A training log is your memory for workouts. It shows what you did, even if your planning changed along the way. It does not need to be an extensive diary: clear, comparable notes are often more useful than lots of loose text.
Distinguish planned from completed
Your plan describes your preparation. Your log describes what you did. If you only save your plan, you will not later know whether you completed everything or changed something along the way. Therefore, start each entry with the date and recognisable name of your workout.
For each exercise, enter the details used in your plan, such as sets, repetitions and weight. Always use the same units. A number without context creates unnecessary searching later. If you work with a trainer, agree which details are needed for your coaching.
Write short notes that explain a difference
Not every workout needs an explanation. A note is particularly useful when it explains why the session differed from the plan. Examples include: used another machine, finished early because of an appointment, or question about the bench setting.
- Keep observations concrete: what changed?
- Include the reason if you know it.
- Mark a question you want to discuss later.
- Avoid conclusions your data does not support.
For example: Workout B, replaced an exercise because the planned equipment was unavailable. This says more than ‘went badly’. Your future self or trainer can better understand what happened without guessing.
Choose an easy recording method
A notebook, spreadsheet and app can all hold a log. The practical difference is how quickly you can find a previous workout and how much you need to type again. Consider when you usually record: during your workout or immediately afterwards.
Try one consistent approach. For example, open your record after each exercise and check it at the end of the workout. If you fill it in much later, you are more likely to forget details. When unsure, write that a detail is missing rather than guessing an exact number.
Use the log for your next decision
Reviewing does not have to mean extensive analysis. Look at which workouts you recorded, which adjustments recur and which questions remain. A single workout does not tell the whole story. Use your notes as discussion points, not an automatic assessment of your health or results.
Want to store plans and completed workouts in the same place? See how the Workouts Wizard workout app helps. First make recording simple; extra detail only has value if you use it.
Fictional example: planned is not the same as completed
The figures below are only an example of recording. They do not recommend an exercise, weight or number of sets.
| Session | Exercise | Record | Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| Workout 1 | Dumbbell row, agreed variation | Set 1: 10 × 12 kg; set 2: 9 × 12 kg | Weight per dumbbell; second set had 9 repetitions, while the plan specified 10. |
| Workout 2 | The same dumbbell row | Set 1: 10 × 12 kg; set 2: 10 × 12 kg | Same equipment and variation used. |
| Workout 2 | Machine row, machine B | 10 × 25 kg | Different exercise and resistance; record separately. |
This shows what was recorded in these workouts. It is not an automatic reason to increase a weight. Do not fill missing records with estimated numbers. Read how sets, repetitions and weights are recorded if you do not understand a notation.
About this guidance
This practical guidance was compiled by the Workouts Wizard editorial team to help organise training and coaching. The fictional examples describe a way of working; they are not personal training advice. Read about Workouts Wizard or ask a question about this guidance.