A recent daily email from the Writer’s Almanac reminded me
of the great diarist Samuel Pepys, who began his diary on January 1, 1660, and
kept it going for almost 10 years.1 Today we value Pepys’
observations as a “delightfully detailed portrait of Restoration English,” as
the Almanac put it—not only those describing historically significant events,
but also those describing the daily experiences of Pepys himself. In his first
entry, for instance, he writes, “Dined at home in the garret, where my wife
dressed the remains of a turkey, and in the doing of it she burned her hand.”
Hardly the stuff of legend, and yet taken together such tidbits form a
fascinating window into the life of an individual dead for over three hundred
years.
Like Pepys, I keep a consistent journal, though I limit its
scope to weightlifting. Every time I lift weights, I record the type of
exercise, the amount of weight involved, and the number of repetitions I do. I
am now on my third journal, having started with a sparkly pink one in September
2004, moved to a plain black one in June 2008, and begun my current purple and
gray plaid one in September 2012.
The value of a weightlifting journal, I have come to learn,
extends beyond simple record-keeping. Of course referring to my previous
entries helps me decide what weight to use on a given exercise and how many
reps to shoot for, and were that its only function it would be worth toting
around the gym and keeping carefully updated. But a weightlifting journal
serves more functions than this. In different ways, it is a teacher, companion,
and ally.
Recent entries in my weightlifting journal
One great benefit of my journals is that they are tangible,
detailed reminders of how far I’ve come since I first started lifting weights
as a college undergraduate. Pull-ups have always been one of my most important
targets at the gym, and my journals are records of how persistent I have been
when it comes to this difficult exercise. I finally achieved my first pull-up
on January 9, 2006—nearly two years after beginning the Weight Training for Women
class that started it all—and wasn’t consistently doing two pull-ups until February
2008. Now I usually do six to seven, occasionally dipping down to five or
rising up to eight and a half. Yes, in this pursuit I can confidently say I
have shown persistence. It’s right there on the page. And it’s not just
pull-ups—I have hundreds of pages proving I went to the gym week after week,
sometimes when I would have much rather been doing something else.
Another benefit of journaling is the opportunity to write sporadic
remarks venting frustration or sharing pleasant thoughts with my future self.
On November 2, 2005, I was apparently exasperated enough by my squat sets to note,
“I hate these!” A few times I have jotted down “Yes!” next to a feat of
strength and determination. Smiley faces are slightly more frequent, though
still uncommon (most days have no descriptive comments or doodles at all), and the
occasional workout prompts a frowny face or “Ow!” Looking back at these remarks
weeks, months, and years later is an amusing and every so often poignant
activity.
I would love to get comments on these thoughts from any
readers who keep their own weightlifting journals. For any weightlifters
reading this who don’t journal, I advise you to start. You’ll be glad you did.
For readers who don’t lift weights or do similar strength training routines, I
hope the ancillary but meaningful gains you would experience from keeping a
journal can help convince you to start.
1. London-based web designer
Phil Gyford has put the entire text of Pepys’ diary on www.pepysdiary.com.
