How to track reps and sets
Track every set as weight × reps (for example 80 kg × 8), in the order you do the exercises. Before each exercise, check last time’s numbers and try to beat them by a little. That’s the whole method. Below: what to write down, what the terms mean, how to use your log to progress, a simple one-rep max estimate, and Reps: Gym Workout Log (repsworkout.com), a free app for iPhone and Android that keeps the log for you.
What to write down
- The date and the workout’s name, for example “Push”, “Legs” or “Workout A”.
- Each exercise, in the order you do them.
- Each set as weight × reps, for example 80 kg × 8. This is the part that matters most. Kilograms or pounds both work, as long as you stick to one.
- A short note when you need one: “felt light, add 2.5 kg next time”, “narrow grip”, “3-minute rests”.
Bodyweight and how you felt are optional extras. If you write down only one thing, make it the weights and reps.
Sets, reps and volume in one minute
- Rep (repetition): one full movement, for example lowering the bar to your chest and pressing it back up.
- Set: a run of reps done without a break. “3 sets of 8” means 8 reps, a rest, three times over.
- Volume: sets × reps × weight. Three sets of 8 at 80 kg is 1,920 kg.
- Personal record (PR): your best so far on an exercise: the heaviest weight, or the most reps with a given weight.
How to use your log to progress
- Check last session before each exercise. Then you know what weight to start with and how many reps there are to beat.
- Add a little at a time. When you complete all the planned reps on every set, add weight next time (a common step is 2.5 kg on big lifts, less on small ones) or do one more rep. This is progressive overload, and it’s the reason to keep a log at all.
- Mark your records. The heaviest weight, or the most reps with a given weight: once they’re marked, it’s easy to see them grow.
- Look back every few weeks. If an exercise has been stuck for 3–4 weeks, change something: the number of sets, the rep range or the exercise itself.
Estimate your one-rep max
Your one-rep max (1RM) is the most you could lift for a single rep. You don’t have to test it: a common formula, Epley’s, estimates it from any set as weight × (1 + reps ÷ 30). So 80 kg for 8 reps gives 80 × (1 + 8 ÷ 30), about 101 kg. Treat it as an estimate: it’s most useful for comparing your own sets over time, and it gets less precise the more reps the set had.
Notebook, spreadsheet or app?
A notebook never runs out of battery and doesn’t distract you with notifications. But it can’t show you last time’s numbers on its own, it won’t spot your records, and it’s easy to lose or leave at home. A spreadsheet is good for looking back at home and awkward between sets. An app does the looking-up for you, and you still only enter weight and reps. The best choice is whichever you’ll use every session.
Tracking reps with Reps: Gym Workout Log
Reps: Gym Workout Log is a workout log for iPhone and Android built for exactly this:
- Last session’s numbers are already in the row, so the same again is one tap.
- A rest timer counts down between sets.
- Records are spotted as you log.
- Each exercise has a chart of your estimated 1RM, heaviest set or volume.
- The calendar shows your whole training year on one screen.
- It works offline and without an account.
- It’s free, with no ads. The AI coach needs a free account and has a daily message limit.
- The coach can turn a photo of a paper plan into a routine, so there’s nothing to retype.
- You can also track your workouts with ChatGPT or Claude: ask how your training is going, or have it build a plan and save it in Reps.
Questions
How should I record a set?
As weight × reps, for example 80 kg × 8: one line per set, in the order you did them.
How many reps and sets should I do?
That depends on your goal and your program. For tracking, what matters is writing down what you actually did, so next time you know what to beat.
When should I add weight?
When you complete all the planned reps on every set. Next time, add a small step (often 2.5 kg on big lifts, less on small ones) or one more rep.
How do I estimate my one-rep max?
A common formula, Epley’s, is weight × (1 + reps ÷ 30): 80 kg for 8 reps is about 101 kg. Treat it as an estimate.
Is a notebook or an app better for tracking reps?
Whichever you’ll use every session. A notebook is simple. An app shows last session’s numbers and spots your records for you.
Does Reps count reps automatically?
No. You enter each set in a few taps. Last session’s numbers are already filled in, so the same again is one tap.
Is Reps free?
Yes. Reps is free, with no ads, and you don’t need an account to log. The AI coach needs a free account and has a daily message limit.
Written by Szymon Łukiewicz, who makes Reps (about). More answers on the help page.