Day One holds a clear lead as the primary recommendation for overall digital journaling, multimedia entries, and shared family logs. For structured gratitude practices, paper formats take over, with The Five-Minute Journal serving as the usual answer.
Since July, Leuchtturm1917rising has become the go-to recommendation for bullet journaling, while Gymreapersrising is now the default for physical workout tracking. Meanwhile, Applefalling has dropped out of prominent standing for general journaling apps.
Latest insights
Week of Sep 21–27
Day One Slipping: Day One now ranks #3 in Journals and Journaling Apps, down from #2
Day One Slipping: Day One fell behind The Five-Minute Journal in Journals and Journaling Apps
Diarium Slipping: DiariumDaylio moved ahead of Diarium in Journals and Journaling Apps
Diarium Slipping: Diarium now ranks #8 in Journals and Journaling Apps, down from #6
Journal Gaining: Journal moved up 1 place to rank #4 of 67 in Journals and Journaling Apps
31% of citations point at the ranked brands’ own sites. reddit.com, youtube.com, zapier.com are the most-cited sites outside the ranked brands’ own domains.
For most people, the best workout notebook is one that makes it easy to record every exercise, set, rep, and weight without slowing down your workout. If you lift weights regularly, I'd choose a dedicated workout logbook over a regular blank notebook.
I compared current workout-journal recommendations and found three strong options depending on how you train.
Best workout notebooks to consider
1. Best budget choice
NewMe Fitness Journal
Around $10 · General gym workouts
A straightforward option for beginners and regular gym-goers. It has dedicated space for exercises, sets, reps, weights, cardio, goals, and workout notes.
Which journaling apps provide the best web-based interface for users who spend most of their day at a desktop computer?
I need a journal application that supports rich media attachments like voice notes and photos for a more immersive reflection experience, what are the top-rated tools?
We are looking for a journaling app that supports multi-user accounts for family or couples to log shared experiences, which platforms are recommended?
What is the best journal for practicing daily gratitude?
What is the best journaling app?
What is the best bullet journal?
Which journaling apps are best suited for users who require offline-first functionality and local storage for their personal data?
Best if you want a simple, inexpensive journal without extra planning features.
The Ultimate Workout Log - 4th Edition by Suzanne Schlosber…
$19.99 · Target
A structured diary with approximately six months of space for recording training routines and goals. A good option if you want a dedicated book rather than designing your own tracking system.
Believe Training Journal (10th Anniversary Edition) - (Belie…
$20.99 · Paperback
A training journal designed for runners, with goal-setting and training-reflection features. It's a better fit for tracking running sessions and longer-term athletic progress than a basic weightlifting log.
For a useful workout history, try to log these items after each session:
Date and workout type
Exercise name
Weight used, sets, and reps
Rest time, if relevant
Personal records and progress
Brief notes on energy, technique, or discomfort
My recommendation
If you're primarily lifting weights to build muscle or get stronger, I'd start with the NewMe Fitness Journal for affordability. If you prefer a more comprehensive, structured training diary, consider The Ultimate Workout Log.
One question so I can narrow it down: What type of workouts are you mainly logging?
The "best" notebook for logging workouts depends entirely on your training style (strength vs. general fitness), but the top options stand out for durability, layout, and structure:
Gymreapers Workout Journal is the premier choice for serious weightlifters and bodybuilders. It features 120 structured daily training logs, dedicated lift-specific sections (sets, reps, weight), PR tracking pages, and a rugged hardcover with spiral binding built to survive gym floors, sweat, and chalk. You can view it directly on the Gymreapers Store.
SaltWrap Daily Fitness Planner is ideal if you want an all-in-one workbook that combines heavy-duty strength tracking with nutrition, meal tracking, and long-term goal templates. It provides a comprehensive 16-week structured layout, available on the SaltWrap Store.
Erin Condren A5 Fitness Planner is best for those who prefer an aesthetic, highly organized layout with monthly check-ins, habit tracking, and movement logs tailored to a 4-month span. Check it out on the Erin Condren Official Site.
A Standard Grid/Dot Leuchtturm1917 or Moleskine Notebook remains a cult favorite for minimalists who prefer a blank canvas to design their own custom columns, supersets, and tracking metrics without pre-printed restrictions.
