Hevy - Workout Tracker Gym Log 4+

This is by far my favorite workout tracking app, and I’ve tried quite a few over the past year including the popular Strong app. You can tell that the creators of this app actually work out themselves because they know how important it is to be able to label drop sets, failure sets, supersets, etc, which you can do very easily within the app. It allows me to track everything I need, and when if it’s been a while since I did an exercise I can easily take a look at my history, view graphs of my strength progression over time, and so on.

I started out with the free version but have since upgraded to the Lifetime membership because I needed to create more than 5 custom exercises since I do quite a few unusual calisthenics things, but most gym-goers can probably stick with the free version and have everything they need.

The social feature - being able to follow other members - is also nice. That said, I wish there was a way to upload short video clips of workout sets so that there would be some somewhat verifiable proof of what people are lifting, rather than just having to blindly accept the weight people enter into the app as being true. But, this isn’t that important. The important thing for me is that this app allows me to easily track every aspect of my workout so that I can see my progression and know where I’m at.

I had a solid foundation in weightlifting as a teen but got away from practicing it as I got older. My focus with returning to weightlifting is on building functional strength to avoid injuries as I age, not body building or competition. Coming back to lifting as an adult with moderate gym anxiety, the Hevy app has helped me track progress on my weights and allowed me to make intelligent choices about increasing the amount I’m lifting over time. The feature I really appreciate are the illustrations and animations that help me confirm how I am supposed to do certain movements to make it look like I know what I’m doing even when I am trying new techniques for the first time or revisiting for the first time in many years. Having proper form helps reduce my anxiety that I will look silly at the gym. I also like the percentage summaries of the muscle groups that make up each work out so I can have a clear picture of which areas I tend to avoid and should be intentional about training. As a free app, I don’t think there’s a competitor that comes close to the features available without paying. Highly recommend for a health-focused novice-intermediate weight lifter.

This is the best free app I have come across for working out. It offers a variety of options and you are able to create your own workouts. Its nice to be able to see what friends are doing as well as be able to take suggestions from their workouts. It does offer upgrades in app in case you want to track things such as measurements (chest, bicep, etc) or if you want to create full 8 week programs for yourself/others. BUT they are not necessary! You can visit other profiles in order to get new workouts or full programs. They also allow you to use a general search in order to find exercises easily. This is a GREAT feature as its easy to look up things I have never tried and also see a video on how to do that exercise.

The only criticism I have is their mileage mechanic. For walking/running/etc, you put in how many miles you went and how long it took you to go that far. I typically do not track this, as i am on a treadmill. I watch my speed and how long i am on that speed. Not only that but if i wanted to do timed sprints on like 11.7 mph, I now have to calculate of far i went after my timed sprint finished. I wish i could input my time and speed and/or distance.

Overall, extremely helpful and convenient. Only inconvenient when doing certain cardio exercises.