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Training guide

How to convert a spreadsheet routine into runnable training

A spreadsheet is great for designing logic. The hard part is using that logic under the bar, when the next decision needs to be clear. Keep the useful rules, then turn them into a flow you can repeat.

Best for

Lifters moving from manual spreadsheet tracking to a structured workout app.

Separate rules from session work

Keep the program rules clear: days, exercises, sets, reps, intensities, and progression decisions.

Then convert the current session into the few numbers you need today: target load, warm-up plan, and logging path.

A spreadsheet can hold the whole system, but the session should not require you to re-derive the system between sets.

Keep the math visible

Do not hide formula assumptions. If a percentage, e1RM, or RPE estimate drives the session, make the calculation easy to inspect.

Example: if a sheet says squat 5 x 5 at 75% of a 160 kg training max, the useful session number is 120 kg. From there, you still need plates, warm-ups, and a place to record what happened.

Convert only what helps execution

Do not rebuild every spreadsheet cell inside the app on day one. Start with the routine structure, the loading rule you actually use, and the progression decision you need after the session.

If the sheet mixes kg and lb, normalize units before entering targets. If it uses exact percentages that do not fit your equipment, round intentionally and write down why.

Use Protocol for execution

Use this guide as a manual planning step rather than a file converter. Start by building the routine in Protocol, then run sessions from the app.

The calculator pages help with the math around the routine. Protocol is where the routine becomes something you can start, follow, log, and bring back next week.

Use the result in your block

Work the math in the open, then build the routine in Protocol so the target, set notes, and progression decisions stay with the session.

Build the block in Protocol

Use next

Related workflow pages

Program planning calculatorsTurn spreadsheet numbers into maxes, loads, ramps, and deload targets.Unit convertersNormalize kg/lb targets and round loads to real equipment.Convert unitsMove between kg and lb templates.Set training maxesTurn spreadsheet maxes into conservative anchors.Plan warm-upsMake the session runnable before lifting.Progress when the spreadsheet stallsFind the decision that stopped working before rebuilding the whole plan.Google Sheets comparisonCompare flexible spreadsheet planning with Protocol's training workflow.Spreadsheet comparisonUse the broader spreadsheet tradeoff page when the tool is not specifically Google Sheets.

References

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