What to Look for in My Weekly Fitness Review

Your Weekly Review Is Failing. Here Are the Only 3 Metrics You Need.

When figuring out what to look for in my weekly fitness review, ignore almost everything and focus on just three numbers: your total weekly training volume, your average daily protein intake, and your average weekly body weight. You're probably drowning in data-step counts, sleep scores, heart rate variability, dozens of exercises in your log. It feels productive to track it all, but it creates noise. This noise is why you feel stuck, staring at a logbook that looks more like a random collection of numbers than a map to success. The truth is, 90% of that data doesn't drive results. The weekly review isn't about admiring a full spreadsheet; it's about finding the 2-3 signals that tell you if you're winning or losing. Focusing on these three metrics transforms your review from a 60-minute chore into a 15-minute surgical strike that tells you exactly what to do next week.

Here’s what they are and why they matter more than anything else:

1. Total Training Volume: This is the true measure of your work in the gym. It’s calculated as (Sets x Reps x Weight). If this number is trending up over time, you are getting stronger and building muscle. Period. It cuts through the confusion of changing rep schemes or weights.
2. Average Daily Protein: You can’t build or repair muscle without the raw materials. Hitting your protein target (around 0.8-1.0 grams per pound of body weight) is non-negotiable. Looking at the weekly average smooths out daily fluctuations and tells you if you’re giving your body what it needs to recover and grow from the volume you just performed.
3. Average Weekly Body Weight: Weighing yourself daily is a recipe for anxiety. Your weight can swing 2-5 pounds day-to-day based on water, salt, and carbs. The weekly average is the real signal. It tells you the true direction your body composition is heading. Is it trending down, up, or holding steady? This number, when compared to your training volume, tells the full story.

Stop guessing if you're making progress.

Track your workouts and food. See the numbers that prove you're getting results.

The Hidden Number That Proves You're Getting Stronger (Or Weaker)

Most people think progressive overload just means adding more weight to the bar. This is the single biggest mistake that keeps them stalled for months, even years. They have a good week and add 5 pounds to their bench press, but their reps drop from 8 to 5. They feel successful, but the math shows they actually did less work. This is where understanding Total Volume becomes your secret weapon. Volume is the universal language of strength.

Let’s look at the math. Imagine your bench press workout:

• Week 1: 3 sets of 8 reps at 135 pounds. Volume = 3 x 8 x 135 = 3,240 pounds.
• Week 2 (You add weight): 3 sets of 5 reps at 140 pounds. Volume = 3 x 5 x 140 = 2,100 pounds.

You added 5 pounds to the bar, but your total work output dropped by over 1,000 pounds. You got weaker, not stronger. Your nervous system handled a heavier single load, but your muscles did significantly less work, which means less stimulus for growth.

Now, let's see what real progress looks like:

• Week 1: 3 sets of 8 reps at 135 pounds. Volume = 3,240 pounds.
• Week 2 (You add reps): 3 sets of 9 reps at 135 pounds. Volume = 3 x 9 x 135 = 3,645 pounds.

Here, the weight on the bar is the same, but you increased your total volume by 405 pounds. This is undeniable progress. This is the stimulus that forces your muscles to adapt and grow. Your weekly review must center on this number. If your volume for a key lift isn't trending up over a 3-4 week period, your program is not working. It’s that simple. You see the math now. Volume is the only real measure of progress in the gym. But look back at last week's log. Can you tell me, to the pound, what your total volume was for your main squat or bench workout? If you can't, you're not tracking progress; you're just writing down numbers and hoping for the best.

Your weekly progress, calculated for you.

Mofilo automatically tracks your volume so you know you're getting stronger every week.

Your 15-Minute Sunday Ritual That Guarantees Monday's Results

Stop spending an hour staring at your data. A focused 15-minute review is more effective. Do this every Sunday to set up your next week for a guaranteed win. Grab your training log, your nutrition data, and a calculator or app.

Step 1: Review Training Volume on 1-2 Key Lifts

Don't calculate volume for every single exercise. That's a waste of time. Pick one upper body and one lower body compound movement that you want to improve (e.g., Bench Press and Squat, or Overhead Press and Deadlift).

• Action: Look at your log for this week. Calculate the total volume for those two lifts. Compare it to last week's volume.
• Example:
• Last Week Squat: 4 sets x 6 reps @ 185 lbs = 4,440 lbs volume.
• This Week Squat: 4 sets x 7 reps @ 185 lbs = 5,180 lbs volume.
• Result: That's a 740-pound increase. A clear win. If the volume went down, ask why. Was it a planned deload? Bad sleep? Or did the program stall? This is your primary indicator of strength progress.

