We build the lift log that tells you what to lift next.

How much weight to add each week

A simple plan to start with is called double progression. Pick a rep range for each lift, like 6 to 8. Use the same weight until you hit the top of the range on every set. Then add the smallest jump you have and start again at the bottom of the range.

Here is how that looks on the bench. You press 135 pounds for 3 sets: 6, 7 and 6 reps. Next week, try for 7, 7 and 7. When you hit 8, 8 and 8, move to 140 pounds and start again at 6 reps a set.

Use the smallest jump you have, like 5 pounds on the bar for squats and deadlifts and 2.5 to 5 pounds for presses. If you can’t make the jump, stay at the weight for another week. Keep the jumps small and steady.

Write down the weight and the reps for every set, every time. For progressive overload, start each week from what you did last week.

How to know when to add weight or reps

Use reps in reserve: how many more good reps you could have done when you stopped. If your last set of 8 felt like you had 3 left, the weight is light. If you had 0 left and your form broke, it’s heavy. Aim to finish each working set with 1 or 2 reps left.

When every set of a lift ends with 3 or more reps in reserve, add weight next time. When they end at 0, hold the weight. Write the reps in reserve next to each set, so next week’s choice comes from what happened that day. Your notes set the plan, and in your own app the math would be done for you between sets.

Why you’re not getting stronger

Check these 4 first. You can fix each one:

• No log. Without one you guess, and on a good day you can lift too much.
• The same weight for weeks. If nothing tells you when to move up, it is easy to stay put.
• Too many changes at once. Give a program time to work before you switch.
• No easy weeks. Plan a lighter week every 6 to 8 weeks.

Pick 1 program, log every set and follow the rules above for 8 weeks before you judge it.

What to log, and what to skip

Log the lift, the weight, the reps and the sets. Add reps in reserve if you use it. Add a short note when something hurts or feels off. Skip everything else. Every extra field is 1 more tap between sets, so leave out what you don’t look back at. If you train with a partner, log your own numbers. Keep it simple, so you keep logging.

Keep your history yours

Years of training are worth protecting. Export your log once a month, whatever you use. Choose a tracker that lets you take your whole history with you, in a format a spreadsheet can open. Your log should never be the reason you stay with an app. If your app won’t export, copy your best lifts and your last month into a note today, so you still have your starting point if your log is ever lost.

Training around missed days and travel

A week of travel, a cold or a busy month can break a training plan, so plan for it. When you miss up to a week, pick up where you left off at the same weights. After more than a week off, start about 10 percent lighter and build back over 2 or 3 sessions. Before you leave, write down your last working weight for each lift, so you know where to start when you get back. On the road, keep the same lifts and use what the hotel gym has. If you miss a Tuesday, do that session the next day and keep the order of your week.

Lift Coach, the lift log we built

Lift Coach is a real Joiner build, shown with sample data. Today’s session is planned from your last one, with a line on why each lift moves. Each set takes 2 taps, and the rest timer starts on its own. Progress shows your bests, an estimated max and 12 weeks of lifts in 1 chart. Yours would be built around how you train, install on your phone’s home screen with no app store, and keep every set yours to export. Try Lift Coach.