How to Write Supersets, Drop Sets and AMRAP Sets in Your Gym Log
By Twaka team ·
The short answer: for a superset, pair the lines with a letter and number, like A1 and A2. For a drop set, write each drop on the same line with "drop" between them. For AMRAP, write the reps you actually got and tag it "AMRAP". Keep the usual order: exercise, reps, kg, note.
Why special sets need their own notation
Straight sets are easy. Bench press 3x8 @ 60kg and you're done.
Supersets, drop sets and AMRAP sets break that pattern. If you write them like straight sets, you lose what made them different. Next week you won't remember that the 8 reps came straight after a heavy set, or that the last set was all-out.
A tiny bit of notation fixes that. Here's what to write.
How to write a superset
A superset is two exercises done back to back, with little or no rest between them. The classic way to write it is a letter for the pair and a number for the order:
A1 Dumbbell bench press 3x10 @ 24kg each
A2 One-arm dumbbell row 3x10 @ 26kg each
Read it as: do A1, then A2, then rest. Repeat for three rounds.
Got more than one superset in a session? Use the next letter:
A1 Incline dumbbell press 3x10 @ 20kg each
A2 Seated cable row 3x12 @ 50kg
B1 Dumbbell curl 3x12 @ 10kg each
B2 Triceps pushdown 3x12 @ 25kg
A three-exercise group, often called a tri-set, just adds a third number: C1, C2, C3.
If you don't like letters, write it in words:
Curl 3x12 @ 10kg each, superset with pushdown 3x12 @ 25kg
Either works. Pick one and keep it.
How to write a drop set
A drop set means you finish a set, drop the weight, and keep going with little or no rest. Write each drop on the same line, in order:
Lateral raise 12 @ 10kg, drop 10 @ 7.5kg, drop 8 @ 5kg
Read it as: 12 reps at 10 kg, straight into 10 reps at 7.5 kg, straight into 8 reps at 5 kg.
For machines and cables, the same pattern works:
Leg extension 12 @ 60kg, drop 10 @ 45kg, drop 8 @ 30kg
If the drop set came at the end of normal sets, keep them apart so the straight sets stay easy to compare:
Leg extension 3x12 @ 60kg
Leg extension 12 @ 60kg, drop 10 @ 45kg, drop 8 @ 30kg
How to write an AMRAP set
AMRAP means as many reps as possible. The rep number isn't planned, so the most important thing is writing what you actually got:
Squat 3x5 @ 100kg
Squat 1x9 @ 90kg, AMRAP
The "AMRAP" tag tells future you that 9 was all-out, not a planned 9.
If you rate effort, an AMRAP set is usually close to the top of the scale. You can add it after the set, like @10. More on that in how to log RPE.
AMRAP sets make great comparison points. Same weight, more reps next time means you're getting stronger.
Rest-pause and cluster sets
Two more you might see in a program.
Rest-pause: one set broken by short rests. Write the mini sets with a plus sign:
Pull-ups BW: 8 + 3 + 2, rest-pause
Cluster sets: short planned breaks inside a set. Same idea:
Deadlift 140kg: 2 + 2 + 2, cluster
The word at the end matters. It tells you why the reps look odd.
Counting volume with special sets
For weekly volume, count every chunk. A drop set of 12 @ 10kg, 10 @ 7.5kg and 8 @ 5kg is (12 × 10) + (10 × 7.5) + (8 × 5), or 235 kg. The full method is in how to calculate weekly training volume.
Keep it readable
A few habits that help:
- Exercise name first. It's what you'll scan for later.
- One special set per line. Don't cram a superset and a drop set onto one line.
- A label at the end. "AMRAP", "rest-pause", "cluster". One word is enough.
- Same notation every week. That's what makes the log comparable.
For the basics, like changing reps and per-hand dumbbells, see our workout journal format guide.
Writing special sets in Twaka
Twaka is a training log you write in plain English. You write lines the way you'd say them, like Bench press 3 sets of 10 at 60kg then 1x6 @ 70kg, felt heavy, and Twaka reads the sets, reps and kg. Anything it doesn't recognise is left alone. Your line stays on the page as you wrote it, so labels like "AMRAP" or "superset" are still there when you look back. One page a day keeps the whole session together, and last time's sets show under a lift when you start it. More in how to log workouts in plain English.
Frequently asked questions
How do I write a superset in a workout log?
Pair the exercises with a letter and number, like A1 Dumbbell bench press 3x10 @ 24kg each and A2 One-arm dumbbell row 3x10 @ 26kg each. Do A1 then A2, then rest.
How do I note a drop set?
Write each drop on one line, in order: Lateral raise 12 @ 10kg, drop 10 @ 7.5kg, drop 8 @ 5kg.
How do I log an AMRAP set?
Write the reps you actually got and tag it: Squat 1x9 @ 90kg, AMRAP. The tag tells you it was all-out.
What does A1 and A2 mean in a workout?
They're a superset. The letter is the pair, the number is the order. Do A1, then A2, then rest before the next round.
Should I count drop sets in my volume?
Yes, count every chunk. Multiply reps by kg for each part of the drop set and add them up.
Write it once, read it next week
Good notation is boring, and that's the point. Twaka is a plain-English training log for iPhone, now on the App Store. You need Twaka Pro to use it: US $49.99 a year or $7.99 a month, and local prices vary. New subscribers may get a 7-day free trial. Download Twaka on the App Store.
General training information, not medical advice.
Sources
- Twaka App Store listing (plain-English day log reads sets, weights and reps, one page a day, last time under a lift name, Pro prices and trial): https://apps.apple.com/app/twaka/id6805823954
- Twaka homepage (parsing example
3 sets of 10 at 60kg then 1x6 @ 70kg, felt heavy; anything it doesn't recognise is left alone): https://twaka.app
