Best Workout Performances!

japar

How do you measure your performance in the gym? For me, it’s all about how hard did I work. At this point for me, “calories burned” is my primary indicator - I have others too. So, I am typically interested in my workout calorie total net (workout calories minus average awake calorie burn for that timeframe) and calorie intensity (cal/minute).

Here are my best outputs since I started measuring (remember young bucks, I’m an old man so give me a break…):

Cardio: Insanity – Max Circuit on 7/26/13 – 699 net calories in 65 minutes = 12.42 total cals/minute (avg HR = 131 BPM)
Strength (Best Net Cal Burn): Back/Shoulders/Arms on 8/2/13 – 609 net cals in 75 minutes
Strength (Best Cals/Min): Legs/Chest on 10/4/13 – 570 net cals in 68 minutes = 10.04 total cals/minute (avg HR = 117 BPM)

Anyone track similarly...or different?

explosivedonut

For me, I measure my workout performances by how many personal records I set during that workout. Did I run farther? Lift heavier? And so on...

cafeaulait7

I get burned out on numbers and find that I'm motivated by what I can do. So my best workouts are when I was strong enough to do certain body weight moves one more time, for instance Or to finally do it at all! For endurance, I literally just try to do it longer, but I find that less exciting for some reason.

My best calorie burn/most intense exercise day was probably a workshop I took to become an instructor once a few years ago. I say 'once' because I could hardly walk for the next 5 days, lol. It was full-out (dance) for 8 hours straight, and apparently I'm not as young as I used to be

juliewatkin

It's all about numbers for me. I don't have a best per se but have memorable training sessions for numbers I hit. They vary depending on my body weight.

A couple of recent highlights: 15 bw pull ups, 4 pull ups + 27.5lbs, squat 165lbs for 20 reps, squat 242.5 for 3 reps, deadlift 315 for one. Deadlift 235 for 21. 50 push ups (I think that was the hardest except the 20 rep squats) Things like that.

lucan07

How do you measure your performance in the gym? For me, it’s all about how hard did I work. At this point for me, “calories burned” is my primary indicator - I have others too. So, I am typically interested in my workout calorie total net (workout calories minus average awake calorie burn for that timeframe) and calorie intensity (cal/minute).

Here are my best outputs since I started measuring (remember young bucks, I’m an old man so give me a break…):

Cardio: Insanity – Max Circuit on 7/26/13 – 699 net calories in 65 minutes = 12.42 total cals/minute (avg HR = 131 BPM)
Strength (Best Net Cal Burn): Back/Shoulders/Arms on 8/2/13 – 609 net cals in 75 minutes
Strength (Best Cals/Min): Legs/Chest on 10/4/13 – 570 net cals in 68 minutes = 10.04 total cals/minute (avg HR = 117 BPM)

Anyone track similarly...or different?

I am an older old man, and only record cardio workouts on connect.garmin.com I do not record strength

Best Rowing Thu, 19 Sep 2013 time 1:20:00 Distance 15.00k Speed 11.2 kph avg HR 123 Max HR 130 cadence 55 Cals 915
Best Cycling Fri, 20 Sep 2013 time 1:23:40 Distance 40.00k Speed 28.7kph avg HR 130 Max HR 140 avg Cadence 78 Cals 1045
Best Elliptical Mon, 23 Sep 2013 time 48:24 Distance 15.00k Speed 18.6kph avg HR 134 max HR 142 Cals 637

not my max burn per minute but max burn per apparatus per session a lot of my HIT sessions have my HR Avg 140+ max 160+.

japar

Good stuff all so far. Any others?

AdrianBry

I don't worry about the calories I burn when doing intervals. I just try to get my *kitten* kicked each time but when I do my super intense 32 min. elip workout I try to beat the calorie number from the previous workout and 2 days I again I set a personal record of 386.7 calories in 32 min.

The calorie thing just makes me push harder and faster so i can always beat my last workout

DopeItUp

I used to be like that when I was a newbie, then I realized it was basically meaningless. Especially recording calories burned while lifting, which is completely inaccurate. Each 90min lifting session would show 1100-1400 calories which is hilarious (I log 450 each time). Focus on the progress of the workout itself or the results given, IMO.

Hezzietiger1

I don't pay to much attention to calories burned in the gym anymore. I used to.. but not that i'm way more fit, I burn way less. Now I keep a notebook of workouts. I care about Weight PR's- and try to beat those. I also always set a goal for a skill I want to develop and work til I get there. I wanted to be able to do 25 straight double unders..done. I wanted to do 5 pullups-done. I wanted to master the crossfit kip-done. I wanted to do handstand pushups-done (as of yesterday). Today I walked from wall to wall on my hands, something fun I've been working on. I also track mile time, 5k time, 500m row time, etc. and work on improving those. Next 2 goals, ring dips to full depth and 120 burpees in 7 minutes.

japar

Yep - more good stuff. @Hezzietiger: impressive and I like the way you track your work efforts/goals (OBTW you're an animal )!

@DopeItUp: newbie comment cracks me up...(the more things change...) when I was a newbie in the weight room (34 years ago) I was all about what you say you've progressed to! I think we look for "new" ways to measure stuff and for me it wasn't about the weight, reps, etc at this time (been there and done that) - it was about the measure of work. A common measure of work in the human body is the calorie and I've found I can modulate the calorie burns creatively in the gym like I had not done before. And OBTW those calorie counts are indeed crazy (I'm even skeptical of the 450 that you use as a norm).

@AdrianBry: PR of 386.7 calories in 32 min is great!

@Lucan07: I identify with you (older - and our max HR (thereby calorie output) is lower) and those are great outputs!

jollyjoe321

I tend to judge my performances by how much I managed to lift, gains etc.

Though with running I like to monitor my heartrate at the end to get an idea of what it peaked at.

JoRocka

I log calories burned since I am set at sedentary and eat back- but I just know if I did a good job or not. I just log them to log them for logging's sake- not because I am obsessive over my calories.

true performance gains can be seen over months of time- rather than at one gym session to the next- so I don't view a good performance as a PR- that's just training that's come to fruition.

I always have a good performance- unless it's bad. If it's bad I know it- I fail lifts- or I'm weak and unmotivated- or I'm cranky. I KNOW when I have a bad performance or session.... but it's a lot more rare- and why i can tell you when I had a bad one rather than try to define the good ones. They are all good unless I'm weak- tired or in a bad mood.

not sure if that makes ANY sense at all- but that's about it. I always love lifting- unless I'm injured- then not so much. LOL

failure is more notable to me than success. I log everything but what gets extra notes are my bad days.

lucan07

Had my VO2max tested at hospital today and couldn't believe the difference a bit of exercise can make 12 Aug 2013 I tested at 21.70 which was in the middle fair range for someone of my age, today after just eight weeks cardio and diet losing 10.6kg my VO2max is 36.71 which is towards top end of average and only 1.29 from being good. Delighted with the improvement especially since I still smoke!