It’s a new year. For those of you who are still not tracking your workouts, this is the perfect time to start.
How I Do It
I use a simple Spreadsheet available on Google Docs (choose ‘File’ -> ‘Make a Copy’ or ‘Download as’ to get started).
Just 3 columns (see preview below). Date, Workout, Comment.
Each day I add a new row above the previous day. So the most recent session is always on top.
In the Comment column I answer questions like “How did the weight feel? How was the speed of the reps? Was I tired? Did I get too little sleep last night? Did I have some aches and pain? Did I PR? Ideas for the next session. etc.
You get the Idea.
Tip: You get Line breaks within cells by hitting ctrl+enter.
Why It’s Awesome
- searchable
- always available (on Desktop, on the phone)
- plan ahead, (copy & paste)
- compare to past workouts, analyse
- see progress – sometimes it is easy to forget what improvements you made
- extendable – go fancy, track other stats like weight or sleep duration
- export your data in various formats
- free!
If you take one thing away from this site, I want it be this. Start, and what’s more, keep a log in 2014 & for the years to come. It will make you a better athlete in the long run.
Preview
Open it in your Google Docs (choose ‘File’ -> ‘Make a Copy’ or ‘Download as’ to get started)
I’m new to google docs and one thing is bugging me…In your example, in the workout column, how can I organize it in a way where I can write different exercises on different lines. Hitting enter or return always skips to the next column!!
Good question, I shoould have pointed that out in the post. Will edit it.
Line breaks within cells are done with ctrl+enter.
OOO, I kept trying shift+. Thanks. Love the site!!
I use Note on my iPod Touch. Needs some formatting but works offline
I use fitocracy. Works well, and has most exercises.
I could be wrong, but I think fitocracy is closed system and does not let you export your own data.
+ I am not a fan of “get points for workouts” to be honest.
But better than not logging.
I have just used by Google Calendar to log my workouts. It’s also searchable and accessible through desktop, mobile, and you can even invite people to your workouts.
I use a pen and paper still. Yeh… yeh you are laughing now; but when the great leader decides to over rule the current establishment (and it will happen) you will be forced to train in the mountains and rainforests and where will your precious spreadsheets be then?!? Meanwhile I will be in the deepest DSP you will ever see, assessing my past performance and knowing all the weights I have lifted.
How could I be so careless and not consider this most realistic scenario!
Creating a second “sheet” within the same file, what would be a new tab in Excel, might be a better way to track maxes. I cribbed from your worksheet for the main workouts, then created a second sheet to track maxes along with the dates that I hit them. I’ve been a pen and paper guy for a while, but Google Docs will let me track my progress no matter where I am. Thanks for putting this out there.
Good idea with the second sheet for PRs.
I just keep the maxes from last year at the bottom to provide some context when I open the log in a couple of years.