---
type: Article
title: "Double Progression: A Workout Log Example"
description: "See a six-session double-progression example, how to record its rule, and why more weight can lower volume. Includes a reusable example CSV."
resource: https://quietgains.app/journal/double-progression-workout-log
language: en
tags: ["double progression", "double progression workout log", "reps before weight", "double progression example"]
timestamp: 2026-09-24
---

# How to track double progression in a workout log

A clear record of the rule, the completed sets and the change in load makes a progression log much easier to read.

![A woman slides a small weight plate onto a safely racked barbell.](https://quietgains.app/images/journal-double-progression/cover-v2.webp)

AI-generated editorial illustration.

Training · By [QuietGains](https://quietgains.app/about) · Published 24 September 2026 · Updated 24 September 2026 · 6 min

Double progression tracks two variables: repetitions and load. In a common version, repetitions increase within a chosen range while the load stays fixed; the load changes after a defined repetition condition is met. To log it clearly, keep the rule separate from the actual results. “Three sets of 8–10” alone does not say when the load is supposed to change.

This guide explains how to record and audit an existing rule. The numbers below are illustrative, not a programme to follow. A plan you or your coach has chosen may use a different range, set count, increment or effort condition. Write those details down instead of assuming that every use of “double progression” means the same thing.

## Define the rule before interpreting the results

For this example only, suppose a plan specifies three working sets at one load, an 8–10 repetition range, and a condition that all three sets reach ten reps before the next load step. Its selected increment is 2.5 kg. The exercise, equipment and load convention stay the same. We are recording what happens under that rule, not deciding whether the rule suits a particular person.

| Field | Recorded rule |
| --- | --- |
| Exercise identity | The same exercise variation and equipment in every row. |
| Included sets | Three completed working sets; warm-ups excluded. |
| Repetition range | 8–10 per set. |
| Load-change condition | Each of the three sets records ten repetitions. |
| Selected increment | 2.5 kg; this is an example input, not a universal increment. |

## A six-session double-progression example

Read each entry as a completed result. Session numbers show order, not a recommended weekly frequency. The table deliberately keeps the three repetition counts visible: a total alone would hide whether every set met the stated condition.

| Session and completed work | Interpretation under this example’s rule |
| --- | --- |
| 1: 40 kg; 8 / 8 / 8 reps | 24 total reps; 960 kg volume load. Condition not met. |
| 2: 40 kg; 9 / 8 / 8 reps | 25 total reps; 1,000 kg volume load. One more completed rep. |
| 3: 40 kg; 10 / 9 / 8 reps | 27 total reps; 1,080 kg volume load. Only the first set reaches ten. |
| 4: 40 kg; 10 / 10 / 9 reps | 29 total reps; 1,160 kg volume load. The third set is below ten. |
| 5: 40 kg; 10 / 10 / 10 reps | 30 total reps; 1,200 kg volume load. The stated condition is met. |
| 6: 42.5 kg; 8 / 8 / 8 reps | 24 total reps; 1,020 kg volume load. The log begins a new load block. |

Session three does not satisfy this particular rule just because its first set reaches ten. Session five does. If the actual plan used a first-set condition instead, its interpretation would differ. A log should preserve the rule it is evaluating, rather than quietly switching definitions when one result looks encouraging.

[Download the six-session example CSV](https://quietgains.app/downloads/double-progression-example.csv). Copy its columns for your own log and record your own rule alongside it. The file contains illustrative inputs, not automatic recommendations or a schedule.

## Why volume can fall when the load rises

Session five contains 40 × (10 + 10 + 10) = 1,200 kg of volume load. Session six contains 42.5 × (8 + 8 + 8) = 1,020 kg. The load per repetition rises by 6.25%, while the recorded volume falls by 15%. There is no arithmetic contradiction: fewer repetitions offset the heavier load.

That is why a volume chart alone cannot tell you whether a double-progression rule was followed. It also cannot label the change good or bad for a person’s programme. Keep load, repetitions and the rule visible together. Our [estimated 1RM, volume and rep-PR guide](https://quietgains.app/journal/estimated-1rm-volume-rep-prs) explains the different questions those summaries answer.

