Going by Feel vs Using a Workout Log for Advanced Lifters

As an advanced lifter, you've earned a certain intuition. You know the difference between good pain and bad pain. You can feel when a muscle is firing correctly. So the debate of going by feel vs using a workout log for advanced lifters is a real one. You wonder if the rigid structure of a log is holding you back from truly listening to your body. But you also have a nagging fear that without it, your progress will evaporate.

Key Takeaways

• For advanced lifters, logging compound lifts like squats and deadlifts is non-negotiable to guarantee progressive overload.
• "Going by feel," or autoregulation, is best used to select daily top-set intensity and for high-rep accessory movements.
• A hybrid approach that combines a structured log with RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) is the optimal path for advanced progress.
• Without a log to track key variables, over 90% of advanced lifters will see their strength gains stall within 8-12 weeks.
• Your subjective "feel" is unreliable for measuring the small, 2.5-5 lb increments of progress required at an advanced level.

Why "Going by Feel" Alone Fails Advanced Lifters

Let's be honest, the idea of just walking into the gym and training based on pure intuition sounds liberating. No more spreadsheets, no more notebooks, just you and the iron. You've put in 5, 7, maybe 10 years under the bar. You feel you've earned the right to train this way. But this is precisely where the most dedicated lifters get stuck for years.

The problem is that your "feel" is a terrible accountant. It's influenced by your sleep from two nights ago, the argument you had this morning, and whether you ate enough carbs yesterday. On a day you feel great, you might have an amazing session. But what did you actually do? Was it 315 lbs for 5 reps or 6? Was it at an RPE 8 or a true RPE 10 grinder? Without a record, that great workout exists in a vacuum. It provides no target for next week.

This leads to two traps.

First is the "good day" trap. You feel amazing, hit a new PR, and feel on top of the world. Next week, you come in trying to replicate that feeling, but you can't. You don't have the objective data of what you actually accomplished, so you end up chasing a ghost and undertraining because the "feel" isn't the same.

Second is the "bad day" trap. You feel tired, stressed, and weak. You decide to take it easy. But how easy? You might drop your squat weight from 275 lbs to 225 lbs, when in reality, you were perfectly capable of hitting 265 lbs for your prescribed sets. You just *felt* weak. By going purely on feel, you rob yourself of a necessary training stimulus and your progress flatlines.

At the advanced stage, progress isn't about adding 20 pounds to your bench every month. It's about adding 2.5 pounds. It's about doing the same weight for one more rep. Your subjective feeling cannot accurately measure these tiny, crucial increments. It's like trying to measure a single gram of salt using a bathroom scale. The tool is wrong for the job.

Stop guessing. Start progressing.

Track your lifts with Mofilo. See your strength numbers climb week after week.

Start your 7 day free trial

The Non-Negotiable Role of the Workout Log

A workout log is not a prison; it's your map and your compass. It provides the one thing "feel" never can: objective truth. It turns your training from a series of disconnected events into a long-term, data-driven project.

For an advanced lifter, progress is all about managing training variables. The three most important are:

1. Intensity: The weight on the bar.
2. Volume: Sets x Reps x Weight.
3. Frequency: How often you train a lift or muscle group.

"Going by feel" gives you a vague sense of intensity, but it completely fails at tracking volume and frequency over time. Your log is the only tool that can tell you, "My total squat volume over the last 4 weeks was 24,500 lbs, and my strength went up. The 4 weeks before that, it was 21,000 lbs, and I was stalled." This is the kind of insight that breaks plateaus.

Think about your main compound lifts-the squat, bench press, deadlift, and overhead press. These are the pillars of your strength. They demand methodical, planned progression.

Let's say your goal is to deadlift 405 lbs for 5 reps. Last month, your log shows you pulled 385 lbs for 5 reps. The path forward is clear: you need to add weight or reps. Your plan might be to work up to 390 lbs for 5 reps over the next two weeks. A log keeps you honest on this path. "Feel" will tempt you to stay at 385 because it's comfortable and still feels heavy.

A log is your personal history book of strength. It reveals patterns you would otherwise miss. You can look back 6 months and see that every time you dropped your accessory volume below 8 sets per muscle group, your main lift stalled 4 weeks later. That is actionable data. That is the secret to long-term progress. "Feel" has no memory.

The Hybrid Method: How to Combine Logging and Feel

So, if going by feel is too chaotic and rigid logging feels restrictive, what's the answer? You combine them. The most successful advanced lifters don't choose one over the other; they integrate them into a smart, flexible system. This is true autoregulation-adjusting your training based on your readiness for the day, guided by objective data.

Here is the 3-step framework that works.

Step 1: Log Your Primary Lifts with RPE/RIR

Your compound lifts are still the foundation. They must be logged. However, instead of just logging weight, sets, and reps, you will add one more data point: RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) or RIR (Reps in Reserve).

