How to track your workouts so they actually improve

A workout log isn't a diary. Its job is to tell you what to lift today. If you can't look at it and know your next set, it isn't doing its job.

What to log

• Exercise, weight and reps for every working set.
• Effort: how many reps you had left (reps in reserve), at least on the last set.
• Anything that changed: a different machine, a new grip, a sore knee.
• Body weight a few times a week, if it matters to your goal.

What you can skip

• Warm-up sets (useful to plan, not to analyse).
• Total volume charts you never act on.
• Long notes about how the session felt, unless something hurt.

Turn the log into a plan

1. Before each exercise, look at last session's sets.
2. If you hit the top of your rep range on every set, add weight. If not, aim for one more rep.
3. If you missed by a lot, keep the weight or drop a step.
4. Every few weeks, look at whether your estimated maxes are rising.

That's progressive overload in four steps.

Tip: Log during the workout, not after. Memory is generous about the reps you did.

Let the log write the plan

In Liftsmith, every set is already filled in from your history before you start: the weight, reps and effort target. Lift, tap Log set, and it records the weight, reps, rest and heart rate for you, then uses it all to plan the next session. Already have a log in a spreadsheet or another app? Import a CSV export and your history carries over.