home / skills / cesarszv / obsidian-skills / workout day

workout day skill

safe

This skill helps you plan and log precise daily gym workouts with structured sets, reps, rest, and RPE targets for progress tracking.

npx playbooks add skill cesarszv/obsidian-skills --skill workout day

Review the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.

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SKILL.md

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---
name: workout day
description: Create and execute daily gym workout notes with structured exercise templates. Use when planning workouts, logging gym sessions, or when the user asks for a workout routine with sets, reps, rest periods, and RPE targets.
---

# Workout Day Skill

This skill enables agents to create structured workout notes for daily gym sessions, following a precise target-set-rep format optimized for tracking progress and physical development.

## Overview

Workout day notes serve as both **planning documents** (what to do) and **execution logs** (what was done). Each note follows a consistent structure that enables:

- Clear workout objectives
- Precise exercise prescriptions
- Progress tracking across sessions
- Data consistency for analysis

## User Context

Previous workout context and user-specific information is located in:
`08 journal/workout/`

Always reference the current quarterly user context file (e.g., `2026-Q1 workout user.md`) for:
- Current training split
- Injury considerations
- Equipment availability
- Performance history

## File Format

### Frontmatter

```yaml
---
date: YYYY-MM-DD
tags:
  - cszv/workout/YYYY
---
```

### Document Structure

```markdown
---
date: YYYY-MM-DD
tags:
  - cszv/workout/YYYY
---

[[08 journal/workout/YYYY-QN workout user]]

### Full Date (Day of Week, Month Day, Year)

# Workout Objective

Brief description of the session focus (e.g., "Upper Body Push" or "Leg Hypertrophy")

## A. Exercise Name

Rest: XX seconds between sets
Target: X sets × X-X reps (RPE X-X) @ weight

- Set 1 result
- Set 2 result
- Set 3 result

## B. Exercise Name

Rest: XX seconds between sets
Target: X sets × X-X reps (RPE X-X) @ weight

- Set 1 result
- Set 2 result
```

## Exercise Block Format

Each exercise follows this structure:

| Element | Format | Example |
|---------|--------|---------|
| **Header** | `## [Letter]. Exercise Name` | `## A. Barbell Bench Press` |
| **Rest** | `Rest: XX seconds between sets` | `Rest: 90 seconds between sets` |
| **Target** | `Target: X sets × X-X reps (RPE X-X) @ weight` | `Target: 4 sets × 8-10 reps (RPE 7-8) @ 60kg` |
| **Set logs** | Unordered list with actual performance | `- 10 reps @ 60kg` |

### Target Line Components

| Component | Description | Example |
|-----------|-------------|---------|
| **Sets** | Number of working sets | `4 sets` |
| **Reps** | Rep range (min-max) | `8-10 reps` |
| **RPE** | Rate of Perceived Exertion target | `RPE 7-8` |
| **Weight** | Target load (or progression cue) | `@ 60kg` or `@ +2.5kg` |

### RPE Scale Reference

| RPE | Description |
|-----|-------------|
| 10 | Maximum effort, no reps left |
| 9 | Could do 1 more rep |
| 8 | Could do 2 more reps |
| 7 | Could do 3 more reps |
| 6 | Could do 4+ more reps |

## Complete Example

```markdown
---
date: 2026-01-24
tags:
  - cszv/workout/2026
---

[[08 journal/workout/2026-Q1 workout user]]

### Friday, January 24, 2026

# Upper Body Push (Chest/Shoulders/Triceps)

## A. Barbell Bench Press

Rest: 120 seconds between sets
Target: 4 sets × 6-8 reps (RPE 8-9) @ 70kg

- 8 reps @ 70kg (RPE 8)
- 7 reps @ 70kg (RPE 9)
- 6 reps @ 70kg (RPE 9)
- 6 reps @ 70kg (RPE 9)

## B. Incline Dumbbell Press

Rest: 90 seconds between sets
Target: 3 sets × 8-10 reps (RPE 7-8) @ 24kg

- 10 reps @ 24kg
- 9 reps @ 24kg
- 8 reps @ 24kg

## C. Cable Flyes

Rest: 60 seconds between sets
Target: 3 sets × 12-15 reps (RPE 7-8) @ 15kg

- 15 reps @ 15kg
- 14 reps @ 15kg
- 12 reps @ 15kg

## D. Overhead Press

Rest: 90 seconds between sets
Target: 3 sets × 8-10 reps (RPE 8) @ 40kg

- 10 reps @ 40kg
- 8 reps @ 40kg
- 8 reps @ 40kg

## E. Triceps Rope Pushdown

Rest: 60 seconds between sets
Target: 3 sets × 12-15 reps (RPE 7-8) @ 25kg

- 15 reps @ 25kg
- 14 reps @ 25kg
- 12 reps @ 25kg
```