## Keep plans and completed sets in separate fields

A target describes the intended work; a result describes what happened. If the plan says 8–10 but a completed set contains seven, record seven. Replacing the result with the lower end of the target makes the log look tidier but destroys the evidence needed to review the session.

- Store the exercise, units and load convention before the session results. A per-dumbbell number and a combined load are different inputs.
- Keep each working set in its own field, with completion status. A skipped or unrecorded set is missing evidence, not a completed target.
- Record the rule’s repetition range and load-change condition in the plan or a clearly attached note.
- Keep any planned effort condition separate from reported effort. Read [how to log repetitions in reserve](https://quietgains.app/journal/log-reps-in-reserve) if the plan uses RIR.
- Note changes in equipment, pauses, assistance or execution that make consecutive results less directly comparable.

For example, 12 / 9 / 9 and 10 / 10 / 10 both total 30 reps. Only the second pattern meets the all-three-at-ten condition used here. A total-repetition rule would be a different rule. Likewise, adding a fourth set changes what is being counted; it should not silently replace the original three-set comparison.

## What the research does and does not establish

Plotkin and colleagues randomized 43 resistance-trained participants to progress load or repetitions over eight weeks. Their findings supported both approaches as viable within that study. [1] They did not establish that the exact three-set rule illustrated above is best, or that everyone should increase load after the same number of sessions.

Chaves and colleagues compared load and repetition progression within 39 previously untrained participants over ten weeks of leg-extension training. Both conditions increased measured strength and muscle cross-sectional area, without a significant difference between them. [2] That is evidence about the studied protocols and participants, not a promise about an individual log or a validation of every progression scheme.

## Use QuietGains to keep the completed work readable

QuietGains shows editable weight and repetition controls in the live workout, with a “Last time” comparison where prior results are available. That makes the practical job straightforward: check the displayed numbers, enter what you actually complete, and preserve the result for the next comparison. The example rule in this article is separate from the app’s own suggestion logic.

In the app: Keep the completed sets beside their previous results. QuietGains lets you adjust weight and reps as you log, so the record reflects the workout you actually did. [Get QuietGains](https://quietgains.app/download)

## Does double progression require a PR every session?

No. The recording method can represent repeats, lower repetition counts, missing sessions and changes in load. A row that repeats the previous result is still useful history. Whether the programme should change is a separate decision; the log should not rewrite a flat result into progress.

## Can I compare sessions using estimated 1RM instead?

An estimate can add context, but it does not check an all-sets repetition condition. A strong first set can produce a high estimate while later sets remain below the recorded target. Use the [one-rep max calculator](https://quietgains.app/tools/one-rep-max-calculator) for its stated arithmetic, and keep the individual sets when reviewing the progression rule.

If you are starting a record from scratch, the [workout log template](https://quietgains.app/journal/workout-log-template) provides a general layout. The useful habit is simple: preserve the chosen rule, preserve the actual sets, and make any change in meaning visible.

## Sources

1. Plotkin D, Coleman M, Van Every D, et al. Progressive overload without progressing load? The effects of load or repetition progression on muscular adaptations. PeerJ 10:e14142, 2022. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14142
2. Chaves TS, Scarpelli MC, Bergamasco JGA, et al. Effects of Resistance Training Overload Progression Protocols on Strength and Muscle Mass. International Journal of Sports Medicine 45(7):504–510, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1055/a-2256-5857

## Read next

- [Estimated 1RM, volume or a rep PR: what changed?](https://quietgains.app/journal/estimated-1rm-volume-rep-prs)
- [How to log repetitions in reserve without false precision](https://quietgains.app/journal/log-reps-in-reserve)
- [Free workout log template, with a filled example](https://quietgains.app/journal/workout-log-template)

## Keep your next session in the same log.

QuietGains brings your previous sets into the next workout, so you can record what changed. Compare Free and Premium to find what fits. [Get QuietGains](https://quietgains.app/download). [Compare Free and Premium](https://quietgains.app/pricing).