What goes on each line
One line per exercise, filled in during the session rather than from memory afterwards.
| Column | Example | Why it is there |
|---|---|---|
| Date and session | Tuesday, session B | Shows the gaps between sessions as well as the work |
| Exercise and set-up | Seated cable row, seat at 4 | So you can repeat the same set-up next time |
| Load | 35 kg | The number you will try to raise |
| Reps in each set | 12, 11, 10 | Shows fatigue across sets, not just a total |
| Reps in reserve | 2, 1, 1 | How close each set came to the limit |
| Note | Slept badly, grip went first | Context that explains an odd number |
The reps-in-reserve column earns its place. A 2016 study by Zourdos and colleagues concluded that a scale based on reps in reserve is a practical way to regulate daily training load, and your log is where that judgement becomes visible over weeks. If the notation in your plan is unfamiliar, how to read a gym workout plan explains it.
A log is also the most useful thing you can bring to a coach. Five weeks of entries tell a coach more in two minutes than a long conversation about how training has been going, which is why coaches offering personal training at RPM will usually ask to see one.
Why writing it down is worth the bother
Behaviour-change research gives a reason beyond memory. A 2009 meta-regression by Michie and colleagues pooled 122 evaluations of programmes designed to increase physical activity and healthy eating. Self-monitoring was the technique that explained the most variation in results between programmes, and programmes that combined self-monitoring with at least one related technique, such as setting goals and reviewing them, were more effective than the rest.
- The limit: those were whole programmes, mostly about general activity and eating, not gym logs, so they show that monitoring tends to go with better results rather than prove a log will change yours.
- The practical reading: a log earns its keep when it feeds a decision, which is what the next section is for.
- If writing everything feels like too much, log only your first two exercises for a fortnight, then add the rest.
Turning last week's numbers into this week's plan
The American College of Sports Medicine's 2009 position stand gives a simple rule for progression: once you beat your target by one or two reps with the load you are using, raise it by 2 to 10 per cent. Your log makes that rule easy to apply, because the evidence is on the page.
| Your last entry shows | Next time |
|---|---|
| Every set beat the top of the rep target by one or two | Add a small amount of load and drop back to the bottom of the range |
| All reps done, with two or more in reserve on the last set | Add a rep to each set, or a little load |
| Reps fell short on the last set only | Keep the load and aim to finish all sets |
| Reps fell short on every set, or the note says technique broke down | Repeat at a slightly lighter load and rebuild |
| The same numbers for three or more weeks in a row | Look at the causes in the plateau guide before changing everything |
Pain is not a number to log and push through. Stop the exercise and speak to a doctor or physiotherapist if pain persists.
When the same line repeats for weeks, how to break a strength training plateau works through the usual reasons in order.
Logging cardio, classes and boxing
| Session | What to record |
|---|---|
| Treadmill | Time, distance, incline setting and how hard it felt |
| Spin bike or cross-trainer | Time, resistance level and effort, plus intervals if you did them |
| Functional circuit | Stations, rounds completed and any sled or kettlebell loads |
| Fitness boxing | Rounds, the combinations you worked on and the coach's main correction |
| Group class | The class name, how hard it felt and anything you scaled down |
For effort, a 1 to 10 rating written straight after the session is enough. Keep the same scale every time so the numbers compare.
Paper, phone or spreadsheet
| Format | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| A small notebook | Quick to write between sets, no screen in your hand | Harder to search and total up at review time |
| Phone notes | Always with you, easy to copy last week's entry | The temptation to scroll on a station between sets |
| Spreadsheet | Totals, charts and monthly reviews | Usually filled in afterwards, from memory |
| Training app | Ready-made templates and timers | Fields that do not match your plan, and data locked inside the app |
Choose the format you will open every session. Many people write in a notebook on the floor and type a summary into a spreadsheet once a week.
A monthly review in four questions
- How many sessions did I do, against how many I planned?
- Are my main lifts or cardio numbers higher than four weeks ago?
- What does the note column keep saying: sleep, a sore joint, a rushed session?
- What is the one change for next month?
Context belongs in the review. An Abu Dhabi year has predictable dips: Ramadan changes when and how people train, summer brings travel, and busy work seasons cut sessions short. Mark those weeks in the log so a dip reads as the calendar rather than as failure. For measures beyond the log, such as tape measurements or a repeatable conditioning test, see measuring fitness progress you can trust.
Sharing the log with a coach at RPM
RPM's three membership tiers handle coaching differently. Engine adds coached programming, and Atelier is the tier built around one-to-one coaching. What each includes, and its price, is confirmed when you enquire. Whichever you choose, ask how the coach likes to receive your log, how often you will review it together, and which numbers they will watch for your goal.
If you train alone most of the time, the log is what keeps occasional coaching useful. One-to-one coaching or training independently compares the two routes and how people mix them.
Sources
- Michie S, Abraham C, Whittington C, McAteer J, Gupta S. Effective techniques in healthy eating and physical activity interventions: a meta-regression. Health Psychology, 2009
- American College of Sports Medicine, position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults (2009)
- Zourdos MC, Klemp A, Dolan C, et al. Novel resistance training-specific rating of perceived exertion scale measuring repetitions in reserve. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2016
Questions, answered.
Should I write down warm-up sets?
Usually only the working sets. Add a note if a warm-up felt unusually heavy, because that can explain a poor session.
What if I forget to log during the session?
Write it down before you leave the car park, while you still remember the numbers. An entry from memory the next day is better than none, but mark it as approximate.
Should my body weight go in the same log?
It can, but keep it in its own column. Training decisions come from loads, reps and effort, not from the scale.
How long should I keep old logs?
Keep them. A log from last year shows what worked before a break and gives you a starting point if you ever need to rebuild.