Beginner reference
Sets, reps, and weight: how to read and record a workout
Understand workout notation, working sets, warm-ups, rep ranges, and how to record weight for barbells, dumbbells, and machines.
The short answer
A rep is one completed movement, a set is a group of reps, and weight is the external load used. “3 × 8 at 135 lb” means three sets of eight reps with 135 pounds. Record completed reps for each working set when they differ.
Say the set once
Keep the structure without rebuilding it.
Describe what changed after training. LogFast reuses familiar exercise names and set patterns, then lets you correct the interpretation before saving.
Try fast workout loggingHow workout notation works
Programs often write sets before reps: 3 × 8 means three sets of eight. Logs often add load: 3 × 8 at 135 lb. If performance changes across sets, write it honestly: 135 × 8, 8, 6.
For unilateral exercises, specify whether reps are per side. For dumbbells, state whether the load is per dumbbell. For machines, record the displayed stack plus any setup detail that makes the number repeatable, such as seat height.
Warm-up sets versus working sets
Warm-up sets prepare the movement and help you assess readiness. Working sets are the sets intended to create the main training stimulus. Separating them keeps volume and progression comparisons cleaner.
You do not have to log every warm-up. Record it when a warm-up is prescribed, unusually hard, technically useful, or necessary to reproduce the session.
Rep targets are usually ranges
A range such as 8–12 gives room for daily variation. Choose a load that keeps completed reps within the range and near the intended effort. Progress reps before load when using double progression.
Missing the bottom of the range can mean the load is too high, the rest period was short, the exercise order changed, or fatigue was elevated. The log should preserve enough context to distinguish those possibilities.
Record the load you can reproduce
Barbell load normally includes the bar. Dumbbell load is usually written per hand, but conventions vary. Cable and machine numbers are equipment-specific and should not be compared across different machines as though they were standardized.
Consistency matters more than finding a universal notation. Pick a convention, state it once, and keep using it.
Frequently asked questions
Does 3 × 10 mean 30 total reps?
Yes. It means three sets of ten reps, for thirty planned reps if all sets are completed.
Do I count the barbell in the weight?
Usually yes. Record total system weight, including the bar, so the number can be reproduced.
Should warm-up sets count toward workout volume?
They are physical work, but most progression summaries separate them from working-set volume because their purpose and effort differ.