I've been at it for 30 years working out in cycles, making sure to take at least one month off every 4-5 months on to rest my body and has worked just fine. It took some time to get into a groove and figure out which equipment and movements garner the best results for my body type which is probably the root cause of most abandoned training plans. Some respond to exercise instantly and other types take a while longer and it's best to understand this. A journal will help initially but once you get into that groove or zone then it becomes another item in your fanny pack