If you want to have better workouts, it’s important to perform a workout review. As the name would suggest, a workout review is when you look back at your training session and think about what you could have improved.
This is important if you’re a gym novice, but it’s also crucial if you’re experienced in the gym. When you’ve been training for a while, it’s even easier to get complacent!
While it’s important not to be paralysed by the need to make every part of your workout perfect, it is important to fine-tune things over time. Remember that we’re all constantly growing and evolving; that’s what the gym is all about.
Even Trainers Perform Workout Reviews
Even as a strength coach with over a decade of experience, I’m continuously thinking of ways that my training sessions could have been more efficient or effective. In each personal training session that I deliver, I only have a set period of time to provide the best stimulus for my client.
That makes it crucial that I cut out anything from the workout that isn’t moving them towards their training goals.
Video: The Workout Review
This video will talk you through each question of the workout review. I highly recommend you go through each question if you want to make the most of your time in the gym.
These questions are best asked after a workout. However, you should keep these questions in mind when you plan your workouts too. If you’re planning your own workouts now, then you should watch this video on how to create your training plan.
If you can’t watch these videos right now, then keep reading to learn more about the workout review.
These 4 Questions Will Improve Your Workouts
While the video goes into full detail on these workout questions, I’m going to cover them here in brief detail.
- Did my workout include progressive overload? Did you make your workout harder than it was the last time you did it? You don’t have to increase difficulty by much, but you need to just nudge the needle slightly. If you couldn’t progress, why not?
- Was there any junk/filler in the training programme? Does everything in the workout serve a purpose? Did you execute everything in the workout well enough to justify it being there?
- Did you manage your time efficiently? It’s easy to spend too much time in the gym talking, swiping through your phone, and so on. The gym is a social place, so some of this behaviour is fine. But if your workouts start to suffer, it’s time to audit yourself. Consider using these quick strength training methods.
- Did you train with intent? It’s important that you train with the intent to actually reach your goals. This could mean training close to failure if you’re trying for muscle growth; it could mean lifting quickly if you’re trying to produce speed. Find something to focus on in each set; don’t just spin your wheels.
Workout Review Summary
These 4 questions will help you think about each aspect of your training programme. They help you consider exercise selection, weekly progression, time efficiency, and focus. If you can answer each of these questions positively, then you’re probably in a good place with your workouts.
If there are any questions here that you cannot answer positively, it might be time for a change. Contact me below if you need help improving your workouts.