Step 2: Audit Your Nutrition Non-Negotiables

Here, you're looking for averages, not perfection. Open your food log and find two numbers.

• Action 1 (Protein): Find your average daily protein intake for the week. Add up the 7 days and divide by 7. Is it within 10-15 grams of your goal (e.g., 0.8g per lb of bodyweight)? For a 180lb person, the goal is ~144g. If your average was 110g, you've found a major reason why recovery feels slow and you're not building muscle.
• Action 2 (Calories): Find your average daily calorie intake. Is it aligned with your goal? If you're trying to lose fat and aiming for 2,000 calories, but your weekly average was 2,400, you have your answer for why the scale isn't moving. Don't beat yourself up; just acknowledge the data.

Step 3: Analyze Your Average Weekly Weight

Daily weigh-ins are for data collection, not emotional reactions. The weekly average tells the truth.

• Action: Add up your 7 daily weigh-ins and divide by 7. Do the same for last week. Compare the two averages.
• Goal Fat Loss: You want to see the average drop by 0.5 to 1.5 pounds. More than that, and you risk muscle loss. Less than that, and you may need to adjust calories or increase activity.
• Goal Muscle Gain: You want to see the average increase by 0.25 to 0.5 pounds. More than that, and you're likely gaining excess fat.

Step 4: Make One Single Decision for Next Week

This is the most important step. Based on your review, decide on ONE primary focus for the upcoming week. Do not try to fix everything at once.

• If volume stalled, your goal is to add one more rep to each set of your key lift.
• If protein was low, your goal is to add one 30g protein shake every day.
• If fat loss stalled, your goal is to reduce daily calories by 100-200, perhaps by swapping one snack for a piece of fruit.

Write this one goal down. This single, focused action is what turns your review into real-world results.

Your Progress Chart Will Look Messy. Here's How to Read It.

Your fitness journey will not be a perfect, straight line moving up and to the right. It will be a jagged, messy line that trends in the right direction over months, not days. The purpose of the weekly review is to understand the mess, not to expect perfection. If you expect a perfect score every week, you will quit.

Here’s what a realistic 4-week progress cycle looks like for someone in a calorie deficit:

• Week 1: You're motivated. Training volume on your squat is up 500 lbs. Average body weight is down 1.2 lbs. Protein intake was on point. This is a huge win. You feel great.
• Week 2: A stressful project at work hits. You miss one workout. Sleep is poor. Your squat volume is down 200 lbs from last week. Your average weight stays exactly the same. The old you would call this a failure. The new you sees the data: you were stressed, so your body held onto water, and your performance dipped. The plan for next week: get back to the routine.
• Week 3: You're back on track. Squat volume hits a new personal record, up 800 lbs from Week 2. Your average weight drops by 1.5 lbs as the water from last week's stress finally comes off. You feel validated.
• Week 4: You feel a bit run down. You keep the weights the same but manage to hit your reps. Volume is flat compared to Week 3. Your weight drops another 0.5 lbs. This isn't a spectacular week, but you maintained strength in a deficit and still lost fat. This is a maintenance win, and it might signal it's time for a diet break or a deload week soon.

Over one month, you hit two new strength records, lost 3.2 pounds, and learned how your body responds to stress. The trend is undeniable progress. The weekly review isn't a pass/fail test. It's a tool for course correction.

Frequently Asked Questions

The Importance of Weekly Averages vs. Daily Numbers

Your body weight, calorie intake, and even motivation fluctuate daily. Reacting to a single day's data is a mistake. Averaging your numbers over 7 days smooths out this noise and gives you a true signal of your progress, preventing you from making panicked, unnecessary changes.

When to Change Your Workout Program

Do not change your entire program because of one bad week. If your total training volume on key lifts has stalled or declined for 3-4 consecutive weeks despite good effort, sleep, and nutrition, then it's time to consider a new program or a deload week.

Tracking Subjective Feelings (Energy, Soreness, Sleep)

These are valuable secondary metrics. Make a simple note (e.g., Energy: 7/10, Soreness: High). If you see a trend of low energy, poor sleep, and high soreness for 2+ weeks, it's a strong indicator that you need more food, less volume, or a deload, even if your numbers look okay.

What If I Miss a Workout or Have a Bad Diet Day

The weekly review shows you that one missed workout or one high-calorie day is insignificant in the context of the entire week. The goal is consistency, not perfection. Acknowledge it in the review, see how it impacts the weekly average, and then focus on getting back on track.

The Role of Progress Photos and Measurements

These are powerful tools for tracking long-term changes that the scale can miss, like body recomposition. However, do not take them weekly. You will see almost no change, get discouraged, and quit. Take photos and measurements (waist, hips, chest) once every 4-8 weeks.