## Exercise Selection Principles

When creating workout routines, follow these evidence-based guidelines:

### Compound Movements First
- Begin with heavy compound lifts (bench, squat, deadlift, rows, OHP)
- Progress to isolation work after compounds

### Volume Guidelines
- **Per muscle group per week:** 10-20 hard sets
- **Per session:** 15-25 total sets
- **Rep ranges:** Mix of 6-8 (strength), 8-12 (hypertrophy), 12-15 (endurance)

### Rest Period Guidelines

| Exercise Type | Rest Period |
|--------------|-------------|
| Heavy compounds (1-5 reps) | 3-5 minutes |
| Moderate compounds (6-10 reps) | 2-3 minutes |
| Isolation/accessories (10-15 reps) | 60-90 seconds |

## Quality Checklist

Before finalizing a workout note:

- [ ] **Frontmatter complete** — Date and tag present
- [ ] **User context linked** — Reference to quarterly user file
- [ ] **Full date header** — Human-readable date with day of week
- [ ] **Clear objective** — Session focus stated
- [ ] **Exercise letters** — Sequential letters (A, B, C, ...)
- [ ] **Rest times specified** — Every exercise has rest period
- [ ] **Target line complete** — Sets, reps, RPE, and weight for each exercise
- [ ] **Logging space** — Empty bullet points or filled results

## References

- [Renaissance Periodization Volume Guidelines](https://rpstrength.com/)
- [RPE Scale for Strength Training](https://www.strongerbyscience.com/autoregulation/)

Overview

This skill creates and executes daily gym workout notes using a consistent, target-set-rep format optimized for planning and logging. It produces structured documents that combine session objectives, precise exercise prescriptions, rest timings, RPE targets, and space for set-by-set results.

How this skill works

The skill generates a dated workout note with frontmatter, a link to the current quarterly user context, a human-readable header, and sequential exercise blocks (A, B, C...). Each exercise block includes rest, a target line (sets × reps, RPE, weight), and bullet lines for logging actual performance. It applies selection and volume guidelines—compounds first, per-session set ranges, and rest recommendations—so notes are consistent and analysis-ready.

When to use it

Planning a gym session with clear objectives and measurable targets
Logging what you actually performed during a workout for progress tracking
Requesting a workout routine with sets, reps, rest periods, and RPE
Creating daily notes that reference your quarterly training context
Preparing structured data for later analysis or program adjustments

Best practices

Start sessions with heavy compound lifts, then move to accessories
Keep per-session total sets around 15–25 and per-muscle weekly volume 10–20 hard sets
Specify rest times for every exercise according to intensity and rep range
Use RPE targets to autoregulate load instead of rigid percentages
Link the note to the current quarterly user file and include full date header

Example use cases

Create an upper-body push workout with bench press, OHP, and accessories including target weights and RPE
Log a completed leg day with set-by-set results to track progression week over week
Generate a hyptrophy-focused session that follows 8–12 rep ranges and 60–90s rest for isolation work
Draft a rehab-aware workout using the quarterly user context to respect injury constraints
Produce a data-consistent note for later import into analysis or training metrics

FAQ

Do notes include a reference to my training plan or injuries?

Yes — every note links to the current quarterly user context so the session reflects your split, injury considerations, and equipment availability.

How should I use RPE in the target line?

State the RPE range (e.g., RPE 7-8) to guide intensity; log actual RPE per set so you can autoregulate load across sessions.