How to Name Exercises in Your Workout Log

Use an exercise name that identifies the movement and equipment, then reuse that entry when you do the same exercise again. A label such as “row” is easy to type but difficult to interpret when your history includes a barbell, a cable station and dumbbells.

The practical task is to choose a recognizable entry before you record a set. You do not need to invent a new name for every session or rebuild your old workout history to get started.

Search for an existing entry first

Before creating a custom exercise, search the library using the main movement and then the equipment. For example, try “row,” then look for the cable or dumbbell variant you actually performed. Check any description or demonstration available instead of assuming that similar names describe the same movement.

This search-first approach is also described in Strong's custom-exercise help: look through the library, then create an entry if the exercise is missing. The specific controls differ between apps.

In Gymr, the exercise picker includes search and a route to custom exercises. Custom-exercise availability depends on your plan. An existing entry that matches your exercise saves you from maintaining a second label for the same thing.

Put the distinguishing details in the name

For a personal log or a custom entry, use a simple pattern: movement, equipment, then a variant when it matters. You can put the equipment first if that reads more naturally. The order matters less than being able to find the same entry again.

These fictional examples show how a vague label can become a useful one:

• “Press” becomes “Flat Dumbbell Bench Press” if that is the exercise performed.
• “Row” becomes “Seated Cable Row” when that identifies the movement and equipment.
• “Legs” becomes the specific exercise name, such as “Leg Extension.” A body part alone does not identify a movement.

Do not add words you cannot verify. If a plan uses an unfamiliar abbreviation, confirm what it means before assigning an exercise. A precise-looking name can still describe the wrong movement.

Separate an alias from a different exercise

Imagine you find three labels in a notebook: “DB bench,” “flat dumbbell press,” and “incline dumbbell press.” The first two might refer to the same exercise, but you should confirm that from the original entries. The third explicitly describes a different bench angle.

Make a small reference list. Write the old label, what you can confirm about the movement, and the entry you will use going forward. Mark anything unresolved as uncertain rather than forcing it into a match.

This list is especially useful when moving between a notebook, a spreadsheet and an app. A name match is a starting point for checking the record, not proof that the two systems have identical exercise definitions.

Keep changing results out of the exercise name

Avoid creating “Dumbbell Press 20 kg” today and “Dumbbell Press 22 kg” next week merely because the weight changed. The weight belongs in the set record. Likewise, the date belongs with the workout and a one-off interruption belongs in a note.

A change in equipment or exercise variant deserves a fresh check of the selected entry. A change in completed reps usually does not require a new exercise name. That distinction keeps the label focused on what you did while the set fields preserve the result.

For equipment settings and other session context, use the examples in what to write in your workout notes.

Review duplicates before changing old records

If you discover two entries for what appears to be the same exercise, inspect a few original sessions before deciding how to handle them. Look at equipment, movement details and any notes you recorded at the time.

For future sessions, choose the matching entry consistently. Treat any cleanup of older records as a separate task: first check what your app supports and preserve a copy of the original information where possible. Do not assume deleting or renaming a custom exercise will merge its previous sets into another history.

Try the naming worksheet

The exercise-name worksheet includes fictional ambiguous labels, possible matches and the detail to verify. It is a reference CSV for a spreadsheet or text editor, not a file that automatically imports or merges exercises in Gymr.

Before your next session, check three things: can you recognize the movement, distinguish its equipment, and find the same entry again? Once the names are clear, the Gymr workout tracker gives you a place to record the completed sets and review your workouts. For organizing the sessions around those exercises, see how to organize a reusable gym routine.