How to Log Workouts in Plain English (No Dropdowns, No Set Rows)

The short answer: write each exercise as one line, the way you'd say it out loud. Name the lift, then sets, reps and weight, like Bench press 3x10 @ 60kg. Add a few words if something mattered. A plain-English workout tracker like Twaka reads that line and keeps the sets, reps, kilograms and progress for you, so you never tap through a form.

Why plain English beats tapping boxes

Most workout apps give you a grid. Pick the exercise from a list, tap a row, type the reps, tap the weight, tap done. Repeat for every set.

That's fine when you're fresh. It's a lot less fine between heavy sets when you've got 90 seconds and your hands are chalky.

Writing a line is faster because you already know what you did. You don't have to translate it into the app's shape. You just say it.

The format that works

You don't need a special syntax. You need to be consistent. This covers almost everything:

Exercise, sets x reps, weight, optional note

Squat 5x5 @ 100kg
Bench press 3 sets of 10 at 60kg
Romanian deadlift 3x8 @ 80kg, grip went on the last set
Pull-ups 3x8 bodyweight

A few habits make it even easier:

• Put the exercise name first. It's what you'll search for later.
• Use kg every time, or leave the unit off if you always lift in kg. Just don't switch halfway.
• Write what you actually did, not what was planned. If set three was only 7 reps, write it.
• Keep notes short. "Felt heavy" or "left knee tight" is enough to jog your memory next week.
• Want to rate effort? Add it on the top set only. Here's how to log RPE.

If you want more shorthand options, like how to write drop sets or sets with different reps, see our workout journal format guide.

What it looks like in Twaka

This is the example on the Twaka homepage. You type:

Bench press 3 sets of 10 at 60kg then 1x6 @ 70kg, felt heavy

Twaka reads it as 4 sets and 36 reps, with 2,220 kg of volume. It knows the top set was 70 kg and tells you how that compares with the last time you benched.

The maths is simple: 3 × 10 × 60 kg is 1,800 kg, plus 1 × 6 × 70 kg is 420 kg. You can check your own numbers any time with the free weekly volume calculator.

Anything Twaka doesn't recognise is left alone. "Felt heavy" stays as your note. Free text stays free text.

Pick one format and stick with it

People write the same set lots of ways:

3x10 @ 60kg
3 x 10 x 60
3 sets of 10 at 60kg
60kg for 3 sets of 10

Pick the one that feels natural and use it every time. Consistency is what keeps a log readable months later, on paper or on your phone. If you're not sure what else belongs on the page, see what to write in a gym diary.

Where a plain-English log helps most

• Mid-session. One line between sets, then back to resting.
• Supersets and circuits. Write them as they happened instead of fighting a form built for straight sets.
• Looking back. "What did I squat last Tuesday?" shouldn't mean scrolling through tapped rows. Twaka keeps one page per day with a calendar at the top, so you can jump straight to last Tuesday.

Frequently asked questions

Can an app read my own gym shorthand?

That's what Twaka is built for. Write 3 sets of 10 at 60kg or 1x6 @ 70kg and it pulls out the sets, reps and weight. Anything it doesn't understand stays as plain text in your log, so nothing gets lost.

Does it understand 1x6 @ 70kg after a set of 3x10?

Yes. In the homepage example, 3 sets of 10 at 60kg then 1x6 @ 70kg becomes four sets with the 70 kg set marked as your top set.

What happens if it misreads a line?

Your line stays on the page as you wrote it. Twaka adds structure on top, and anything it doesn't recognise is left alone as plain text. If a number in your recap looks off, fix the line.

Is it the same as a normal workout tracker?

You still get the tracker parts: sets, reps, kilograms, volume and how each lift moved since last time. The difference is how you put it in. You write a sentence instead of filling in a form.

How do I log workouts without tapping through forms?

Use an app that treats writing as the input. Type the exercise, sets, reps and weight on one line, and let the app handle the structure.

Try it on your next session

Next time you train, write one session the way you'd say it. No rows, no dropdowns.

Twaka is a training tracker for iPhone that works in plain English. It's on the App Store. Download Twaka on the App Store.