What to record in a strength-training log

A useful strength-training log records the exercise, completed sets and repetitions, load and units, and any setup change that affects the comparison. Keep the planned work in a separate field. You should be able to read the entry next week and know what happened without reconstructing the session.

A notebook, spreadsheet, or app can hold this information. Choose the format you will complete and can share when you need feedback.

Keep planned and completed training separate

A repetition is one performance of a movement; a set groups repetitions. The University of Georgia's weight-training terms explain these basic units. Use them consistently in both the plan and the result.

If the plan says three sets and you complete two, preserve both entries. An empty third row leaves the reader guessing. A note such as “Third set not completed; session ended early” records a different fact from “Third set completed, not logged.”

Avoid copying the planned numbers into the results column before training. The result should describe completed work, including any difference you want reviewed.

Read a filled strength-training log entry

A strength-training log should show the intended work beside the completed work. This hypothetical record shows how the fields fit together. The numbers are illustrative, not a suggested workout or load.

The example contains 23 completed repetitions: 8 + 8 + 7. The planned total was 24. Keeping both makes the difference visible. It does not decide how the next session should change.

Make training-load numbers readable

Write the unit every time it could be unclear. For dumbbells, state whether the number refers to each dumbbell. For a barbell, use an agreed total that identifies what is included. For a machine, record its label and enough detail to find the same station again.

“30” is ambiguous. “30 lb each dumbbell” is readable. “Cable station 2, stack label 40 lb” identifies a different type of entry. The pounds-and-kilograms guide gives examples of clear unit notation.

When you move to a different machine, create a distinct entry. A higher number on a different station does not establish that you repeated the same task with more resistance. Keep the equipment change visible in the record.

Label the effort scale in your training log

A log can include an effort estimate when your program uses one. Label the scale and the set it describes. “Last set: RIR 2” communicates a different item from an unlabelled “2” at the end of the session.

NSCA's training-load discussion, published in August 2021, separates external work from the person's response to it. Your load and repetitions describe work performed; an effort estimate adds another kind of information. The RPE and RIR guide explains those labels.

Keep extra fields only when you use them in a review. A short complete log is easier to interpret than a detailed template with unexplained blanks.

End the training log with a specific review question

Write one precise review question, attached to the relevant entry. Quote an unclear instruction or identify a changed piece of equipment. If the session followed an approved alternative, note the instruction and date.

Bring a recent readable log to a personal-training inquiry with Nightmare Muscle. It gives the conversation an actual session to discuss and shows which part needs explanation.