How to Use a Lifting Log (Paper or App)

A lifting log works when you use it the same way every session: write the planned targets before you train, record what you actually did set by set, and review the week once every seven days. A plain notebook is enough. The important parts are consistent columns, a short notation you can write between sets, and a weekly look back at the numbers.

Paper or app?

Both work. The best choice is the one you will open every session without thinking about it.

	Paper notebook	App or spreadsheet
Speed between sets	Fast, no unlocking or menus	Depends on the app
Distraction	None	Notifications, social feeds
Flexibility	Any layout, notes, sketches	Limited to the app’s fields
Calculations	By hand	Automatic totals, e1RM, charts
Backup	Lost if the notebook is lost	Usually synced

A common hybrid is to log on paper in the gym and copy the top sets into a spreadsheet once a week. That weekly copy doubles as your review. If you want ready-made pages, the lifting log generator creates a printable sheet with the columns below already laid out.

Columns that earn their place

Keep the layout lean. Each extra column is one more thing to skip when you are tired.

Essential

Date and, if you run a program, the week and day (e.g. “W3 D2”)
Exercise
Planned load, reps and sets
Actual load and reps for each set
RPE or RIR for at least the last working set

Useful

Notes for anything that changes how the numbers should be read: poor sleep, a new gym, a changed grip, a rep that felt off
Rest time if your program specifies it
Bodyweight once a week, if it matters to your goals

Kraemer and Ratamess (2004) describe progression as a process that depends on evaluating training progress, not just doing the work. The planned-versus-actual pair is what lets you evaluate. Without the plan you cannot tell whether a session was a win; without the actuals you cannot tell what to plan next.

How to write a session

Use one notation and stick to it. The most common format is load x reps x sets:

100x5x3 = 100 kg for 5 reps, 3 sets
100x5, 5, 4 = 100 kg, three sets, with 4 reps on the last one
100x5 @8 = one set of 5 at RPE 8
BW+10x8x3 = bodyweight plus 10 kg (22 lb) for 3 sets of 8, handy for dips or pull-ups

Write a one-line key on the first page saying whether you log in kg or lb and which order the numbers go in. Six months from now, “60x8x3” should not need decoding.

Here is one squat entry written out:

W3 D1  Squat
Plan:  105x5x3 @8
Did:   105x5, 5, 5  RPE 7.5 / 8 / 8.5
Note:  bar felt fast, depth good

If you are loading a barbell, the plate calculator saves you doing plate math between sets, which keeps your attention on logging the numbers correctly.

Plan before, record during

Fill in the “Plan” line before you leave home or while you warm up. It takes a minute and removes decisions from the session: you know the target, so you only need to execute and write.

Then record the actuals right after each set, not at the end of the workout. Memory blurs quickly, and the set you most want to remember accurately (the hard last one) is the one you are most likely to misremember.

For RPE, rate the set immediately using a reps-in-reserve anchor: “How many more clean reps could I have done?” Helms et al. (2016) describe how this rating can then guide your next set’s load. Our RPE chart lists the full scale. Expect your ratings to be rough at first; Steele et al. (2017) found that people tend to underestimate how many reps they have left, with accuracy improving as training experience grows. That is a reason to keep rating, not to stop.

The weekly review

Once a week, spend five to ten minutes with the log. For each main lift, check:

Did you hit the planned sets and reps?
How did RPE compare to the target? Consistently under target means the load can go up. Consistently over means hold or reduce.
Is the trend up over the last three to four weeks? Compare the same rep target each time.
Any notes that repeat? If “slept badly” shows up every Tuesday, that is useful to know.

Then write next week’s targets. The ACSM progression guidance suggests increasing load by 2-10% once you can perform one or two reps over the target on two consecutive sessions (ACSM, 2009). Your log is what tells you when that has happened. For more on reading the numbers, see how to track progressive overload.

Keeping it sustainable

Most logs fail from friction, not lack of motivation. A few habits help:

Keep the pen with the notebook. Clip it to the cover or keep both in your gym bag.
Log working sets only if full logging feels like too much. Warm-ups are optional.
Accept messy handwriting. The log is a tool, not a journal for display.
Do not leave blank sessions blank. If you skipped a workout, write the date and “missed”. Gaps explain stalls later.
Start a new page or tab for each training block so comparisons stay in one view.
Review even when the week went badly. A bad week in the record is more useful than a missing one.

A simple starting template

If you have nothing yet, start here: one page per session, a header line with date and week/day, and a table with Exercise, Plan, Actual sets, RPE and Notes. Use it for four weeks before changing anything. By then you will know which columns you actually use, and your log will have enough data to tell you whether your training is working.

Questions lifters ask

Is a paper notebook or an app better for tracking workouts?

Either works if you use it every session. Paper is fast, distraction-free and easy to customize; an app is better at calculating totals and charting trends. Many lifters log on paper and copy key numbers into a spreadsheet or app weekly.

What does 100x5x3 mean in a workout log?

It means 100 (kg or lb) for 5 reps, for 3 sets. The order is load x reps x sets, and it is worth writing a key on the first page of your log so the notation is never ambiguous.

Should I log warm-up sets?

Log working sets in full. Warm-ups can be skipped or noted briefly, unless a warm-up felt unusually heavy, which is useful information on its own.

Sources

American College of Sports Medicine. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults . Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2009;41(3):687-708
Kraemer WJ, Ratamess NA. Fundamentals of resistance training: progression and exercise prescription . Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2004;36(4):674-688
Helms ER, Cronin J, Storey A, Zourdos MC. Application of the Repetitions in Reserve-Based Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale for Resistance Training . Strength and Conditioning Journal, 2016;38(4):42-49
Steele J, Endres A, Fisher J, Gentil P, Giessing J. Ability to predict repetitions to momentary failure is not perfectly accurate, though improves with resistance training experience . PeerJ, 2017;5:e4105

This guide is general education about training, not medical advice. If something hurts, stop and get it checked by a qualified professional.