Training gets easier to follow when you have a place to plan the week, write each exercise in the order you want to do it, and record effort in a repeatable format. This workout chart template is designed for weekly programming and weekly tracking. You can use it on your own, share it with a trainer, or use it as a coaching sheet for clients who want written guidance they can follow session by session.
At the top, you get space to define the week date range, the program type, and your goal for the week. That information matters more than it sounds because it gives your workout notes context later. A “strength and hypertrophy” week reads very differently than a “deload” week, and the same exercise numbers can mean something different if the goal was technique work or conditioning.
The worksheet then divides the plan into warm up, core and body work, upper body strength training, lower body strength training, and cool down. Each section has its own “Days” line so you can label the training day, date, or session number based on how you organize your program.
Filling Out the Workout Chart
Start by completing the header fields for the week. Write the week start and end dates, then add a short program type label such as strength, conditioning, mobility, or rehab style training. In the goals line, write one or two outcomes you want to chase during the week. Examples include improving squat depth, building pull-up volume, adding cardio minutes, or prioritizing recovery. Keep the goal statement short so you can read it quickly before training.
Move into the warm up section next. This area is built for movements that prepare your body for the session, such as light cardio, dynamic mobility, activation work, or ramp-up sets. You can record sets and reps if it is a movement-based warm up, or use the time and distance columns if it is more cardio-based. The Intensity column uses a dropdown with Easy, Medium, and Hard, and the cell color changes based on the selection. That gives you a fast effort marker without turning your warm up notes into long paragraphs.
Use the core and body strength section for the work that sits between warm up and the main lifts. This is the place for core training, carries, accessories, and movements that train bracing, stability, and midline control. You can record sets, reps, weight, rest time, and a short note for cues. If you are doing circuits, you can list the circuit moves as separate rows and use the Notes column to write “Round 1–4” or a pacing reminder.
For upper body and lower body, you get the same strength tracking columns plus an RPE column. RPE is a 1 to 10 effort rating, and the reference line on the sheet reminds you that 1 to 3 is easy effort, 4 to 6 is moderate, 7 to 8 is hard, and 9 to 10 is near max effort. RPE gives you a way to record how the set felt, not only what you lifted. That matters when sleep, stress, or recovery changes your performance across the week. Use Rest Time to record planned rest, and use Notes for technique cues, tempo, or anything you want to repeat next week.
Finish with the cool down section. This area mirrors the warm up section, so it can hold light cardio, stretching, mobility drills, breathing work, or recovery movement. Time, distance, and Intensity give you enough space to record what you did and how hard it felt without overwriting the sheet.
Tracking Effort With Intensity and RPE
This workout chart uses two effort markers so your log captures more than sets and weight. The Intensity dropdown is available in the Warm Up and Cool Down sections. The RPE (1–10) column is available in the Upper Body and Lower Body strength sections, and the sheet also shows an RPE reference line near the top.
Use Intensity for any work you record in the Warm Up or Cool Down blocks, not only traditional warm-up or stretching. Those rows can hold cardio, intervals, mobility circuits, activation drills, finishers, or recovery sessions. Pick Easy, Medium, or Hard based on overall effort, then use Notes for the detail that matters, such as pace, incline, or interval format.
Use RPE for strength sets where effort changes even when the numbers look similar. A practical approach is to record RPE on your top set or final working set for each main exercise. The reference on the sheet sets the range, with 1–3 as easy, 4–6 as moderate, 7–8 as hard, and 9–10 as max effort. This keeps the rating useful and avoids turning it into extra admin for every set.
For sections that do not have an RPE column, such as Core Body, write a short effort tag in Notes if you want the same kind of reference, like “RPE 7” or “moderate.”
Adapting the Chart to Your Program
Using this template, you can treat each block as a training category for the week, then label the Days line with the session name or date so your entries stay easy to review later. After that, list exercises in the order you plan to do them and record only the details you want to track consistently, such as sets, reps, load, rest time, and effort.
For full-body training, use the Upper Body and Lower Body sections to separate movement focus, then use Core and Body for accessories, carries, and trunk work. For a split program, label each block with the workout name you follow and leave unused blocks blank for that week. For conditioning-heavy weeks, use the Warm Up and Cool Down blocks for cardio or intervals and rely on Time, Distance, Notes, and the Intensity dropdown to record effort in a quick, readable format.
To keep the chart useful without turning it into long notes, write short cues in the Notes column that you would want to remember next time, such as tempo, equipment settings, or a form reminder. For strength work, use RPE on your final working set to capture effort, since it explains changes in performance even if the numbers look similar.
Wrap-up
This template is available in Excel and Google Sheets. Excel is a good fit if you track on desktop, duplicate the sheet for each new week, and keep a long workout log saved locally, with the option to print clean copies. Google Sheets is a good fit if you want browser-based online editing, automatic saving in Google Drive, and easy sharing with a coach, client, or training partner.
