A useful workout tracker preserves actual results and the context needed to compare them.
Choose stable fields
Start with the exercise, unit, weight and repetitions. Keep the same naming convention next time so a search brings you back to the same movement.
Use a routine as a starting point
Save the exercises from a plan you have chosen. Enter completed sets separately; a planned workout is not evidence that the work happened.
Review the entries behind a chart
Compare similar sessions and check notes before drawing a conclusion. Missing sets or different equipment can explain a changed total.
A comparison that survives a change of equipment
Imagine two entries labelled “row”: 30 kg for 10 repetitions on Monday and 35 kg for 10 on Friday. If Monday used a cable stack and Friday used a plate-loaded machine, the numbers do not describe the same setup. Give each variation its own recognizable name. Add the machine or handle to a note, then compare later entries for that same variation. The change in the chart is easier to interpret when the exercise identity stays stable.
Audit one exercise before the whole month
Choose one repeated movement and read its individual sets in date order. Check units, whether dumbbell weights are per hand, and whether preparation sets are included. Correct an entry only when you know what happened; a surprisingly high value is a reason to investigate, not a reason to silently replace it. If the original result is uncertain, keep that uncertainty in a note. A smaller trustworthy comparison is more useful than an impressive total built from mixed conventions.