But how do you know if your diet is indeed adequate for the task ahead? Likewise, how do you know if your training routines are effective or not? A critical but often overlooked component of muscle building is keeping records of what you eat and what you lift. A simple meal journal can get you started in the right direction.

It’s a simple procedure that can go a long way towards improving your muscle building program. It’s really not that difficult once you get used to it. You simply have to discipline yourself to take a few extra moments and write down a few things. Start with how many calories you’re eating, how many grams of protein you’re eating, and what kind of exercises you’re performing.

The great thing about this is that you can simply take a look your records if you think you’ve been falling short on any part of your plan. If you’re not making as much progress as you would like, the answer probably lies in your journal.

You can make adjustments as necessary, such as increasing your calories or reducing your fat intake. You can lift heavier weights or increase the repetitions all based on the records that you’re keeping.

You should already know that lifting weights is actually what stimulates your muscles to grow. This is important because without this, an increase in calories will simply end up increasing your fat levels.

Recordkeeping is important here as well, since you can easily record your body fat percentage with the right kind of scale. Writing it all down is essential because you have to know your starting point if you’re ever to reach your goal.

If you’re trying to make it through a muscle building workout plan and you’re not keeping track on paper, you really are wasting your time.