Log workouts with ADHD-friendly detail to spot patterns in energy, focus, and consistency. Weekly layout designed for real coaching use.
Tracking exercise consistently is where most fitness intentions fall apart. This weekly log is quick to fill in and gives you enough data to actually see what you completed.
A senior software engineer who took three months off for burnout recovery. They're back at work part-time and want to rebuild physical health as part of preventing another crash. They believe they need a 'sustainable system' but their previous approach was all-or-nothing gym sessions.
Frame this as a data collection phase, not a commitment tracker. 'Before we design your long-term fitness approach, let's gather three weeks of data on what actually happens when you try to exercise.' Most recovering burnout clients resist goal-setting because goals feel like pressure. Emphasize the minimum goal as protection, not a lowered standard.
Notice if they set minimum and maximum goals that are identical - this signals all-or-nothing thinking hasn't shifted. Watch completion patterns: if they fill out Monday-Wednesday consistently but Thursday-Sunday stay blank, they're planning for their ideal week, not their actual energy patterns.
Start with the gap between planned minimums and actual sessions. Don't ask what went wrong - ask what the pattern tells them about their energy cycles. Then: 'Looking at the Notes column, what conditions show up when you actually complete sessions?' This moves from self-judgment to environmental design.
If Notes consistently mention fatigue, sleep issues, or 'forcing myself,' the client may be pushing too hard too soon post-burnout. Severity: moderate. The body is still recovering even if work performance feels normal. Response: slow the pace and consider whether additional recovery support is needed.
A marketing director diagnosed with ADHD at 34, six months ago. They have a pattern of starting fitness routines with intense enthusiasm, maintaining them for 2-3 weeks, then completely stopping when life gets busy. They want to 'finally stick with something' but keep choosing elaborate workout plans.
Position this as a pattern-breaking tool, not another tracking system. 'Your brain is wired to start strong and then hit a wall around week three. This tracker is designed to catch that moment and work with it instead of against it.' Expect resistance to setting a low minimum goal - ADHD clients often equate 'minimum' with 'giving up.'
Week one will likely exceed the maximum goal - this is the ADHD honeymoon phase. Week two may match the maximum. Week three is diagnostic: if sessions drop below minimum or tracking stops entirely, you're seeing the predictable ADHD pattern. Empty Notes sections suggest they're going through motions without awareness.
Start with week three data, not week one enthusiasm. 'What happened in week three that was different from week one?' If tracking stopped, that's the conversation: 'The moment you stopped writing things down - what was happening that week?' The goal is pattern recognition, not accountability.
If the client reports feeling 'addicted' to exercise in week one or mentions working out despite injury/exhaustion, this may be hyperfocus turning into compulsion. Severity: moderate. ADHD brains can swing from avoidance to obsession. Response: explore the intensity pattern and consider whether the client needs support managing hyperfocus cycles.
An operations manager at a logistics company working 50+ hour weeks. They say they want to get back in shape but 'realistically have no time.' They're looking for coaching to help with work-life balance but frame fitness as something that will happen 'when things calm down at work.'
Present this as a reality-testing tool, not a fitness planner. 'Let's find out whether the constraint is actually time or something else. Track any movement - even a 10-minute walk - for two weeks.' They'll resist because it feels like you're not taking their time constraints seriously. Acknowledge that and explain you're testing their hypothesis.
If they consistently write 'no time' in the Notes column without logging any movement, they're proving their point rather than testing it. If they log weekend sessions but zero weekday activity, the constraint isn't time - it's weekday routine design. Look for Notes that mention energy level rather than time availability.
Start with the weekday-weekend split if it exists. 'You found time on Saturday and Sunday but not Tuesday through Thursday. What's different about weekends besides time?' If the tracker is mostly empty, ask: 'What would have to change for you to log even one 15-minute session this week?' This surfaces the real barriers.
If the client reports working 60+ hours consistently or mentions physical symptoms of overwork (headaches, insomnia, digestive issues), the fitness conversation may be premature. Severity: moderate. The body under chronic work stress can't effectively build fitness habits. Response: address work boundaries before fitness goals.
A newly promoted team lead who managed stress through regular gym sessions in their previous individual contributor role. Since the promotion three months ago, their workout routine has completely disappeared. They're gaining weight and feeling anxious, but their new responsibilities feel too demanding to maintain their old schedule.
Frame this as a transition tool, not a fitness restart. 'Your old routine worked for your old role. Let's see what works for your new reality before trying to force the previous pattern.' Many newly promoted clients resist lowering their fitness standards because it feels like accepting defeat. Position minimum goals as strategic, not settling.
They may try to recreate their old routine exactly - same gym, same time, same duration. If Exercise Type shows the same activities but Duration keeps dropping, they're fighting their new schedule instead of adapting to it. Notes mentioning 'rushed' or 'interrupted' suggest they're trying to fit old patterns into new constraints.
Compare their old routine to what actually happened in the tracker. 'Your previous schedule was 5 PM gym sessions for an hour. Looking at this week, when did you actually have energy and time for movement?' Then: 'What would a workout routine designed for a team lead look like, rather than adapted from your old role?'
If Notes consistently mention guilt, self-criticism, or comparing current performance to previous fitness levels, the client may be grieving their old identity rather than building a new routine. Severity: low to moderate. This is normal in role transitions but can become stuck. Response: explore what fitness meant in their old role versus what it needs to mean now.
I plan my weeks but never reflect on how they actually went
WellnessI want to build a self-care routine but I need something to tell me what to do each day
LifeClient wants to improve their health but has not established a clear baseline to measure against
