Barely Log Anything

No apps, no watches, no metrics. After 17 years of coaching I always go back to a piece of paper and a pencil. Everything else is just entertainment. You know what's entertaining? Non-stop personal records and seeing your body change every week.

Even with my clients who maintain accountability, our dashboard is as dirt simple as it gets: just log the top set weight and reps.

What to write down

1 — Setup notes

Anything that speeds up the workout. "2 notches up on bench" · "pinkies on rings of bar" · "left side weak, do first." Gets you lifting faster.

2 — Work set performance

Weight/reps. Example: 100/14

That's it. Don't write your warmups, don't write your feeler sets. Just beat the number and your body will change.

Handwritten workout log on paper showing exercises and weight/rep PRs TTM dashboard showing a single exercise with warmup, feeler, and work set

keep it simple, just one top set logged either way

Progression

When to add weight

Add weight when you're past 17 reps, closer to 20. Max 10% more, ideally less. Add too soon and you'll get stuck. Men are the worst for this.

If the weight jumps are too big for the equipment, push reps closer to 25 first, or use the "hi/lo" style in the adjustments section.

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