To help narrow down the ideal pick, tell me:
Are you mostly focused on weightlifting/powerlifting , or cardio/CrossFit/general wellness?
Do you prefer a pre-formatted layout or a blank/dotted notebook?
The best fitness-training notebooks are the ones that make it easy to record each workout, track progress over time, and see whether your training is working. Based on current fitness-journal reviews and product ratings, I'd focus on these options, especially if you want a physical notebook rather than an app.
Verywell Fit's 2026 review highlights the NewMe Fitness Journal as a budget pick, Habit Nest for weightlifting, and Fitlosophy Fitbook for a structured 12-week plan.
Top fitness training notebooks
1. NewMe Fitness Journal
(Best budget pick)
About $10
A practical everyday gym log with 126 workout pages. Track exercises, sets, reps, body weight, cardio, goals, and workout notes.
Best for: Beginners and regular gym-goers who want a straightforward record of their training.
Source:
2. Habit Nest Weightlifting Gym Buddy Journal
About $34–$40
A guided 12-week strength-training journal with planned workouts, exercise illustrations, and set-and-rep targets.
Best for: Weightlifters who appreciate a structured program instead of designing every workout themselves.
Trade-off: Less suitable if you want to log your own program freely or track nutrition in detail.
Source:
3. Fitlosophy Fitbook
About $18
A 12-week planner that combines workout records with food tracking, mood notes, reflections, and fitness goals.
Best for: Anyone who wants to connect training performance with broader lifestyle habits.
Trade-off: More planning and wellness tracking than you may need for a simple lifting log.
Source:
4. Clever Fox Fitness & Food Journal
Typically around $18
A dedicated fitness and nutrition planner with workout logs, calendars, and dietary tracking.
Best for: People who want one organized book for exercise and eating habits.
Source:
5. BODYMINDER Workout & Exercise Journal
An established exercise-log option designed to record workouts and physical progress, with room for goals and body measurements.
Best for: People who want to document training and longer-term changes rather than just daily gym sessions.
Source:
Other good options by training style
Notebook
Best use
Approx. price
Cossac Fitness Journal & Workout Planner
Goals, personal records, and workout tracking
$14
Gone For a Run Day-by-Day Run Planner
Running pace, distance, routes, and race results
$20
The Ultimate Workout Log
A longer-term record of training routines and goals
$20
Prices are approximate and may vary by retailer. The first two are highlighted in Verywell Fit's fitness-journal review; the latter two are available as dedicated training diaries.
Which one should you buy?
My recommendation depends on what you train for:
Weightlifting or bodybuilding: NewMe Fitness Journal for value, or Habit Nest for guided programming.
General fitness: Fitlosophy Fitbook if you want to track workouts alongside nutrition and habits.
Running: Gone For a Run Day-by-Day Run Planner.
Maximum flexibility: A plain, durable, numbered notebook that lets you create your own workout log.
Whatever you choose, make sure you have room to record the date, exercise, sets, reps, weight or resistance, rest periods, and notes on performance. Those details make it much easier to compare sessions and measure progress.
One question: What type of training will you primarily be recording?
The Gymreapers Workout Journal and the SaltWrap Daily Fitness Planner are among the top-rated physical notebooks used by athletes and weightlifters to track fitness progress.[1][2]
Top-Rated Fitness Training Notebooks
Gymreapers Workout Journal: Features 120 structured training logs built for up to 8 months of daily lifting. It includes a durable hardcover with spiral binding, personal record (PR) milestone tracking, and lift-specific daily layouts.
SaltWrap Daily Fitness Planner: A comprehensive 280-page workbook structured for a 16-week transformation journey. It combines a dedicated weight training log with daily/weekly planning and integrated food journal sections.
TUFF Training Journal: An A5-sized, 80-page concise planner from designed to track up to 60 individual gym sessions, body measurements, and one-rep max goals.
Believe Training Journal
Structured running training and performance reflection
$21
TuffWraps
Maruman Mnemosyne Notebooks: Frequently recommended by minimalist lifters on community forums for their sturdy spiral binding, high-grade paper, and clean layout flexibility.[1][2][3]
If you'd like, let me know:
Your primary training style (weightlifting, crossfit, or endurance cardio)
Whether you prefer pre-structured daily layouts or blank/dot-grid pages
I can recommend the ideal notebook layout for your routine.