Templates
A simple workout log template you can copy
Copy a plain-text workout log for Notes, a notebook, or a spreadsheet, with clear conventions for exercises, weights, sets, and unfinished workouts.
Use one dated entry per session, with a separate line for each exercise and the actual weight and reps for each set. Keep planned work separate from completed work.
Copy this blank template
You do not need to build a spreadsheet before you can start logging workouts. A repeatable text entry is enough. The template below works in a notes app or a notebook, and its fields can become columns later if you want to sort your records.
Replace the brackets with what you completed. Add or remove set lines to match the session; the template does not prescribe how many sets to perform.
Date: [YYYY-MM-DD] Session: [optional name] Exercise: [name and variation] Weight convention: [kg/lb; total or per hand] Set 1: [weight] × [reps] Set 2: [weight] × [reps] Set 3: [weight] × [reps] Notes: [only useful context] [Repeat for each exercise]
A filled-in entry
A complete entry should be understandable a month from now. In this example, the dumbbell weight is explicitly per hand and the final set has fewer reps. Those details are easy to lose if you only write ‘press, three sets.’
Date: 2026-09-17 Session: Upper body Exercise: Seated dumbbell shoulder press Weight convention: kg, per hand Set 1: 14 × 10 Set 2: 14 × 10 Set 3: 14 × 8 Notes: same bench setting as last session.
Three rules that keep it readable
Use consistent exercise names. ‘Seated dumbbell shoulder press’ and ‘DB shoulder press’ may mean the same thing to you, but switching names makes text searches harder. Pick one label and keep meaningful variations distinct.
Write the unit even if it feels obvious today. Traveling, changing gyms, or copying older notes can introduce a different unit. A small label prevents a large misunderstanding.
Keep plans separate from results. If you write a workout in advance, mark planned sets clearly and replace or supplement them with actual completed sets. An unchecked plan is not a record of completed training.
Log partial sessions honestly
If you leave early or skip an exercise, keep the work you did complete. A partial workout is still a real entry. You can add ‘left after two exercises’ without filling the remaining lines with zeros or invented sets.
If you reconstruct a session later, record the original date and mark uncertain details. ‘Reps approximate’ is more useful than false precision. Avoid copying last week’s numbers just to make this week’s entry look complete.
When maintaining the template starts to feel like admin, Rudy offers another way to capture the same information: text your sets in Messages and review the log in your dashboard. The format can change while the essentials stay the same.