Top 3 Ways Logging Your Workouts Beats Just 'going by Feel'

Why 'Training Hard' Is Actually Making You Weaker

You're probably here because you feel stuck. You go to the gym 3, 4, even 5 times a week. You sweat. You get sore. You feel like you're working hard. But your bench press, squat, or deadlift has been stuck at the same weight for months. It’s infuriating. The top 3 ways logging your workouts beats just 'going by feel' are by revealing your true workout volume, forcing structured progress, and providing objective data that makes plateaus predictable and solvable. This isn't about 'training harder'; it's about training smarter to see predictable strength gains of 5-10% in the next 60 days.

'Going by feel' is the single biggest reason most people fail to get stronger. Your 'feel' is a liar. It’s influenced by how you slept, what you ate for lunch, and a stressful meeting at work. On a good day, 185 pounds feels light. On a bad day, it feels like a ton of bricks. If you choose your weights based on this feeling, your training has no direction. You're just throwing effort at the wall and hoping something sticks.

Logging your workouts replaces subjective feelings with objective facts. It’s the difference between being a passenger in your fitness journey and being the pilot. Instead of guessing what to lift, you have a flight plan. The logbook from last week tells you exactly what you need to do this week to make progress. It removes emotion and decision fatigue from the equation. Your only job is to show up and beat the logbook by one rep or 5 pounds. That’s it. This shift from random effort to structured, measurable progress is the key that unlocks consistent gains.

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The Workout Math You're Ignoring (And It's Costing You Gains)

The most important metric for getting stronger isn't how heavy you lift in one set; it's your total workout volume. Volume is the total weight you've lifted in a session, calculated with simple math: Weight x Sets x Reps = Total Volume. This number is the true measure of your workload. 'Going by feel' completely hides this metric, leading you to make the wrong assumptions about your progress.

Let's look at two common scenarios for someone benching around 185 pounds:

• Workout A (You 'feel' strong): You hit the gym after a great night's sleep. You load up 185 lbs and manage 3 sets of 5 reps. It feels heavy and productive. You leave feeling accomplished.
• Volume Calculation: 185 lbs x 3 sets x 5 reps = 2,775 lbs of total volume.
• Workout B (You 'feel' tired): You drag yourself to the gym after a long day. 185 lbs feels impossible, so you drop the weight to 165 lbs. You feel disappointed but grind out 3 sets of 8 reps.
• Volume Calculation: 165 lbs x 3 sets x 8 reps = 3,960 lbs of total volume.

Which workout actually made you stronger? Workout B. You lifted over 1,000 pounds more in total volume, creating a much stronger stimulus for muscle growth. But because you were 'going by feel,' you probably left the gym feeling like you had a bad day and made zero progress. Without logging, you would never know that your 'bad' day was actually 42% more productive than your 'good' day. This is the trap of 'going by feel.' It focuses on the weight on the bar for a single set, ignoring the mathematical reality of your total effort.

Logging exposes the truth. It shows you that progress isn't always linear and doesn't always 'feel' good. Sometimes, dropping the weight and adding reps is the most productive thing you can do. You see the math now. Volume is the engine of progress. But answer this honestly: what was your total deadlift volume from four weeks ago? Not the heaviest set, the total pounds lifted across all sets. If you can't answer that with a precise number, you aren't controlling your progress. You're just guessing.

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The 3-Step Logging Protocol for Breaking Any Plateau

Knowing you should log your workouts is one thing; having a system that works is another. Forget complicated spreadsheets or tracking dozens of metrics. To break a plateau and start making predictable progress, you only need to do three things consistently. This protocol is designed to add 10-15 pounds to your primary lifts (like the bench press or squat) in 8 weeks.

Step 1: Establish Your Baseline (Week 1)

Your first week is about data collection, not performance. Grab a simple notebook or use a tracking app. For every exercise you do this week, log three things: the exercise name, the weight you used, and the sets and reps you completed. That's it. Don't try to be a hero. Just perform your normal 'go by feel' workout and write it down.

Example Log Entry:

• Exercise: Barbell Bench Press
• Weight: 185 lbs
• Sets x Reps: 5, 5, 4 (meaning you got 5 reps on set 1, 5 on set 2, and failed at 4 on set 3)

By the end of the week, you will have a complete, honest picture of your current strength level. This is your starting point. This is the data you are now going to systematically beat.