• RPE: A 1-10 scale of how hard a set felt. RPE 10 is a maximum-effort, no-more-reps-possible set. RPE 9 means you could have done one more rep. RPE 8 means you could have done two more.
• RIR: The same concept, just stated differently. RPE 9 is 1 RIR. RPE 8 is 2 RIR.

Let's say your program calls for a top set of 5 reps on the bench press. Your log from last week says you did 225 lbs for 5 reps at RPE 8. Today, you plan to do 230 lbs for 5. You do the set, and it feels like a true RPE 9. You log it: 230 lbs x 5 @ RPE 9.

Now you have powerful data. You successfully added 5 lbs, and you know you still had one rep left in the tank. Next week, you can confidently aim for 230 lbs for 5 at RPE 8 (getting stronger at that weight) or push to 235 lbs for 5 at RPE 9-10.

This method allows "feel" (your RPE rating) to inform the progression dictated by your log.

Step 2: Use "Feel" for Secondary and Accessory Lifts

After you've completed your main, logged compound lift(s) for the day, you can switch to a more intuitive approach for your accessories. For movements like dumbbell curls, lateral raises, leg extensions, or cable rows, the primary goal is metabolic stress, muscle fatigue, and driving blood into the muscle (the pump).

For these, you don't need to track every single number. Simply aim for a target rep range (e.g., 10-15 reps) and choose a weight that brings you to 1-2 RIR (an RPE of 8-9) within that range. If your tricep pushdowns feel easy, add a little weight. If your shoulders are fried from overhead pressing, go a bit lighter on the lateral raises. This is the perfect place for "feel" to shine, as the precise load is less important than the quality of the contraction and the level of effort.

Step 3: Review Your Log Weekly and Monthly

Data is useless if you don't analyze it. At the end of each week, take 5 minutes to look at your log. Are your RPEs for the same weight going down? That's a sign of getting stronger. Are your RPEs climbing, and you feel beat up? That's a clear signal you need a deload week.

Your log transforms you from a simple lifter into the coach and athlete. You stop guessing what to do next and start making intelligent, data-informed decisions. "Feel" tells you how you are today; the log tells you where you're going.

Your progress. Proven with data.

Every set and rep logged. The undeniable proof that you are getting stronger.

Start your 7 day free trial

What to Expect When You Implement This System

Switching to this hybrid model is a game-changer, but it takes a short period to adjust. Here is a realistic timeline of what you'll experience.

Weeks 1-2: The Calibration Phase

Your first couple of weeks will be about learning to be an honest judge of your own effort. You will likely misjudge your RPE. Some sets you call an RPE 9 you could have done 3 more reps on. Other times you'll call a set an RPE 7 and then fail the next rep. This is normal. The key is to log your *perceived* RPE anyway. This process of guessing and correcting is how you calibrate your internal effort scale.

Weeks 3-8: The Groove

By the third or fourth week, your RPE ratings will become remarkably consistent. You'll develop a strong sense of what an RPE 8 on squats truly feels like versus an RPE 8 on the bench press. You will feel more in control of your training than ever before because you have both an objective plan (the log) and a subjective tool (RPE) to navigate it. Progress will feel more deliberate and less random.

Week 9 and Beyond: The Breakthrough

After two months, you'll have a rich dataset. You can look back and see clear patterns. You'll know with certainty when to push for a new personal record and when to pull back to prevent burnout. You will be able to autoregulate your training with precision, breaking through strength plateaus that have held you back for months or even years. This is the sustainable path to elite-level strength, built on a foundation of data and intuition working together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between RPE and RIR?

RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) is a 1-10 scale rating how hard a set felt overall. RIR (Reps in Reserve) is more specific, asking how many more full reps you could have completed before failure. They are two sides of the same coin: an RPE 9 generally equals 1 RIR, and an RPE 8 equals 2 RIR.

Do I need to log my warm-up sets?

No, you only need to log your top sets and any subsequent back-off sets. Warm-up sets are just to prepare your body for the work ahead, and tracking them adds unnecessary clutter. Focus on logging the sets that actually stimulate growth and strength adaptation.

How often should I try for a new one-rep max (1RM)?

For an advanced lifter, testing a true, grinding 1RM should be a rare event, perhaps only 2-3 times per year. It's incredibly fatiguing and carries a higher injury risk. Instead, use your log and RPE data to estimate your 1RM. A set of 3 reps at RPE 9 gives you a very accurate calculated 1RM without the risk.

What if I have a really bad day and can't hit my numbers?

This is where the hybrid model is superior. If your plan is 315 lbs for 5 reps at RPE 8, but you feel terrible, you don't just go home. You adjust. Drop the weight to 300 lbs and hit your 5 reps at the target RPE 8. Log it. This is a productive session, not a failure. It's a strategic retreat that allows you to recover and come back stronger.

Is a digital log better than a paper notebook?

The best workout log is the one you will use consistently. A paper notebook is simple and effective. A digital app like Mofilo can be more powerful, as it can automatically calculate your total volume and graph your progress over time, saving you the manual math.