The best way to track your fitness progress
Somewhere along the way, tracking your fitness progress became hard.
It doesn’t need to be that way.
Simplicity has always been the most effective way to see sustainable results.
But making something simple requires hacking away at the unessentials.
The Trickster archetype constantly hijacks the human mind.
This makes it easy to believe that for something to ‘work,’ it needs to be hard.
Fitness isn’t easy. Neither is nutrition. At least not in the beginning.
When you start something new, the beginning is always the hardest.
But with the right standards and systems, health should get easier over time.
Again, simplicity is the key to sustainability.
Keep it so simple you could do it on your hardest, most overwhelming day.
Here’s how to track your fitness progress without overwhelming yourself.
Let’s dive in.
What’s the purpose of tracking?
The purpose of fitness tracking is straightforward:
To track your health & fitness progress.
Different tools do different results.
Some tools are better than others.
But before you start focusing on which tool is the best to track your fitness progress, let’s start with what and why:
Why do you want to track your progress?
What do you want to specifically track?
The clearer you are on both questions, the faster and easier it is to choose the right tool.
Let’s use an example.
A high-achieving father in his late 40s wants to drop weight and get stronger. His why is simple: he wants to be a positive role model for his family as he ages, while regaining confidence in his health, body, and self-image. He’s also keen to reconnect with his inner athlete and former self (ex-soccer player, to make the example more interesting).
So he’s clear on his why.
Now, let’s talk about his what:
He wants to drop weight
He wants to get strong
Both are general goals that we can make more specific, but they're a great starting place.
We can dive more into the nitty-gritty as we continue with this example.
But we’ve got more clarity on why + what (which leads to) → where.
Once you know where you want to go, your health journey gets fun.
Creating high-performance fitness isn’t easy, but it can be simple.
What fitness metrics should you track?
Let’s continue with our current example.
Our high-achieving dad, 49, with 2 kids in their teens, has gained about 30 pounds. He feels tired and lethargic most days and is uncertain about his body and health.
He’d love to regain his strength, leanness, and athletic ability while dropping the extra pounds.
We now have clearer details. This helps us decide which fitness metrics he should track.
Here’s what we have so far:
Track his bodyweight (ideally his body composition)
Track his strength
Track his endurance/athletic abilities
Track his energy levels
Not too shabby. Now we’ve got a solid runway for creating an incredible transformation for Alex (he’s got a name now since we’re investing so much time together).
Alex is ready to change; he’s got his why, what, and where, and he knows which fitness metrics to track to measure his progress.
He’s got the magic ‘m’ word that everyone needs in their health & fitness.
He has momentum.
Now let’s keep fueling it.
How do you track your fitness progress?
Tracking your fitness progress isn’t about becoming a fitness scientist (unless you want to).
It’s about getting enough data to make an educated decision about next steps each week.
That doesn’t mean you should change things every week.
It means you can track which behaviors lead to the results you want. You can also see which ones don't work and whether you need to make changes to improve progress.
Most weeks you won’t need to change a thing.
Some weeks you will.
Your fitness progress can and will be defined by your parameters.
Some people are fine with just being more energetic.
Others will use systems to track their body fat percentage closely. But most body composition tools can be off by 3-7%.
Tracking your fitness progress isn’t about being perfect.
It’s about making informed decisions when you need to, at the right time.
What are the best fitness tracking tools?
So what’s the best fitness tracking tools?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a best list.
Because of the nature of technology, another ‘amazing’ fitness app will always be out there.
Understanding your own behavioral psychology is the first place to start when it comes to tracking… which is why we started with why + what = where.
Using this formula lets you see clearly into yourself, your goals, and your true motivations.
Without this, it’s easy to jump on the next fitness bandwagon and share the next shiny fitness object.
I know many of you are still curious about the best fitness trackers. So here’s a simple list of the top ones I’ve used across different health areas to make it easier for you.
I’ve tried over two dozen fitness trackers as I’ve experimented with my health and also fall victim to my own inner Trickster.
There’s always another fitness tracker.
The goal here isn’t to stay on the watch - but to find what’s sustainable, simple, and structured for your life.
Use the 3 S’s above to help guide your thinking process.
The list below breaks down some of the best fitness trackers I’ve used over the past decade, either for myself or with clients.
Absorb what’s useful, discard what’s not, and add what’s uniquely yours.
1) Cronometer
I've used Chronometer for the past 7 years.
Spending over half a decade in a tool is a good thing.
Here’s what I like about Chronometer:
High-level overview for nutrition tracking (especially if you're plant-based)
Deep dive into micronutrients, including vitamins, minerals, supplements, etc
Can set recurring and repeat meals while saving time tracking
Can track biometrics including body weight, measurements, heart rate, plus a plethora of other metrics
Syncs with some of my favorite trackers, including Withings, Garmin, and Fitbit
Chronometer is essentially an all-in-one nutrition tracker.
