How to Use Your Workout Log to Know When to Increase Weight

The Only Rule You Need to Know When to Increase Weight

The simplest way to use your workout log to know when to increase weight is the 2-Rep Rule: if you can complete 2 more reps than your target in your final set, you increase the weight next session. That's it. No complicated math, no guessing, no “going by feel.” You’re probably staring at a notebook or an app filled with numbers that look the same as they did three months ago. You’ve been diligent, you’ve logged every set, but your bench press is still stuck at 135 pounds. That log feels less like a roadmap and more like a record of your stagnation. The problem isn't your effort; it's the lack of a system. Most people either add weight too aggressively, fail a lift, get discouraged, and retreat to the same old weight, or they never add weight at all, fearing injury or failure. The 2-Rep Rule removes emotion and replaces it with a clear, objective signal. Your log stops being a history book and becomes a predictive tool. It tells you what to do next, guaranteeing you're always pushing just enough to force your body to adapt and get stronger.

Why Your 'Feel' for Lifting Is Costing You Gains

Your body is designed to be efficient. It hates building muscle because muscle costs a lot of energy to maintain. The only reason it will build more is if you give it a compelling, undeniable reason to do so. This is called progressive overload. It means systematically increasing the demand placed on your muscles over time. The total work you do in a session is called volume, and the formula is simple: Weight x Reps x Sets = Total Volume. If that total volume number isn't going up over weeks and months, you are not getting stronger. You are just exercising.

This is where “going by feel” fails. You might go into the gym feeling great and lift 135 lbs for 8 reps. Next week, you’re tired, so you do 135 for 6 reps. The week after, you feel amazing and hit 9 reps. From your perspective, you’re working hard. But from your muscles’ perspective, the average demand isn’t changing. You’re hovering around a 1,080 lb volume for that set (135x8), but you never consistently exceed it.

Your workout log is the objective truth that cuts through how you feel. It doesn't care if you had a bad day at work or slept poorly. It only shows the numbers. The 2-Rep Rule is a structured way to force your volume upward. By hitting 2 extra reps, you’ve proven you can handle more demand. For example, lifting 135 lbs for 10 reps (instead of your target 8) increases your volume for that set to 1,350 lbs. That’s a 25% increase in demand. Your body gets the signal: “The load is getting heavier. I need to build more muscle fiber to handle this next time.” Increasing the weight to 140 lbs for the next session, even if you only hit 6 reps, results in a volume of 840 lbs for that set. While it seems lower, you are now primed to work back up to 8+ reps at a heavier weight, ensuring long-term progress. Without the log, this entire process is invisible. You’re flying blind.

Stop guessing. See your strength grow.

Track your lifts. Know exactly when to add weight and get stronger.

The 3-Step Protocol for Guaranteed Progression

Turning your log from a data graveyard into a progression engine requires three simple steps. This is the exact system to apply to your main compound lifts-squat, deadlift, bench press, and overhead press-to ensure you are consistently getting stronger. Forget complex periodization models; this is what works for 95% of people.

Step 1: Define Your Rep Range Target

Before you can know if you’ve progressed, you need a finish line. For each of your main exercises, define a rep range. A great starting point for building both strength and muscle is 3 to 4 sets in the 6-8 rep range. Write this at the top of your workout log for that exercise. For example: “Bench Press: 3 sets x 6-8 reps.” This is your target. Your goal for every set is to hit at least 6 reps and build toward 8 reps with perfect form. If you can't hit the bottom of the range (6 reps), the weight is too heavy. If you easily exceed the top of the range (8 reps) on all sets, the weight is too light.

Step 2: Apply the 2-Rep Rule to Your Final Set

This is where the magic happens. Focus on your last, most challenging set of the exercise. Let’s use a real-world example with a squat. Your target is 3 sets of 6-8 reps. You're currently lifting 185 pounds.

• Week 1: 185 lbs x 8 reps, 7 reps, 6 reps. (You hit your range, but didn't exceed it. Good work.)
• Week 2: 185 lbs x 8 reps, 8 reps, 7 reps. (You got stronger! Still within the range.)
• Week 3: 185 lbs x 8 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps. (You've mastered this weight in your rep range.)
• Week 4: 185 lbs x 9 reps, 8 reps, 8 reps. (You hit 9 reps on the first set, but not the last.)
• Week 5: 185 lbs x 9 reps, 9 reps, 10 reps. (Bingo. You hit 10 reps on your final set, which is 2 more than your target of 8.)

