Training basics

How to use a workout log to beat your PB

The quickest way to get stronger is to know exactly what you did last time. A workout log turns every session into a small, clear target.

By the Fit Fit City team · Updated 17 October 2026 · 4 min read

Why bother writing it down?

Without a log, most people repeat the same weights for months, because they can’t remember what they lifted and play it safe. With one, you walk up to every exercise knowing the number to beat.

That’s progressive overload in practice: a little more over time. Our guide to progressive overload explains the idea in more depth.

What to record

Keep it simple. For each exercise:

• The exercise name, written the same way every time.
• Weight and reps for each set, for example 20 kg × 10, 10, 9.
• For holds such as a plank, the number of seconds.
• A short note if something matters: “left knee niggly”, “new seat setting 4”, “felt easy”.

Also note the date. That’s it. You don’t need heart rates, macros or a spreadsheet with twenty columns.

Set a target before every exercise

Look at the last entry and decide what “better” means today. Usually it’s one of these:

• One more rep on one set, at the same weight.
• The same reps with the smallest weight increase.
• The same weight and reps, but with better control.
• For holds, five more seconds.

Choose one. You don’t need to beat every number every time.

What counts as a personal best?

A personal best (PB) isn’t only your one heaviest lift. There are a few useful kinds:

• Heaviest weight you’ve lifted for an exercise.
• Most reps at a given weight. Ten reps at 20 kg beats eight reps at 20 kg.
• Longest hold for planks and carries.

Count a PB only when your form matched your usual reps. A heavier lift with a bounce or a half-rep isn’t a fair comparison.

When progress stalls

It will. After the first few months, you can’t add weight every week. If you’ve matched or fallen short of your numbers for three sessions in a row:

1. Check the basics. Sleep, food and stress all show up in the gym. Your log notes help you spot patterns.
2. Take an easier week. Drop a set from each exercise and keep the weights. Many people come back stronger.
3. Drop the weight slightly (around 10%) and build back up with more reps.
4. Change the rep range for a few weeks, for example from 8–12 to 6–8.

Paper or app?

Both work. Paper is free and doesn’t need a signal. An app can show you last time’s numbers next to each exercise, suggest a target and spot PBs for you.

In FitFitCity’s workout log, you can log sets, reps and weight (or seconds for holds), see last time’s numbers and a suggested target, use a rest timer, and export your history as a CSV file. It works on your phone at the gym. We mention it because it’s what we make; a notebook does the same job.

An example page

Here’s what two weeks of one exercise might look like in a simple log:

These numbers are an example only. The point is that every line gives you the target for the next one.

Reading your log honestly

Numbers only help if you compare like with like. A rep counts when it goes through the same range as usual, at the same pace. If you changed the seat setting, swapped to a different machine or rested twice as long, make a note, because the comparison isn’t quite fair. Over a few months these small notes explain most of the ups and downs, and they help you spot when something outside the gym, such as sleep or a busy week at work, is affecting your training.

Making it a habit

• Log as you go, between sets, rather than trying to remember at home.
• Use the same names for exercises so they line up over time.
• Keep the notes short. A few words is enough.
• Count streaks, not perfection. Turning up regularly matters more than any single session.

Review every month

Every four weeks or so, look back at your main lifts. Are the numbers going up? Has an exercise stayed flat for a month? That tells you what to change. It’s also motivating to see how far you’ve come since week one.

A note on safety

A log should help you train sensibly, not push through pain to beat a number. If something hurts, write it down and stop that exercise for the day. If pain keeps coming back, see a GP or physiotherapist. If you’re new, start with a simple plan such as our beginner 3-day gym plan.