The main thing about being "lost" is that you are someplace where you have no clue of where you are, how you got there, and - most importantly - how the growl to get home! You are pretty much doomed to run around in circles, and even though some might get lucky and stumble on the right path again, many don't.
And the gym is the exact same thing. What I'm talking about is the all-important LOG that every serious trainer should keep on their progress! The log is a map for yourself which you draw as you go, and whenever you seem to be lost you just have to reach for your map - your log - and follow the trail backwards until you find where you took a wrong turn. That simple.
A proper log will show you what worked and what didn't. Got an injury? Go back two months and see if you've made any specific changes for that muscle group lately. What did I do to get those terrific gains last spring, and what am I doing now that makes me not having gained diddly for the past three months? What can I do to improve my diet for this summer? I think you get the idea. Again, the log is the story of your success!!
The log should be in two parts: One exercise log, and one nutritional log.
The exercise log
Write down the exercises, the weights and the number of set/reps. Write down your total time for a certain musclegroup, and strive to push as much weight in as little time as possible (=intensity!). Also give yourself a grade, A to F, on how you felt vs. how you did. Don't forget to make note of cardio work as well - how long you did, heart rate percentage and amount of calories burned.
The nutritional log
Make note of the time you eat, what you eat, the amount you eat and the total amount of calories. Make note of everything - lying to yourself won't help you the least, and certainly won't make that twinkie you had for lunch go away!
Don't forget to write down fluids, such as juices, milk and protein drinks.
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