What you can read from the comparison
For strength work, the log compares total work: weight × sets × reps. You also see the change in weight and in reps.
It matches sessions by exercise name, so “Cable row” and “cable row” count as the same exercise, but “Row” is a different one. Pick last time’s name from the list under the field.
In the example, the goblet squat goes from 12 kg to 14 kg for the same 3 sets of 8. Total work rises 17%, from 288 to 336.
Effort, how hard it felt from 1 to 10, goes from 7 to 8.
For cardio, it compares minutes, distance and pace. Pace only means something on the same route each time. Otherwise, read the minutes and ignore the pace.
| Change | What we’d read into it |
|---|---|
| Same work, effort up | Recovery, not strength. Sleep, a cold, a new job. Hold the load for a week. |
| Effort 9 or 10 two sessions running | Near a limit. Hold the load rather than adding to it. |
What the notes field is for
Write why a session changed, like “time ran out” or “machine taken, used dumbbells,” so a drop doesn’t read as a bad day.
Pain goes here too, not in the effort score: a 7 that hurts is a different session. Write what and where, like “sharp, left knee, bottom of the squat.”
The log can’t diagnose anything. But that note is what you’ll want when you see a physical therapist.
When to change the plan
The first cable row shows +100%, but that’s time, not strength: the earlier session ended after one set. If a time slot keeps cutting sessions short, fix the slot.
If you think in pounds and miles, switch the units before you enter anything. The log keeps the number you typed and doesn’t convert it.
Sources
- NHS: Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64
Page last reviewed 22 May 2024
The NHS asks for 150 minutes of moderate activity a week, plus strength work on two days. If you haven’t been active for a while or have a medical condition, talk to your doctor first.
