How to log your lifts at the gym (weights and reps)
By Rodrigo Grille · Updated
Logging what you lift is the difference between going to the gym and training with a plan. It doesn’t take much: a few details from each set tell you what to do today.
Why log your lifts
- To know what weight to use without guessing.
- To do one more rep than last time, which is the base of progressive overload.
- To see whether you’re progressing or stalling, looking at weeks rather than single days.
- To come back after a break knowing where to start.
What to write down for each set
- The exercise, with the exact variation or machine. A chest-supported machine row isn’t a dumbbell row, and every machine loads differently.
- The weight. Always in the same unit, pounds or kilos.
- The reps of each set, separately. “135 lb × 10, 9” tells you far more than “2 × 10”.
- Warm-up sets, separate or marked, so you don’t mix them up with your working sets.
- Notes that change the result: seat height, grip, or a pause in the middle of the set.
A logged session, as an example
Here are three exercises from Day A of the 3-day full body routine, logged properly, with warm-ups kept apart and every set written separately:
| Exercise | Warm-up | Sets | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leg Press | 170 × 8, 260 × 4 | 340 lb × 11, 9 | seat at 5 |
| Smith Machine Bench Press | 75 × 8, 110 × 4 | 150 lb × 9, 7 | bench in hole 3 |
| Lat Pulldown | 110 × 8 | 160 lb × 10, 8 | wide grip |
With that, next time you know the leg press calls for 12 reps on the first set at 340 lb, and that if you get there, you go up to 350 lb the session after.
What you can skip
You don’t need the exact time, calories or ten metrics per set. The harder logging is, the sooner you’ll stop doing it. Weight and reps are what matter; rest time only if you want to keep an eye on it.
Notebook, notes, spreadsheet or app
- Notebook: fast and battery-free, but hard to compare across weeks, and easy to lose.
- Phone notes: always with you, but it’s free text and finding last time takes a while.
- Spreadsheet: great for analysis at home, awkward to fill in between sets.
- A gym log or workout tracker app: it shows last time next to today’s set and does the math. Pick one that doesn’t make you stare at your phone more than needed and doesn’t ask you to create an account to get started.
Log it as you go
Write each set down as soon as you finish it, not from memory at the end of the session: that’s when you know exactly how many reps you did and whether they were clean. If that feels like a lot, set up the weight for your next set while you rest.
How to read your log
Compare each set with the same set last time, not with your best day ever. If the first set of an exercise hasn’t moved in weight or reps for three or four sessions, it’s time to look at your rest, your form, or try a different variation. And look at the trend over several weeks: bad days happen and don’t mean you’ve stopped progressing.
If you want a program to start logging, there’s a complete one in the 3-day full body routine.