How to Track Your Workouts

I am CONSTANTLY telling people to track their workouts. Recently, I had a member come up to me and said their goal for 2026 was to start tracking workouts. Then they asked the question that sparked this email, “Kara how do I track my workouts?”

I realized that most people don’t track because they don’t want the benefits, they avoid it because no one ever explained it!

So here’s an EASY breakdown of how to do it.

First, tracking workouts makes you more connected to your body. You easily know if you’re getting stronger and you don’t have to guess when you’re in the gym. When you track what you’re doing, your workouts become way more purposeful.

What is a Workout Log?

A workout log is a place that holds what exercises you did, how many reps and sets you did, how much weight you used, and how long you rested.

What Are Reps?

Reps are how many times you do a movement. If you squat down and stand up one time, that’s 1 rep. If you do that 10 times, that’s 10 reps.

What Are Sets?

Sets are how many rounds of reps you do. So if you do 10 squats, rest, 10 squats, rest, 10 squats, rest, and 10 more squats, that’s 3 sets of 10 squats. This is often written as 3x 0.

What is Weight?

This is important! When you are using a barbell, you write down the TOTAL weight on the bar. Don’t forget the weight of the bar!

Example:

A standard barbell weights 45#. If you add a 25# plate on each side, now the bar weights 95#.

When you are using two dumbbells or kettlebells, you write the weight of ONE. Yes, even though you are holding two you write it down as one. If you are using one dumbbell or kettlebell, you still write it as one.

Example:

If you dumbbell bench press 25# that means there’s a 25# weight in each hand.

What is Rest Time?

Rest time is how long you wait before starting your next set. Rest helps your muscles restore so you can lift better. Most strength workouts use 60-90 seconds of rest and sometimes 2-3 minutes for heavier lifts.

What is Tempo (p.s. my favorite)

Tempo is how fast or slow you move during a rep. Tempo helps you stay in control. I teach a simple rule: slower on the way down and really strong on the way up.

Add Notes

I recommend adding notes like “felt hard” or “felt strong” or even “first set too heavy” every single workout. This is extremely beneficial when you go to do the workout again.