How to See Trends in My Workout Notebook

Why Your Workout Notebook Is Hiding Your Progress

To see trends in your workout notebook, you must stop looking at individual sets and start calculating one number: your total 'Lift Score' for each core exercise. You're probably staring at pages of notes-Bench Press: 135x8, 135x7, 135x6-and feeling frustrated. It's a sea of numbers that doesn't answer the one question that matters: "Am I actually getting stronger?" That wall of data is the reason you feel stuck. You're tracking activity, not progress. The solution is to translate each workout into a single, comparable score. For a bench press session of 3 sets of 8 reps at 135 pounds, your Lift Score is 3,240 (135 lbs x 8 reps x 3 sets). This single number tells you the total amount of work you did. When you compare this one number week over week, the trend becomes impossible to miss. You're no longer guessing; you're measuring. This is the fundamental shift from just exercising to actively training.

Stop guessing if you're getting stronger.

Mofilo tracks your lifts and shows you the trends, automatically.

The Difference Between Exercising and Training (It's One Number)

Exercising is moving your body. Training is applying a specific, measurable stress to force an adaptation, like building muscle or strength. That measurable stress is your total volume, or 'Lift Score'. Most people miss this entirely. They chase one-rep maxes or focus only on the heaviest set of the day, thinking that's progress. It's not. You can hit a new one-rep max of 225 lbs on bench press, but if the rest of your workout volume is low, you might actually be providing less growth stimulus than last week. For example, look at these two workouts. Workout A looks better on paper because of the heavier single rep. But Workout B built more strength.

• Workout A: 135x5, 185x3, 205x1, 225x1 (PR!), 185x3. Total Lift Score = 2,430 lbs.
• Workout B: 175x5, 175x5, 175x5. No PRs. Feels like a regular day. Total Lift Score = 2,625 lbs.

Workout B did 200 pounds more total work. It created a bigger demand for your muscles to adapt and grow. The person doing Workout B got stronger, even though they didn't hit a personal record. Your 'Lift Score' is the only honest metric. It cuts through the ego and tells you exactly how much work you performed. That number is the driver of all progress. You now understand that total volume is the key to seeing real progress. But knowing the concept and actually applying it are worlds apart. Look at your notebook right now. Can you calculate the total volume for your squat session from three weeks ago in less than 15 seconds? Can you instantly compare it to last week's? If the answer is no, you're not training with data-you're just guessing and hoping for the best.

Your progress, graphed and clear.

Every workout logged. Proof you're getting stronger, week by week.

The 3-Step System to Visualize Your Progress

This system will turn your messy notebook into a clear visual dashboard of your strength gains. It takes less than two minutes per workout. Don't track this for every single exercise. That's a waste of time. Pick the 4-6 most important lifts that drive your progress and track only those.

Step 1: Choose Your 4-6 Core Lifts

You can't-and shouldn't-track everything. Your progress is driven by a few key movements. Choose one or two exercises from each major category. For most people, this looks like:

• Upper Body Push: Bench Press or Dumbbell Press
• Upper Body Pull: Barbell Row or Pull-Ups
• Lower Body Squat: Barbell Back Squat or Leg Press
• Lower Body Hinge: Deadlift or Romanian Deadlift
• Overhead: Overhead Press (OHP)

These are your 'Key Performance Indicators' (KPIs). The trends in these lifts reflect 90% of your overall progress. Forget tracking volume for bicep curls or calf raises; focus here.

Step 2: Calculate and Record the 'Lift Score'

After you complete your last set of a Core Lift, do this simple math:

Total Weight x Total Reps = Lift Score

Or, if you prefer, you can do it set by set: (Weight x Reps) for Set 1 + (Weight x Reps) for Set 2... and so on. In your notebook, create a new column next to your exercise. It should look like this:

Bench Press

• Set 1: 155 lbs x 8 reps
• Set 2: 155 lbs x 8 reps
• Set 3: 155 lbs x 7 reps
• Lift Score: 3,565 (155 x 23 total reps)

This one number, 3,565, is all you need to carry forward. The individual sets and reps have done their job.