I also think it's superior to MyFitnessPal, which is more popular but less useful.
Chronometer is also a great option if you're working with a coach because its private coaching portal lets coaches review clients' nutrition logs and make adjustments for them.
I use this personally with 1:1 clients or our ZH App. Both options have worked well for us over the years.
We also cover the premium version of Cronometer for 1:1 private coaching clients as an extra bonus (random side note).
Cronometer can be a helpful tool if you’re starting out on your nutrition and health journey.
2) MyFitnessPal
MFP is the OG of fitness trackers.
It’s well known for its versatility and large global meal database.
It was the first nutrition tracker I used when I started tracking my meals.
The premium version is much better than the free one. This is mainly because most top features are now behind the subscription paywall.
But it’s still a solid option if you’re new to the nutrition tracking world and aren’t sure where to start.
MFP’s biggest strengths are:
Large meal databases
Simple meal tracking
Connects to nearly every major fitness app (big plus)
Pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it
Over the years, clients have been evenly split, 50/50, between MFP and Cronometer. This shows that choosing the app you like best is really a matter of personal preference.
Regardless of which one you choose, the most important part of tracking isn’t the app; it's consistency.
Consistency over perfection.
3) Zhanay Health App
I'm biased.
Powered by Trainerize, our Zhanay Health App has everything I wish I had in a prior fitness tool.
Strength workouts & specialized programming to build muscle and drop fat
Nutrition tracking along with photo tracking to get lean (also can sync to MFP, Fitbit, and Chronometer)
Syncs to nearly every fitness watch (Garmin, Apple Watch, Fitbit)
7-14 day nutrition plans built from scratch using 100s of our homemade fitness recipes to get lean
Handcrafted cardio and mobility workouts
A built-in text messenger along with voice notes and video messaging
High-level calendar overview with tracking to hold you accountable to your daily checklist
A bird's-eye view of your body weight, measurements, and progress photos all in one hub to accelerate progress
That’s just a few things that it does.
The best way to describe it is as a high-performance health app paired with world-class health & fitness programming and/or coaching (if needed).
It’s been our base for our clients over the past decade.
The time, energy, and effort Trainerize has invested in its product have far surpassed my expectations.
They’ve been around long enough for other major fitness apps to go out of business.
So they know what they’re doing with the future of their fitness app.
I’ve been happy to use their app to power our clients’ results over the past 10 years, and I look forward to many more years of seamless fitness progress tracking.
Less is more when you’re doing the right things with the right tools.
4) StrengthLog
Before I had the ZH App, I tracked all my weightlifting workouts in StrengthLog.
It's a simple strength workout logger built for ease and simplicity. It also lets you track sets, reps, weights, exercises, and lifts.
I used SL for nearly two years to help me stay on track with my workouts.
I also like the option to buy programs built for different goals, which gives me variety and makes tracking my progress easier.
It's another solid option if you're starting your workouts this year and don't know what to do at the gym or at home.
If I had to start from scratch, I'd use Chronometer + StrengthLog to drop body fat and build muscle.
5) Withings
Withings isn’t so much a fitness app as a fitness-tracking tool.
It requires an external device, like a Withings scale in my case.
The utility of the Withings App is similar to other apps:
It lets you track trends
It helps with your decision-making process
I use Withings mainly to track my body weight and biometrics. This includes body fat percentage, muscle mass, water weight, and bone density. I also remember to take the results with a grain of salt.
Most scales and bodyweight trackers have a margin of inaccuracy.
So focus on trends, not exact numbers.
The main purpose of tracking your results is to give you insight into your behaviors.
Behaviors leverage the results you want to see.
6) MindTrx
This isn’t your normal fitness or health app.
This app uses guided audio to help rewire your unconscious mind.
The founder, Dr. Paul Sheele, is one of the world’s leading teachers in human learning and development.
I’ve followed his work for years and truly believe in Learning Strategies' mission.
MindTrx is their personal library of 70+ paraliminals, guided audio you listen to that can, over time, help rewire your subconscious and unconscious mind.
Since all human behavior is an attempt to solve a problem, understanding why we do what we do is a great way to take back the reins of your health without giving in to self-sabotage.
I’ve used this personally for years, and with clients.
It’s worth checking out if you want to go to the root cause of your health or fitness challenges.
7) Garmin
Garmin is my personal preference. But you can swap it out for Fitbit or Apple Health if you prefer.
With my athletic background and years of competitive soccer, I’ve also been interested in biometrics like HRV, stress, and recovery, as well as standard watch features like steps, time, and alarms.
Garmin fits the sports enthusiast mold better.
