Be specific enough to return
Writing row is often too vague. It might mean a seated cable row, a machine with chest support, or a dumbbell exercise. Add the equipment and the distinguishing setup: seated cable row, narrow handle, for example. The aim is recognition rather than impressive terminology.
Use the name on a coach's programme when it is clear. If the gym labels the equipment differently, add that label as a second clue. You do not need to rename every movement according to a single online naming system.
For exercises performed on one side at a time, make the recording convention clear. A note should distinguish repetitions per side from the total across both sides. That small detail prevents an apparently dramatic change that is only a change in counting.
Attach setup notes separately
A machine seat number, bench position or handle choice can sit beside the name. Keep those details brief enough to read during a session. A line such as chest-supported machine row, seat 3, is easier to reuse than a paragraph describing where the machine stood last month.
Settings are reminders, not proof that a position is correct. If you are unsure, ask someone qualified to check the setup. Another person's seat number is not a starting instruction for your body.
Where two machines share the same printed name, use a neutral identifier such as upstairs or window side. Avoid descriptions that could apply to half the room, such as the black machine.
A photograph of the equipment label can be useful if the venue permits it and no other people are included. Keep it for identifying the machine, not as a substitute for exercise instruction. If photography is restricted, a short written location note serves the same administrative purpose.
Do not hide substitutions
If you use a different version, give it a separate entry. Keeping the old name because it is already in the app makes your history less useful. The exercise may be related while its load numbers remain incomparable.
Once a naming system works, leave it alone unless there is a reason to improve it. The best label is the one that allows you to walk into the room, identify the intended exercise and understand your previous note without reconstructing the whole session.