Step 3: Plot Your 3-Workout Moving Average

This is the secret sauce. Your performance in any single workout can be affected by poor sleep, stress, or bad nutrition. A single data point can be a liar. A moving average smooths out the noise and shows you the *real* trend.

After you have three Lift Scores for the same exercise, calculate your first moving average point:

(Score Week 1 + Score Week 2 + Score Week 3) / 3 = First Average Point

Let's use our Bench Press example:

• Week 1 Score: 3,565
• Week 2 Score: 3,410 (a down week)
• Week 3 Score: 3,640
• 3-Week Moving Average: (3565 + 3410 + 3640) / 3 = 3,538

In the back of your notebook, draw a simple graph. On the bottom (X-axis), write the dates. On the side (Y-axis), write the Lift Score. Plot your first point at 3,538. Next week, when you get your Week 4 score, you'll calculate a new average using Weeks 2, 3, and 4. Plot that new point and draw a line connecting it to the first one. You now have a trend line. It is now impossible to not see your progress.

What Your Progress Graph Will Actually Look Like

Your progress graph will not be a perfect, straight line rocketing upward. Real progress is messy. Understanding what you're seeing is just as important as tracking it. Here's how to read the signals your notebook is giving you.

1. The Upward Trend: This is the goal. Your moving average is consistently climbing. A realistic rate of progress for an intermediate lifter is a 3-5% increase in your Lift Score month-over-month. If you're seeing this, don't change anything. Your program is working. Keep going.
2. The Flat Line (Plateau): Your moving average has been horizontal for 3-4 consecutive weeks. This is not a failure; it's a data point. Your body has adapted to the current stress. A plateau is a signal that you need to change one variable. You can increase the weight, aim for more reps, add a set, or swap the exercise for a similar variation for a few weeks. The flat line tells you *when* to make a change.
3. The Downward Trend: Your moving average has dropped for 2-3 consecutive weeks. This is a critical warning sign. It means your body's ability to recover is being outpaced by the stress of your training. This is not the time to push harder. This is a signal to immediately check your recovery factors: Are you sleeping at least 7-8 hours? Are you eating enough calories and protein? Are you under high life stress? A downward trend for more than two weeks means you need a deload. Take a week of light training to let your body recover, then get back to it. Without this data, most people just push harder, digging themselves into a deeper hole.

Frequently Asked Questions

Tracking Volume for Bodyweight Exercises

For exercises like pull-ups or dips, you can calculate your Lift Score by multiplying your bodyweight by the total number of reps. If you weigh 180 lbs and did 25 total pull-ups, your Lift Score is 4,500 (180 x 25). If you add weight, add that to your bodyweight for the calculation (e.g., (180 lbs bodyweight + 25 lbs plate) x 25 reps).

How Often to Analyze Trends

Look at your graph once a month. Analyzing it weekly is too frequent and will cause you to overreact to normal fluctuations. The goal is to see the big picture over an 8-12 week period. Zooming in too close will make you second-guess a program that is actually working.

What About Accessory Lifts?

Don't calculate Lift Scores for smaller isolation movements like bicep curls or lateral raises. It's unnecessary complexity. For these, simply focus on 'micro-progression.' Aim to add one rep to a set or increase the weight by the smallest increment (2.5 lbs) whenever you can. As long as you're doing more over time, you're progressing.

When a Trend Line Is Lying

Your Lift Score can go up, but if your form is breaking down, it's 'junk volume.' A higher score from sloppy, partial reps is fake progress. Be honest with yourself. Each rep should look the same. If your squat depth gets shallower to hit more reps, the trend line is lying to you. Quality of movement always comes before quantity.

Digital Apps vs. Physical Notebooks

A physical notebook is simple and effective. Its main drawback is that you have to do the math manually. A digital app can automate the Lift Score and graphing for you, saving time and removing human error. The best tool is the one you will use consistently. If you love the feel of pen and paper, stick with it. If you prefer automation, an app is a better choice.