How to Log Single-Arm and Single-Leg Exercises

For an exercise performed one side at a time, record which side the repetitions belong to and what the load means. “10 reps” is incomplete if it could mean ten on each side, ten alternating repetitions in total, or ten on only one side.

A clear convention prevents accidental doubling when you review the workout. These examples explain notation for an existing routine; they do not prescribe how much work either side should perform.

Choose per-side or total repetitions

If you use per-side entries, write “left: 10; right: 10.” If you use an alternating total, write “20 total, alternating, 10 each side” when that is what you actually completed. Both descriptions can represent the same count, but they should not be mixed without a label.

Do not assume an odd alternating total divides evenly. If a fictional set contains 19 repetitions, the side that started might have completed ten and the other nine, provided the sequence alternated throughout. If you do not know the sequence, keep the total and mark the side breakdown unknown.

Define the load independently

“One-arm row: 12 kg, left 10, right 10” can clearly mean one 12 kg dumbbell used for each side. It does not mean that the dumbbell itself weighed 24 kg because both sides used it.

An exercise performed one leg at a time might still use two dumbbells. In that case, record both facts: “two 8 kg dumbbells, 16 kg combined external load; 8 reps left and 8 right.” The number of sides trained and the number of implements held are separate pieces of information.

The dumbbell weight guide explains per-dumbbell and combined entries. Keep that choice consistent even when the exercise switches from bilateral to unilateral movement.

Preserve unequal results

Suppose a fictional one-arm row set used one 12 kg dumbbell and finished with ten left-side repetitions and nine right-side repetitions. Record those actual values. Do not average them into “9.5 reps per side,” round both up to ten or copy one side’s result into the other.

An unequal entry is an observation, not a diagnosis. The log alone does not establish why the counts differ or what training change is appropriate. Notes about order, interruptions or a recording mistake can help clarify the entry without inventing a cause.

Avoid counting the same set twice

A spreadsheet may use two rows for a paired left-and-right set, while a notebook uses one line with two rep counts. Make the structure explicit with a shared set identifier such as “set 1.” Otherwise, a summary might report two paired sets when the rows describe the two sides of one pair.

If you calculate external-load volume manually, use the actual side counts and your stated load convention. In the 12 kg row example, 12 × 10 plus 12 × 9 equals 228 kg-reps. That is arithmetic for this example, not a general strength score or proof that different exercises are comparable.

Use a small template

Download the per-side log CSV for the example and blank rows. It separates exercise, paired-set identifier, side, repetitions, load and load convention. The worksheet is independent of any app’s counting rules.

Before comparing old records, check whether you previously used total reps or reps per side. Keep an unclear historical entry flagged instead of doubling it automatically. The exercise naming guide and workout log template can help make future records consistent from the start.