How do you record your workouts?

[bournevilleismyfavourite]

I’ve had a personal trainer for a bit and now I’m doing a couple of small group PT sessions a week and supplementing it with my own workouts (I’ve started generating them using AI). I was originally using the Notes function on my phone but I’m finding it a bit unwieldy and having to scroll down as a bit of a pain.

What do people use? And if you use pen and paper how do you lay it out? Thanks!

I have an excel spreadsheet where I log all my runs and workouts, including calories according to my watch.

I use an app (I use the Bits app because I'm using a PT from there, not sure if you can just use the app), but I also record it on paper in the gym. Somehow that works better for me !

I use this format (just a spreadsheet I've formatted) to scribble on in the gym. The white half of the box I write down how many of what weight (e.g. 3 x 10kg), and the yellow half I write the RPE (out of 10). Each column is a week. At the bottom is a free text box so I can scribble anything, then I staple it into a notebook which lives in my gym bag.

The pic disappeared so just posting the pic here.

I use my gym's app. It has all the different lifts etc on and you can record barbell + weight together with number of sets. My PT gives me a programme which I use to build a custom routine in the app using the above. I log every time I go in and you can look back through the history and track progress.

I'm old school and have a small notebook and a pencil as I don't take my phone in with me.
I either write a list of the exercises down one side then have columns with the date at the top along the page and record the weights reps there. Or I print out an excel sheet and stick it in.

edited to add: ...similar to the one @dgirluk has uploaded

Paper notebook and pen. I’ve tried various apps and online systems and never found a better way than paper and pen. I use a mini notebook for the purpose, keep it in my gym bag and have devised my own sort of shorthand for making notes.

My program is written by my PT in a spreadsheet. She emails that to me and I save it on my phone to refer to it.

Thanks everyone! I’ve decided to go for pen and paper. I got a gym workout log book from Amazon which sets it all out and j just need to fill in exercises/weights/sets

I've tried various apps too but none of them quite work for me. I do a mix of weights and calisthenics and often they don't include cali or don't have free text boxes which you need for that (eg to record what band or progression). I also find it isn't always clear what is included in the free/low cost version so I spent time setting it up and then discover I have to pay more than I thought for stuff I need.

So I now use two Notes on my phone - one is a list of exercises that I tick off each week and then untick on a Sunday. And the other is descriptions/sets/reps. Scrolling down is a bit of a pain but I delete sections sometimes. That works better for me than pen and paper as I also note eg form cues and tips and delete them once I have nailed it. And I can easily rearrange if they way I train changes, or I add new exercises etc.

I see quite a few people in my (youthful) gym using pen and paper so the app developers are missing a trick I think!

I use an app called Strong. On the free version it limits how many templates you can set up, though it is very easy to see your previous workouts, and when you create a new session it shows you what you did the previous time (rep and weights) and you can also click the exercise to see all previous records for that exercise.

It also allows you to create as many new exercises as you want, and you can set them as you wish eg barbell, dumbbell, reps only, time only. Might be worth a look @MsMartini ?

Thank you @Hibernatingtilspring !

I did use Strong for a while, for leg days, and it was the best I found though I would have needed more templates to use for everything. But didn't work for upper body for me as I needed calisthenics options and more free text (eg to specify different kinds of pull ups, bands etc).

I've started using the Fitnotes app. Seems good so far.

I like pen and paper as it's easy to refer back to to compare workouts.
I record as I go on my Garmin, but that's harder to compare as I adapt a workout.

I use an app called Hevy

I don't record them at all, I just do them. My body is the record 🙂

I'm a bit the same @SharpOpalNewt But I work with a PT twice a week, and he has an extraordinary memory for his clients' PBs. So I just trust him to keep me getting stronger & fitter.

So how do you know what weights you lifted before? How may reps etc…? I’m trying to increase weight/reps through progressive overload so I need to record. Saves time.

I ended up buying a little gym workout record notebook with a pen on Amazon which is brilliant.