Your log for Week 5 is now the trigger. You have officially earned the right to increase the weight. You didn’t guess; you proved it with data.

Step 3: Increase Weight by the Smallest Increment

Once you’ve triggered the 2-Rep Rule, it's time to add weight. But don't make the mistake of jumping up by 20 pounds. Small, consistent jumps are the key to long-term, injury-free progress. Use these guidelines:

• Upper-Body Lifts (Bench Press, Overhead Press): Increase by 5 pounds total (a 2.5-pound plate on each side). These smaller muscle groups progress slower.
• Lower-Body Lifts (Squat, Deadlift): Increase by 5 to 10 pounds total. These larger muscle groups can handle slightly bigger jumps.
• Dumbbell & Isolation Lifts (Curls, Rows, Extensions): Increase by 2.5 to 5 pounds. This is why having small 1.25 lb and 2.5 lb plates is crucial.

In our squat example, after hitting 185 lbs for 10 reps, you would increase the weight to 195 lbs for your next squat session. Your new goal is to hit the bottom of your rep range (6 reps) with 195 lbs and slowly work your way back up to 8+ reps over the coming weeks. This cycle of increasing reps, then increasing weight, is called Double Progression, and it's the most reliable way to build strength.

Weeks of progress. All in one place.

Every workout logged. Proof you're getting stronger week after week.

Your Progress Won't Be a Straight Line (And That's Okay)

When you first implement this system, you might add 5 pounds to your lifts every week or two. It will feel amazing. This is the “newbie gains” phase, and it’s fantastic, but it doesn’t last forever. It's critical to understand that real, long-term progress looks less like a steep mountain and more like a series of small hills. You will have weeks where you don't add a single rep. You will have weeks where you lift the exact same numbers as the week before. This is not failure. This is part of the process.

Here’s a realistic 3-month snapshot of a bench press for someone past the beginner stage:

• Month 1: Went from 155 lbs for 6 reps to 155 lbs for 9 reps. Increased weight to 160 lbs.
• Month 2: Worked up from 160 lbs for 6 reps to 160 lbs for 8 reps. Stayed at 160 lbs for two straight weeks, hitting 8 reps each time before finally hitting 9 on the third week.
• Month 3: Increased to 165 lbs, but only managed 5 reps (one short of the 6-8 rep range). Dropped back to 160 lbs for a week to consolidate strength, then re-attempted 165 lbs and successfully hit 6 reps.

This is what real progress looks like. It’s messy, it stalls, and it requires patience. Your log is your guide. If you fail to add reps or weight to a major lift for 2-3 consecutive weeks, that is a signal. It’s your body telling you it needs a break. This is when you schedule a deload week. For one week, do your normal routine but cut all your working weights by 40-50%. It will feel ridiculously easy. That's the point. This gives your joints, tendons, and central nervous system time to recover. After a deload week, you'll often come back and break right through your plateau.

Frequently Asked Questions

The "Double Progression" Model

This method of first increasing repetitions within a target range, and only then increasing the weight, is formally known as Double Progression. It's one of the most effective and time-tested methods for building strength and muscle because it ensures you truly master a weight before moving up.

What to Do When You Fail a Rep

Failing a rep is not a moral failure; it's a data point. Log it accurately in your workout log (e.g., "165 lbs x 5 reps, failed 6th"). The plan for next week is simple: attempt the exact same weight for the same target reps. Most of the time, you'll hit it. If you fail to progress for 2-3 consecutive sessions on the same lift, that's a sign to consider a deload.

Progression for Bodyweight Exercises

This system works perfectly for exercises like pull-ups, dips, and push-ups. Your goal is to add reps. Once you can comfortably perform 12-15 perfect reps of a bodyweight exercise, it's time to increase the weight. Use a dip belt, weighted vest, or hold a dumbbell between your feet to add resistance and continue the progression cycle.

How Often to Increase Weight

The log tells you when, not the calendar. A beginner squatting might increase weight every single week for two months. An advanced lifter might only increase their bench press weight once every 4-6 weeks. Your rate of progression will slow over time, and it will be different for every lift. Trust the data in your log.

Logging More Than Just Reps and Weight

For more advanced tracking, add a column for RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) on a scale of 1-10, where 10 is maximum effort. Lifting 185 lbs for 8 reps at an RPE of 7 is much better progress than doing it at an RPE of 9. It means the weight is getting easier, and you're getting stronger, even if the numbers on the bar haven't changed.