How-To Guides›Google Sheets Challenge

[Solved] How to Create a Fitness Challenge Spreadsheet (Free Template)

Running a fitness challenge with friends or coworkers is a fantastic way to boost motivation. Using a shared Google Sheet is a common, free way to track scores. Here’s how to build one.

How to Build the Tracker in 5 Steps

You'll need three tabs in your sheet: a Leaderboard, an Activity Log, and a Config tab to define your activities and points.

Step 1: The 'Config' Tab

Create a tab named Config. In column A, list your activities. In column B, list their points.

  • A1: Activity, B1: Points
  • A2: Gym Session, B2: 10
  • A3: 30-min Cardio, B3: 7
  • A4: 10k Steps, B4: 3

Step 2: The 'Activity Log' Tab

This is where everyone logs their workouts. Create columns: Date, Player Name, Activity, Points.

  • Player Name: Use Data Validation to create a dropdown list of your players.
  • Activity: Use Data Validation (List from a range) and select Config!A2:A to create a dropdown of your activities.
  • Points: In cell D2, use this formula to auto-fill points: =VLOOKUP(C2, Config!A:B, 2, FALSE). Drag this formula down the column.

Step 3: The 'Leaderboard' Tab

This is your main dashboard. Create columns: Player Name, Total Score.

  • In A2, A3, etc., write the names of your players (must match the Activity Log dropdown).
  • In cell B2, use this formula to auto-calculate the score: =SUMIF('Activity Log'!B:B, A2, 'Activity Log'!D:D).
  • Drag this formula down for all your players.

Step 4: Protect Your Formulas

Right-click the Points column in your log and the Total Score column on your leaderboard. Select "Protect range" and set it to "Show a warning". This stops people from accidentally breaking your formulas.

Step 5: Share It!

Click the "Share" button and give everyone "Editor" access so they can log their activities.

Why I Built Level Up! (A Personal Story)

"When I started learning to code, I opened Excel and started logging each day. I wrote a small script that executes at midnight, adds a new row to the top of the sheet with the actual date, and reports what I worked on. Beginnings are hard.

It gave me visual feedback of my progress. When I saw I didn't work much, it pushed me to get back. It motivated me to keep going, and in the end, I got a job in IT as a coder. Dream come true."

Spreadsheets are powerful. They absolutely work for tracking progress. I used one to change my life. But after years of helping friends run fitness challenges with shared Google Sheets, I noticed a pattern—these limitations kept coming up:

  • »
    Manual Entry on Mobile is Tedious. Opening the sheet, finding the right tab, and filling in a new row works fine on desktop. On a phone? It's clunky. When logging becomes friction, consistency drops.
  • »
    The Competitive Energy Fades. There are no notifications when someone logs a workout. To see who's winning, everyone has to remember to open the file. The excitement naturally dies down after a week or two.
  • »
    It Feels Like Admin Work. Spreadsheets are incredibly functional, but they're not fun. There's no visual "wall of wins," no celebratory feedback, no sense of leveling up. It's a data table, not a game.
  • »
    Formulas Can Break. Someone accidentally pastes a value over your VLOOKUP. Someone types their name slightly differently, and their SUMIF stops working. You become the "spreadsheet admin" instead of just playing the game.

Stop Being an Admin. Start Playing.

We built Level Up! because we were tired of that *exact* spreadsheet. Our app automates everything so you can focus on the challenge.

1. No Formulas

Just add your activities and points in our simple setup menu. We handle all the math and tracking automatically.

2. Live Leaderboard

Everyone sees the scores update in real-time in the app. The competition is always live and exciting.

3. It's Actually Fun

Log activities with a single tap. See your consistency on a beautiful calendar. It feels like a game, not a chore.

Create a Free ChallengeSee an Example