It’s also unnecessary if you just want to track steps and time (since a simple watch or pedometer works just as well).
But if you want extra data and deeper insight into your daily activities, Garmin is one I’ve used successfully over the past few years.
Personally, I keep the Bluetooth off my watch and phone to lower EMF radiation, and I don’t wear my watch to bed (even though it could track my sleep score).
I’ve been steadily removing EMF devices and tech from our home over the past few years. Soon, I may switch to a simple pedometer. This change will simplify my health tracking and help me build stronger health defenses.
Just a side note if you want to uplevel your health in minimal time.
8) MacroFactor
MacroFactor is a relatively new tool.
The team at Stronger By Science has worked on this tool for the past few years and created something unique.
Unlike Chronometer, MacroFactor is built for the self-sustainable human.
It uses specific AI tools to auto-calculate your caloric goals and auto-adjust macros day to day/week to week to help you make sustainable progress.
While more advanced, it's a great option for those of you who are genuinely self-sufficient.
I've used MF for a few months to test it out, and while I love the interface and tracking abilities, I also appreciate the extra guidance from my fitness instructor (even though I consider myself self-sufficient).
Chronometer ranks higher for me, but MF is a solid option that improves with each new update.
How to make nutrition tracking even faster
Nutrition tracking can get complicated.
Most people track their nutrition inefficiently.
If you want to save more time tracking and live your life, here’s what to do:
Create a database of 6-8 meals that you eat consistently
Save those meals on MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, or your preferred tracking tool
Once your meals are saved as templates inside of your tracker, commit to using similar meals each time you eat (*if you’re cutting body fat OR building muscle, having a systematized plan for your meals will dramatically reduce your tracking time)
Each time you track, use the meals you’ve saved as templates and adjust the grams per ingredient (if needed). For example, if your meal template is lentil tofu stew but on Monday you added more tofu, adjust the grams for that extra tofu for that meal.
Bonus step: If you use Cronometer (which I recommend or our ZH App, which tracks meals as well, you also have the option to set up your meals as recurring. This is a game-changer because you can save your meals and set them to recur indefinitely. This means you only need to tweak grams per meal (if needed).
You’ve saved over 50% of the time tracking your meals.
Reinvest that saved time in your quality of life, workouts, or time with family.
You might even get some extra sleep.
The best way to measure fitness progress
Tracking results is important for seeing progress.
As any good scientist, you need feedback (data) from your behaviors to make informed decisions.
If you don’t have data?
You can’t make a good decision.
Instead of blindly shooting arrows in the dark or getting upset when the scale goes up (or down), focus on gaining clarity about your health.
With clarity comes understanding.
And this leads to better decisions.
However, most tracking systems aren't effective.
They don’t capture the full picture of physical and body-composition transformation.
Which is why we teach a 3-tier system inside of Zhanay Health.
The 1-1-1 system ensures we get at least 6 data points from our clients without relying on faulty data or making inaccurate decisions.
How it works:
1 - weekly: track your body weight (first thing in the morning, same time every week, before you eat and drink)
1 - weekly: track your body measurements (first thing in the morning, same time every week, before you eat and drink)
*Track hips, waist, thighs, and chest.
1 - weekly: track your photos (front, side, back; in underwear or bikini, good lighting, clear background, and use the same place each week)
Expert Tip: Progress photos are a requirement every week for our students.
The reason why is simple.
Without clear and visible data on your progress, it’s hard to notice changes in body composition.
Schedule your photos, body weight, and measurements each week. Set this as a recurring event in your calendar.
This way, you can challenge yourself to track your health and fitness progress.
Set up your systems for success, and the results will follow.
Your job is to focus on your fitness behaviors. When you do this, tracking your fitness progress becomes much easier. You're tackling the big rocks: working out regularly, eating well, and ensuring quality sleep, rest, and recovery each day.
Keep it so simple you can’t fail.
A simple fitness tracking checklist
Tracking your fitness progress doesn’t need to be hard.
It also doesn’t need to be overwhelming. It just needs to be simple, structured, and sustainable.
The 3 S’s of tracking fitness progress are how you build systems for life.
It’s what’s helped my personal health tracking and our clients over the past decade.
It will work for you, too.
Here’s a recap of what we covered:
Clarify why you want to track your fitness progress
Clarify what specific fitness metrics you need to track
Choose the appropriate fitness tools you need to use
Simplify your fitness tracking processes
Use the 111 standard to measure your rate of progress
Rinse and repeat as needed
I’ve used nearly every fitness tracking method out there for years.
Some are okay. Most aren’t. A couple are good. Ultimately, it’s not about finding the best tool to track with (although this can help).
It’s about clarifying what results you want, the parameters around them, and simplifying your tracking process.
It always comes back to less is more.
Enjoy tracking your fitness, and best of luck ahead!