How to Keep a Workout Log: What to Track and Why It Works

How much did you bench last Thursday? How many reps did you get on your last set of squats? If you have to think about it, you're not alone. Most people at the gym train from memory, and memory is unreliable. A workout log fixes that in a few seconds after every set.

Why keep a workout log?

• You know what to do next session. Look at what you did last time and try to do a little more.
• You see your progress in black and white. Even when the mirror shows nothing, the numbers prove you're getting stronger. That's a huge motivator.
• You spot plateaus fast. If you've been stuck for 3 weeks, you see it right away and can react.
• You train faster and with more confidence. No time wasted guessing weights.

Without a log, steady progress at the gym is very hard.

What to track: the minimum and the extended version

The minimum (enough to start)

• date,
• exercise,
• weight,
• reps in every set.

Example:

Barbell bench press
60 kg: 10, 9, 8

The extended version (when you want more)

• rest between sets: it affects performance, so keep it consistent,
• how hard the set was (e.g. how many reps you had left),
• mood, sleep, pain: they help explain a bad day,
• body measurements and weight: once a week or every two weeks, at the same time of day.

How to read your log

A log only helps if you use it. Before each exercise:

1. Check what you did last time.
2. Set today's target: one more rep in one of the sets, or more weight if you hit the top of your range last time.
3. After the workout, compare the result with the target.

Once a month, zoom out: are the numbers going up in your main lifts (squat, bench, deadlift, row)? If yes, the plan works. If not, it's time to change something.

Notebook, notes app or workout app?

Paper notebook

Pros: simple, never runs out of battery. Cons: easy to forget or lose, hard to look up old results, no charts.

Notes app on your phone

Pros: always with you. Cons: after a few months you have hundreds of notes like "chest 80x8" and can't find anything. You can't see trends, and comparing two workouts means endless scrolling.

Workout tracker app

Pros: remembers your previous results, tracks records, draws charts, times your rest. Cons: you need one that isn't bloated and lets you log a set in seconds.

Common workout log mistakes

• Writing it down after the workout from memory. Log right after each set so the data is accurate.
• Logging but never reading. Your log should tell you what to do today, not just archive the past.
• Inconsistent exercise names. "Bench", "flat chest press" and "barbell bench" mean the same to you, but they make comparisons hard. Stick to one name.
• Quitting after a week. A log gets more valuable over time. After 3 months you have a priceless history of your training.

GPFit: a log that remembers for you

GPFit is a workout log on your phone, built for people who actually lift. Instead of scrolling through notes:

• you see last session's results next to every set,
• you enter weight and reps in seconds,
• the rest timer runs on its own,
• the app tells you when to add reps or weight,
• you get charts for every exercise, personal records, body measurements and PDF reports,
• if you train with a coach, they can follow your sets live and manage your plan.

GPFit runs in your phone's browser and is coming soon to Google Play and the App Store. Start your workout log in GPFit.