How to keep a lifting log that stays useful for years
What to write down in a strength training log, the one question it must answer, paper versus notes app versus dedicated app, and the habits that keep it usable.
November 11, 2026 · 5 min read
A lifting log is a record of what you did: which exercise, how much weight, how many reps. It does not need to be clever. It needs to be complete enough to read back, and quick enough that you still fill it in on a bad day.
The one question a log must answer
You walk up to the bar. Before you load it, you need to know: what did I do last time?
Everything else a log can do comes second. If the answer is “80 kg, three sets of 8, the last one was hard”, you know what today looks like: the same again, one more rep, or a little more weight, depending on your program. Without the answer, you guess, and guesses drift.
So judge any logging method by how fast it gets you that answer while you are standing in the gym. A log that holds five years of data but takes a minute of scrolling to find last Tuesday’s bench press is failing at its main job.
What to write down
For each set, the essentials are short.
| Field | Example | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Exercise | Barbell back squat | Precise name, the same every time |
| Weight | 100 kg | Total weight, including the bar |
| Reps | 5 | Completed reps only |
| Set type | Warm-up, normal, drop set, to failure | Keeps warm-ups out of your working totals |
| RPE (optional) | 8 | How hard the set felt, on a scale of 1 to 10 |
| Notes (optional) | “Belt on, paused first rep” | Anything that explains the numbers later |
Add the date and, if you like, a name for the session (“Push A”, “Legs”).
A few details are worth deciding once:
Weight means total weight. For barbell lifts, write the bar plus the plates. For dumbbells, decide whether you write the weight of one dumbbell or both, and never change. For machines, write the number on the stack; it is only comparable with the same machine.
Set type matters more than it seems. If warm-up sets are not marked, your volume totals and your “best set” get polluted by sets that were never meant to count.
RPE is optional. Rate of perceived exertion is a quick note of how many reps you had left. An RPE of 8 means roughly two reps in reserve. It is subjective, and it is fine to skip it. If you use it, it helps you read old entries: 100 kg × 5 at RPE 7 and 100 kg × 5 at RPE 10 are different days.
Notes should be rare and specific. “Left grip slipped”, “new shoes”, “gym’s other bar”. Write what the future reader will need, and nothing else.
Paper, notes app or dedicated app
All three work. They fail in different ways.
Paper notebook
- For: no battery, no screen, no distractions. Writing by hand is fast once you have a layout. You own it completely.
- Against: finding the last time you did an exercise means flipping pages. No totals, no charts unless you draw them. One notebook, one copy: if it gets lost or soaked, the history is gone.
Notes app or spreadsheet
- For: already on your phone, searchable, free-form. A spreadsheet can compute anything you want if you build it.
- Against: typing structured data into free text is slow, and formats drift (“100x5”, “5 x 100kg”, “100/5”). Search finds the word, not the last session. A spreadsheet is awkward on a phone between sets.
Dedicated app
- For: shows the previous session next to today’s sets, times your rest, keeps totals and records without extra work. Entry is usually faster than typing.
- Against: you depend on the app. Some need an account or a connection, which is a problem in a basement gym. Some push programs, feeds or suggestions you did not ask for. And your history lives in the app’s format, so check that it can be exported before you commit years to it.
If you go the app route, those last points are the ones to check. Quintal is an iPhone lifting log built around them: no account, works offline, shows what you did last time next to each set, and exports your history as CSV.
The honest summary: the best method is the one you will still be using in three years. A paper notebook used every session beats an app abandoned after a month.
Habits that keep a log useful
Use the same exercise names, always. “Bench”, “Bench press” and “BB bench” are three different exercises to any search or chart. Pick one name per movement, and treat real variations (incline, close grip, paused) as separate exercises with their own names.
Log during the rest, not after the session. By the end of a workout you will not remember whether the third set was 7 or 8 reps. Write each set down as soon as you finish it. The rest period is long enough.
Pick a unit and stay in it. Kilograms or pounds, not both. If you train in a gym with mixed equipment, convert on the spot and write one unit. If you ever switch, note the date of the change clearly.
Write what happened, not what was planned. If the plan said 5 reps and you got 4, the log says 4. A log that records intentions is a program, not a record.
Do not go back and tidy the numbers. Bad sessions are data. They often explain the good ones that follow.
Back it up. For paper, a photo of each page now and then is enough. For an app, export a file on a schedule and store it somewhere other than your phone. If you ever change tools, that file is what lets you move your workout history between apps.
Reading the log back
A log earns its keep when you read it. Once a month, look at one or two main lifts and compare today with eight weeks ago. Is the weight up at the same reps? Are the reps up at the same weight?
When weight and reps both change, direct comparison gets harder. An estimated one-rep max puts sets at different rep counts on a single scale, which makes a long history easier to read.
A log tells you what you did. What to do next is a question for your program, or for a qualified coach.
This guide is general information, not medical or personal training advice. Ask a qualified professional about your own situation.