Step 2: Apply the 'Plus One' Rule (Weeks 2-4)

This is where the magic happens. Your goal for the next workout is no longer to 'train hard'; it's to beat your logbook from the previous week in one small way. This is called progressive overload. Look at your log from last week's bench press (185 lbs for 5, 5, 4). Your mission for this week is to improve on that in one of two ways:

• The Rep Method: Keep the weight the same (185 lbs) and try to add one more rep to one of your sets. Your goal could be 5, 5, 5. If you get it, that's a win. Next week, you might try for 6, 5, 5.
• The Weight Method: If you successfully hit your rep target (e.g., 3 sets of 5), add the smallest possible weight to the bar. For most gyms, this is 5 pounds total (a 2.5 lb plate on each side). Your goal is to hit your original rep count (3 sets of 5) with the new, heavier weight (190 lbs).

This system removes all guesswork. You walk into the gym knowing the exact numbers you need to hit. It turns your workout into a clear, achievable challenge.

Step 3: Plan Your Stalls and Deloads (Week 5 and Beyond)

You cannot add weight or reps forever. You will eventually stall. This is not a failure; it is a predictable part of getting stronger. A stall is defined as failing to beat your logbook on a primary lift for two consecutive weeks. When this happens, you don't panic or 'train harder.' You execute a planned deload.

A deload is a short period of reduced intensity that allows your body to recover and adapt. Here’s how to do it:

• For one week, reduce the weight on your main lifts by 15-20%. If you stalled at 205 lbs on the bench press, you would deload with around 165-175 lbs.
• Keep the sets and reps the same. The goal is to practice the movement with perfect form and less stress.
• After the deload week, return to your progression. Start with a weight slightly below your stall point (e.g., 200 lbs) and begin applying the 'Plus One' rule again. You will almost always break through your old plateau.

This systematic approach to stalls turns them from a source of frustration into a strategic tool for long-term progress.

Your First 60 Days of Logging: The Honest Timeline

Starting a new system can feel strange, and progress won't always feel like progress. 'Going by feel' has trained you to chase muscle soreness and fatigue. Logging trains you to chase numbers in a book. Here is what you should realistically expect in your first two months.

Week 1-2: The Awkward Phase

Your first few workouts will feel clumsy. Pulling out your phone or notebook between sets feels weird. You might even find your performance dips slightly as your focus is split between lifting and logging. This is 100% normal. The goal here is not to set personal records; it's to build the habit. Just get the data down. Don't judge it. By the end of week two, the process will feel much more natural.

Month 1 (Weeks 3-4): The First 'Click'

You'll experience your first undeniable win. You'll look back at your week 1 log and see that you are objectively stronger. Maybe you added 5 pounds to your squat for the same reps, or you added two reps to every set of your overhead press. It won't be a massive jump, but it will be real, recorded proof. This is the moment you stop trusting your feelings and start trusting the data. This small win provides the motivation to keep going.

Month 2 (Weeks 5-8): The Strategic Plateau

Sometime in the second month, you'll likely hit your first real stall. You'll fail to beat your numbers for a week, and then a second week. In the past, this would have caused you to get frustrated, question everything, or switch programs. Now, it's just a signal. You'll calmly execute your planned deload, knowing it's part of the process. The confidence you gain from having a plan for plateaus is more valuable than the weight itself. After the deload, you'll come back and break that plateau. This is the point where you realize you now have a system for lifelong progress.

Frequently Asked Questions

What to Log Besides Weight, Sets, and Reps?

For extra context, add a rating for RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion) after each set. It's a 1-10 scale of how hard the set felt, with 10 being an absolute maximum effort. This helps you understand if a 5-rep set was easy (RPE 7) or a grind (RPE 9.5).

Logging Workouts: App vs. Notebook?

Both are effective. A notebook is simple, cheap, and has no distractions. An app can automatically calculate your total volume, graph your progress, and provide a rest timer. The best tool is the one you will use consistently for every single workout. Experiment and see what sticks.

What If I Can't Add Weight or Reps?

If you fail to progress on a main lift for two weeks in a row, it's a stall. The primary solution is to perform a deload week (reduce weight by 15-20% for one week). Other options include improving your form, changing your rest periods, or swapping the exercise for a similar variation for 4-6 weeks.

How Often Should I Increase the Weight?

You will not add weight every workout. For major compound lifts like the squat and deadlift, aim to add 5 pounds every 1-2 weeks. For upper body lifts like the bench press, adding 5 pounds every 2-3 weeks is great progress. For smaller isolation exercises, adding reps is a better long-term strategy.