Log
How to Log Sets, Reps and Weight
Worked examples for recording completed sets, weight per dumbbell, reps per side and units, so your next workout starts with a clear reference.
By Adrien BlancUpdated
A useful workout record says what you actually did: the exercise, reps in each set, weight and unit. State whether the weight means one dumbbell, a loaded bar or assistance. Keep that convention clear enough to understand at your next workout.
Keep Separate Sets When the Numbers Change
Write sets in the order you completed them. You can group identical values, but don’t turn a planned target into a recorded result.
| Entry | What it means |
|---|---|
| 3 × 8 at 50 kg | Three completed sets of eight reps, each at 50 kg |
| 8, 8, 6 reps at 50 kg | Three sets, with six reps in the final set |
| 8 at 50 kg; 8 at 50 kg; 10 at 45 kg | The weight changes in the third set |
| Planned: 3 × 8; completed: 8, 7 | Two recorded sets; the third is not marked as done |
These are invented notation examples, not suggested weights or rep targets. If you include a warm-up set, label it “warm-up” so it remains identifiable in the record.
State What the Weight Includes
For a barbell, record the total weight including the bar. A 20 kg bar with 10 kg of plates on each side is 40 kg. Check the actual bar rather than assuming every bar weighs the same.
For exercises using two dumbbells, Log’s catalog generally uses the weight of one dumbbell. Two 25 lb dumbbells are recorded as 25 lb per dumbbell, not 50 lb. Read the exercise’s logging note: some movements use one weight held with both hands.
On a machine, keep the displayed weight and useful settings in your note. Plate-loaded equipment can use a different convention: for relevant exercises, Log specifies added plates without the carriage. Record the equipment name so you can compare workouts without mixing these values.
Make Reps per Side Explicit
For a one-arm row, “10 each side” means ten reps on the left and ten on the right. “20 reps” leaves that split unclear. If the sides differ, record “left 9, right 10.”
Conventions depend on the movement. For walking lunges, Log’s catalog note counts each step as one rep. Don’t automatically rewrite every alternating movement as a per-side count. Keep the exercise’s convention and add a note where you need more detail.
Put the Unit Beside the Number
“20 kg” and “20 lb” describe different weights. If you change gyms or equipment, keep the unit you actually used. For an occasional conversion, 1 lb equals exactly 0.45359237 kg, so 50 lb is approximately 22.7 kg. NIST conversion table.
In an English note, “12.5 kg — 10, 9 reps” separates the decimal from the two set counts. If a decimal comma is more natural in your region, use semicolons or separate lines between sets. In Log, check the unit displayed beside the weight.
Record the Result in Log
During a workout, adjust proposed values and mark the sets you actually complete. A suggestion copied from your history is not a completed performance. Completed values enter your history when you save the workout.
The Notes workout template provides the same fields in plain text. For unweighted pull-ups, added weight and assisted machines, use the bodyweight and assistance conventions.
