-laden fare.

Which brings me to a pet peeve of mine: Popular opinion blames the sleepy after effects of a Thanksgiving meal on the tryptophan from eating turkey. Though this may contribute slightly, the obvious cause is the massive insulin response to a very large, carbohydrate heavy meal! Turkey, or possibly some ham, is usually the only source of protein in a traditional meal. Almost everything else is a dense carbohydrate: potatoes, sweet potatoes, bread or rolls, fruit salad, pie, stuffing, and more. A guaranteed blood sugar roller coaster!

Both today and yesterday: 2 duck eggs scrambled with some minced ginger, 2 Tbsp minced carrots, and caraway seeds. Celery sticks and cashew butter.

It is a good idea to vary your breakfasts so as not to induce any food allergies by chronic consumption of any one food. I need to rotate tomorrow!

Friday night, some of the guys from the gym went out to the Brazillian Grill for a meat-fest. I swear we ate several pounds of meat before leaving, or rather waddling out the door. So…. I wasn’t too hungry the next morning. Breakfast Saturday was about 12:30 in the afternoon – machaca scramble from my favorite stand-by: Muchas Gracias. You can’t beat these guys for a quick, cheap Paleo meal – just ask them to leave off the cheese and pass on the tortillas.

Sunday: A light breakfast of 2 duck eggs scrambled with a bit of sausage. Also, 2 celery sticks, and a bit of cashew butter. Water, coffee, fish oil, and vitamin D3.

I bought a quart of raw milk in Washington yesterday. If I was going to drink milk, I would have it raw. I did not know that you could buy it at Whole Foods, so I bought some to try it. I had no intention of adding it to my diet – just wanted to see what it tasted like, and to see if I had any reaction.

I put down a cup yesterday post workout, and it really wasn’t any different than I remember milk tasting. I have not had any milk since beginning Paleo eating about 5 years ago. It was a bit strange to drink milk; I definitely haven’t missed it. So, good news all around: I didn’t really like it, so I won’t be inclined to have it on occasion. I did not notice any reaction, possibly a very slight bit of mucus, but nothing definite.

I had the rest this morning to get rid of it. I made up a shake to drink after my workout: 1 1/2 cup milk, 1/2 cup blueberries, carob powder, cinnamon, and egg white protein powder. Fairly tasty, and no reaction, but I won’t do it again.

Despite raw milk’s advantages, it will still have a very high insulin index. It will also likely still promote cancer growth as much as conventional milk. I wouldn’t copy this breakfast.

11/13

Another simple, boring breakfast: 4 oz grassfed beef, 1 poached egg, 1 Tbsp cashew butter, and some leftover steamed broccoli and collards. Still in the dark… and one cup of organic espresso.

Though I have forgotten to mention it, most mornings I have a cup of home brewed espresso. Far from the coffee all day long of my past, this one morning cup is all I usually allow myself. There are many potential health benefits to coffee, but much as with alcohol, the benefits drop off very quickly once a modest quantity has been exceeded. The number of individuals walking around with varying degrees of adrenal fatigue, propping themselves up with caffeine, is staggering. Making it worse, most add a big dose of milk and sugars to the coffee.

I firmly believe that one significantly contributing factor to the the obesity epidemic is the popularity of coffeehouses since the early 90s. It is sad that there seems to be a segment of the population that thinks coffeehouse fare is somehow “healthier” than fast foods…650-1200 calories of nutrient devoid, insulinogenic crap is still crap!

One barrier to eating better that I frequently see is the perception that there is simply not enough time to eat properly. Often, individuals will try to wait to change their eating until some phantom date in the future when they perceive that life will slow down. News flash: there is no magical future time when there will be plenty of time to prepare meals. As someone who makes at least part of my living writing Paleo recipes, you might think that I have lots of spare time to play around in the kitchen, and therefore it is very easy for me to feed and water myself properly. The truth is that I have a very busy life and rushed schedule, and often have to find quick, easy ways to eat well. You are always going to have this problem from time to time as well. Get started on the road to feeling and performing better now, and learn to roll with the dietary punches by having lots of quality food on hand!

This morning was a perfect example. We have only lived in our new house for a couple of months. The kitchen light burned out yesterday, and it is a very unusual light fixture. I ended up breaking it trying to figure out how to remove it. So, no kitchen light this morning. In the dark, I opted to cook up 4 oz ground grassfed beef, then I ate a bit of cashew butter and leftover braised kale from last night’s dinner. No seasonings or anything special, but it gets the job done. Two hours later, I feel great and am still full.

Sorry for the breakfast delays!

Today: Late breakfast, made by Rochelle. Ground turkey cooked with Trader Joe’s mixed greens, with some leftover pesto from the other night. Tasty!

Yesterday: More of the cauliflower egg “rice”. Same stuff as a few days ago, just made it again working to perfect the recipe. Some ground grassfed beef to up the protein content.

The day before: Ground beef and almond butter. Very simple and quick.

1/2 can salmon (wild caught), mixed with a bit of olive oil mayo, Dijon mustard, and olives. Also, a saute of cubed acorn squash, onions, and Anaheim peppers. (very simple to make – saute in 1 Tbsp olive oil for ~ 20 minutes, tossing often)

Try to choose your veggies and fruits seasonally. This is a great time to experiment with all of the various types of squash that are in season. All are nutritious and tasty, and very versatile. Expand your horizons!

Sorry for the tardy post!

Yesterday: VERY simple; just more leftover fritatta. Leftovers can be your best friend in the am.

Today: 1/2 lb cube steak, very rare. Hot kale: Saute about 4 cups of chopped red kale in 1 Tbsp olive oil. After 4-5 minutes, add some tomato sauce and chopped garlic. Cover and simmer on low for 10 minutes.

I used El Pato enchilada sauce (very good), and some leftover habanero garlic. Very hot! Enjoy.