Exporting your training data from Method: CSV and PDF, exactly what is in each
Your training log is yours. This page lists the exact CSV columns Method writes, the three PDF documents it produces, where each export lives, and the limits on range and size.
ExplainerUpdated 4 min readMarkdown version
Why this page exists
A tracker that holds years of your sets has a duty to hand them back in a form another tool can read. This page states what Method hands back, so you can judge it before you commit.
The CSV
One row per logged set and one row per cardio activity, across completed workouts in the range you choose. Set rows leave the cardio columns empty, and cardio rows leave the set columns empty. The columns, in order:
| Column | What it holds |
|---|---|
| workoutLogId | Stable id of the workout |
| title | Workout title |
| source | Where the workout came from, for example a scheduled program session or an ad hoc workout |
| scheduledDate | The date it was scheduled for, if any |
| completedAt | When it was completed |
| programId, programTitle, creatorName | The program it belonged to, if any |
| weekNumber, dayNumber | Its place in that program |
| exerciseId, exerciseName, muscleGroup | The exercise |
| exerciseOrderIndex, setOrderIndex | Position of the exercise in the workout and the set within the exercise |
| setType | warmup, working, backoff, drop, failure, or custom |
| reps | Logged reps |
| weightKG or weightLB | Weight in your display unit |
| weightKg | Weight in kilograms, always |
| enteredWeightValue, enteredWeightUnit | Exactly what you typed and in which unit |
| rir or rpe | Intensity, named after your preferred scale and converted to it |
| completed | Whether the set was completed |
| notes | Set notes |
| activity | The cardio activity type, for example Outdoor run |
| durationSeconds | Activity duration in seconds |
| distanceKM or distanceMI | Distance in your display unit |
| distanceMeters | Distance in meters, always |
| paceSecondsPerKM or paceSecondsPerMI | Average pace in seconds per kilometer or mile, from moving time when it was recorded |
| averageHeartRateBpm, maxHeartRateBpm | Average and maximum heart rate |
| elevationGainM or elevationGainFT | Elevation gain in meters or feet, following your distance unit |
| activeEnergyKcal | Active energy in kilocalories |
| averagePowerWatts | Average power, when the activity recorded it |
| effortRating | Your effort rating from 1 to 10 |
Three details are worth calling out. The intensity column changes name and value with your preference, so a spreadsheet built for RPE does not need a conversion step. Weight is given three ways so nothing is lost to rounding or unit changes. And any cell that begins with a character a spreadsheet would treat as a formula is escaped, so a note like "=2x last week" cannot execute when opened.
Limits. An export covers at most 366 days and at most 50,000 rows. Pick a narrower range if you hit either.
The PDFs
Three documents, all produced by Method's server, so the web app and the iPhone app give you the same file.
History summary. Your completed training over the chosen range with, per exercise, an estimated 1RM chart, the current, starting, and peak values, and the records set along the way. Cardio activities appear as a table of sessions, distance, and time for each activity type, and in the list of recent sessions. The estimated 1RM uses the same formula as the analytics pages, reps plus reps in reserve folded into the Epley estimate, with warm-up and drop sets excluded.
Program. Any of your programs as a document, week by week and session by session, with every prescription. Intensity targets are shown in your RIR or RPE preference.
Analytics. The analytics pages as a document for the selected window.
Where to find export
On the web, export lives in History and in the program editor. In the iPhone app, the CSV, history PDF, and analytics PDF are available from the history and analytics screens. The web app builds the program PDF.
What is not exported
- Free tier. Export is a Method Pro capability. The free tier sees the last 30 days of history in the app and cannot export.
- Routes, splits, and raw Apple Health series. GPS routes, splits, intervals, and imported heart rate and metric series stay in Method and in Apple Health. The exports carry one summary row for each cardio activity.
Deleting your account
Export first. Account deletion is self-serve, confirmed by email, and removes your data immediately. There is no grace period during which a deleted account can be restored.
Common questions
- Can I export my workouts from Method?
- Yes. Method Pro exports your training history as CSV, one row per logged set and one row per cardio activity, and produces PDF documents of your history summary, any program, and analytics. Export is available on the web and in the iPhone app.
- Is export free?
- No. CSV and PDF export are part of Method Pro. The free tier does not export.
- Are cardio activities in the CSV?
- Yes. Each cardio activity gets one row with its activity type, duration, distance, pace, heart rate, elevation gain, active energy, power, and effort rating. Routes and raw sample series are not included.
- Which weight unit does the CSV use?
- Both. Each set row carries the weight in your display unit, the weight in kilograms, and the value and unit you originally entered.
Try Method
Write your program on the web, log every set on iPhone, and keep the whole history in one place. Free to start.
Related reading
Method vs Strong: a workout tracker comparison for program-first training
Strong is a long-running, simple gym logger with a full Apple Watch app and CSV export. Method is a planner and logger built around multi-week programs. This page sets out the differences plainly.
Estimated 1RM: the formula, why reps in reserve belong in it, and how Method calculates yours
An estimated 1RM turns any hard set into a single comparable number. This guide gives the formula, shows why reps in reserve must be counted, explains which sets to exclude, and walks through how Method computes one point per training day.
RIR vs RPE: what each means, how they convert, and how Method stores both
RIR counts the reps you had left. RPE scores how hard the set felt out of 10. They convert exactly, and Method keeps one number underneath so switching your preference re-labels everything without losing anything.
How to choose a workout tracker app: the questions that actually separate them
Most workout tracker comparisons rank apps by features. This guide sorts them by the job you need done, lists the questions worth asking, and says plainly which kind Method is and who should look elsewhere.
Method writes and maintains this page. Every statement about Method is checked against the shipped product. If something here is out of date, email contact@methodapp.net. For general references, link to the Method homepage.