Training Journal: App vs Notebook

If you've decided to start a training journal, the next question is what to use. Both work. The right choice depends on how you train and what you want to get out of it.

The notebook

What it's good at. Tactile, distraction-free, zero learning curve. Some people process their thoughts more clearly when they write by hand. You open it and write.

Where it falls short. Can't calculate training load, show trends, or search past entries. If you want to know what you wrote three months ago about a specific position, you're flipping pages. Entries exist in isolation unless you manually review and connect them. And if you forget to bring it, you miss a session.

The app

What it's good at. Always with you on your phone. A good training journal app gives you structure (same prompts every time), tracks numbers automatically (training load, quality trends), and can surface patterns you'd miss manually. Some use AI to analyze entries across weeks and highlight recurring themes.

Where it falls short. If the app is poorly designed or tries to do too much, it feels like a chore. Some people find screens less conducive to reflection than paper.

Which one to choose

Use a notebook if you prefer writing by hand, don't care about numerical trends, and are disciplined enough to write consistently without prompts.

Use an app if you want structured prompts, want to track load and trends over time, and want your entries to be searchable and connected.

Use both if you like writing by hand during your cool-down and then logging the key data points in an app. Some athletes do a quick scribble on paper and transfer the ratings and intention into an app. You get the reflection benefit of writing and the tracking benefit of software.

Try the app approach

Sherpa is a free training journal app with structured prompts, training load tracking, and AI that reads your entries and gives you observations and insights. Worth trying alongside your current system to see what it adds.