A place for every working set
A useful workout log makes your previous session easy to find. Start with the exercise, load, and reps for each working set. Add effort and a short note when they help explain the result.
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The spreadsheet includes a blank log, a filled-in example, and short instructions. The printable version is a single-session sheet.
XLSX for Excel and compatible spreadsheet apps. The print sheet opens in a new tab; choose Print or Save as PDF.
Keep the details comparable
- Date and exercise. Use a consistent name. “Dumbbell bench press” is more useful than “chest.”
- Load and unit. Note whether dumbbell weight is per hand. For a barbell, include the bar and both sides.
- Reps in each set. Record 10, 9, 8 if that is what happened. Do not rewrite the session as 3 × 10.
- Effort, if useful. A lifting RPE of 8 represents about two clean reps in reserve. Leave it blank if you are unsure.
- A short note. Changes to range of motion, machine setup, rest time, or exercise order can explain a different result.
Separate warm-up sets from working sets. The template uses one row per working set so reps and effort do not get lost inside an average.
What a real entry looks like
This is a fictional example of a session record, not a prescribed workout.
| Exercise | Set | Load | Reps | RPE |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell bench press | 1 | 24 kg / hand | 10 | 8 |
| Dumbbell bench press | 2 | 24 kg / hand | 9 | 8.5 |
| Dumbbell bench press | 3 | 24 kg / hand | 8 | 9 |
The notes might say: “Same bench angle. Two minutes between sets.” The important record is what happened, including the drop in reps.
Let the last session inform the next
A simple double-progression rule is to keep a load while building reps within a chosen range, then increase the load after meeting the rule for all working sets. The rep range and load increment belong to your program; the log simply shows whether you met them.
Example rule: three sets in an 8–12 rep range. A record of 12, 12, 10 has not yet met a rule requiring 12 on every set. A later record of 12, 12, 12 may meet it, if technique and effort also match the plan.
You do not need a heavier load every session to have a useful log. More clean reps at the same load, a more controlled range of motion, or completing the planned session can all be worth recording.
The previous set should be easy to see
Brolic brings the workout record into the same app as food and progress. The active workout screen keeps sets together, so reviewing what you did does not mean rebuilding a spreadsheet at the gym.
Take five minutes at the end of the week
- Did you complete the sessions you planned?
- Are comparable exercises moving in the direction you expected?
- Did equipment, technique, effort, or rest change?
- Do repeated notes explain a pattern worth discussing with a coach?
A log records evidence. It does not diagnose fatigue or decide which program is right for you. Keep it short enough that you will still fill it in during a busy session.
Sources & method
Written by the Brolic team. These references explain the evidence and assumptions; this page does not replace individualized professional advice.
- ACSM — Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults — Background on measurable progression.
- Zourdos et al. — Repetitions-in-reserve RPE scale — A way to record effort alongside load and reps.