How a Simple Rehab Tool Can Increase Your Strength 30% or More

Without this simple and low cost tool, you’ll work harder, longer, and be more frustrated in your efforts to feel stronger, younger, and practically bulletproof.

It’s not one specific drill or routine that will get you to the promised land.

It’s not a special piece of equipment or a high-tech gizmo.

You won’t believe how simple this is!

And even though it takes you very little time and costs almost nothing, few people actually do it.

The Best Single Thing You Can Do To Become Practically Bulletproof

Keep a training log.

I know. Dull, huh?

But here’s the deal.

I learned this years ago as a practicing physical therapist and later helped thousands of other therapists learn it as well.

The ONLY way your body (and when I use the word body I mean your mind too – it’s all one) improves; gets stronger, faster, more agile, flexible is by edging. And the only way, really, for you to know how much to edge, when to edge, is to keep track of what you’ve done.

I kept a detailed log of each client’s rehab program. I knew the loads, reps, sets, speed – just about every detail you can imagine.

And by reviewing these variables, I could edge my clients into wellness with considerable speed.

So, when I started Fusion, naturally, this concept of edging came with me.

Fusion isn’t like any other form of training because of the way we build the Elements (with a primary and secondary focus) and rotate those Elements into a training week. If you don’t keep a log, there’s simply no way you’ll remember your loads and total durations from one week to the next since you might complete, for example, Carbon on day one, week one then not do it again until day three, week three.

I know of people who “workout” doing the same routine over and over.

After a while, about a month or so, they’re practically wasting their time.

They might feel as if something good is happening but your body says otherwise.

And worse, they’re missing out on one of the most amazing things about the human body.

Because the human body is inherently lazy, it adapts to change quickly to prevent wasting energy. By edging, you can easily increase your strength at least 30% or more over two or three months. If you’re not edging, you’re just treading water.

It’s not just my opinion either.

A group of cyclists improved their time trials by first recording their best times and then racing against an animated figure on a computer that was designed to be faster than their best time.¹

And it worked. Turns out that they cyclists beat their own best time. But only because they had a gauge of what that best time actually was.

How to Keep a Training Log

There are a lot of ways to keep track of your training.

You can use a journal and jot down what you did that day. You’ll want to record the Element, the loads, rep counts, and total duration (when applicable).

Or, you can use the training logs we supply and store them in a file.

I think that’s easier but that could just be my preference (and here’s a video that explains how to setup and use the kind of training log I’m suggesting – password is fusiontribe).

And, here’s the “diary” type of log I mentioned in the video.

Summary

Keeping a training log is a simple, low cost tool that will help you get the most out of your time and maximize your results. You can use a simple pen and notepad or follow our suggestions using a training file.

How are you keeping track of your training? Have you found other ways to keep a training log? Care to share your discoveries?

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Stone MR, Thomas K, Wilkinson M, Jones AM, Gibson AS, Thompson Effects of Deception on Exercise Performance: Implications for Determinants of Fatigue in Humans. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2011 Aug 19. [Epub ahead of print] [↩]

Jimtigerpt

I simply log my training on my iCal calendar on my Mac computer which syncs seamlessly to and from my mobile devices such as the iPhone and iPad. I created a separate “FUSION” calendar and I only record my training within that calendar. The nice thing is that I can record my training on either of the devices and it shows up the same on all three alleviating any duplication and rework. There is room on each day that I can record an element and make notations on anything I would like to comment on such as the sets/reps I did, how a drill was edged, how I felt, act.. That way it is easy for me to come back and compare from one session to another and one date to another. This may not work for others, but it seems to work for me.
Anonymous

That’s a great idea Jimmy. I’ve tried something similar with a Google calendar. Do you plan your week using iCal?
Jimtigerpt

Yes I do. I look back at what I have done the past few weeks more than look forward and plan the future. I rarely have the week ahead of me planned out but choose the element based on what I have done in the past, how I feel, and what I may need to emphasize that I have not in the past few weeks. That way, if I am lacking in a balance/flexibility element for example, I choose one of those. Using iCal in the weekly or monthly view allows me to see this very easily. I like to throw in a more challenging power or stamina element once a week or so. Last week it was Manganese with a weighted vest. This week, who knows…..we shall see. And I know I like to do 3 elements each week and sometimes throw some HITT in there too so that is what I always have planned in my mind.

Just caught a cold from my daughter 2 days ago so this may be a factor but that is a subject for another discussion; elements when you have a cold and how much to push it if at all….:-(
Lauriekertz

After keeping my own log for several weeks, then months, and now for a couple of years, I have a record that motivates me to stick with it, to keeping growing (strength, endurance, stabilization). When I have a busy week or month–and I’m feeling rather discouraged about my regression–it reminds me that I worked up to where I was, and I can certainly do it again. It’s easier to resume regular training when I can look back I see that such a practice has been who i am more often than not.
Omar

I made a little exercise tracker calendar in excel years ago and I’ve just added Fusion to it. I just use it to make sure I get a good mix of the elements. In another page in the spreadsheet, I log the specifics of my SSE sessions (max hr, number of steps, weight carried, time, speed, etc). And for the Fusion particulars, I just use the paper printouts.

Every month or so, I have a team meeting with all my fusion logsheets and make sure that they are “synced up”. In particular I look to make sure that any elements I haven’t done in a while have current loads pre-logged for drills I might have done more recently in another element.

Sometimes I’ll plan the week out. But I never plan the recovery day. That’s because when I need a recovery day it is immediately obvious. Like if there’s a day I need to watch over a sick child, the next day is almost assuredy a “recovery day”. Or if I just need to sleep in to catch up…

I agree that logging is a valuable tool. Similarly to Laurie, I’ll use it to remember past glories and aim to repeat or exceed them. In short, if you want to deliver on results you need to track your metrics and hold yourself accountable to them.
Anonymous

It’s very easy to forget where you once were in terms of capacity or strength or general function – at least for me. So I agree – the log is an invaluable tool. And I like your methods!
Jimtigerpt

Well this is more than a cold. Have a major sinus infection and inflammation of everything in my throat. Went to the doctor and got a cortisone shot, antibiotic shot, and oral antibiotics for 10 days. Feel better today but a major disruption in my training. Guess I have to listen to my body and chill out per MD suggestion. But man, missing an element or some HIIT makes me feel guilty and the 12 pack taco bell tacos our secretary bought for us today did not help. No, I didn’t eat 12 of them by the way. Ahh…such is life. Need to listen to my body I guess….