Fitness apps are a dime-a-dozen now. Last year, mHealth Economics published a paper estimating that there were 100,000 fitness and health apps between the Google Play and App Store. Frankly, most of these fitness-based apps are for cardio-based training and diet tracking — calories in and out, heart rate, steps taken, miles logged, etc. — and the options for heavy lifters are few and far between.Part of the problem is that weight lifting is hard to track without manually inputting the info yourself. While your phone can accurately track your steps using the built-in accelerometer, the technology doesn’t exist yet that can estimate how much you’re lifting, for how long, or correct bad form; a few wearables exist out there that measure your “muscle quality,” but those can be expensive, if not unreliable. But there are a few options for upping your training, and getting new ideas for workouts. Here are a few apps that can help you out.
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stronglifts.com
StrongLifts 5×5
Often called the simplest yet most effective way to build muscle, this app features the Stronglifts 5×5 principle (three lifts at five reps for five sets) and lays it out before you in a clean user experience. It helps you track reps for each lift instead of using a pen and paper, and even counts down your rest time. Track your growth with an in-app progress meter, and use the in-app calendar to help you plan future 5×5 workouts.Price: Free, iOS and Android
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iWOD Pro
A must-have for CrossFit enthusiasts everywhere, the iWOD Pro app features over 1,000 built-in WODs (Workouts of the Day) and over 50,000 Paleo recipes to help you build muscle after hitting the gym. The app comes baked with TIMERS PRO, a CrossFit proprietary timer for different WODs that was used in the 2012 and 2013 CrossFit Open, and dozens of how-to videos for each workout you’re bound to run into. There’s also a list of CrossFit and Paleo sites in the app to get more inspiration for workouts and meals.Price: $0.99, iOS only
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fitnesspointapp.com
Fitness Point
Create your own workout plan with Fitness Point workout journal. This app comes with hundreds of exercise descriptions and videos for each muscle you need to train, and from there, you can make a customized plan based on how you want your training to go. Then you can log each workout to track your progress as you get bigger — there’s even a calendar. Hot tip: measure your body for better tracking results, like how much bigger your chest is getting. It also comes in a Pro version that includes cloud backup, timer, and a graph to visualize your progress.Price: Free or $4.00 for Pro version, iOS and Android
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itunes.apple.com
Bulk Up! Protein Tracker
It’s hard to recommend any other diet tracker than MyFitnessPal — possibly the most comprehensive diet tracker there is — but this app is built for those who want to bulk, zoning in on the most important macros there are: protein, carbs and fat. Like MyFitnessPal, you log what you eat and whatever supplements you might take, and you’re presented with pie charts and graphs of your protein, carbs and fat intake over the day, helping you make better eating decisions. It’s iOS only, for now, but there’s a similar app in Google Play called Protein Tracker that does a similar thing.Price: $3.99, iOS only
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play.google.com
RM Lite One Rep Max Calculator
I once put an inflation calculator on my phone because I needed to know how much $50 was worth in 1975. The same principle comes with the 1RM Lite app — when you need to know your one-rep max for something, you’ll be glad you had it. Simply enter the weight you use on an exercise, and how many reps you can perform until failure. From there, the app will calculate your one-rep max using the Brzycki and Epley formulas. Good to know where you should be hitting your goals. Like Bulk Up!, the app is on iOS only, but there are many apps on Google Play that do the same thing, like the 1 Rep Max Calculator. Free or $.99 for Premium, iOS only
Fitness apps are a dime-a-dozen now. Last year, mHealth Economics published a paper estimating that there were 100,000 fitness and health apps between the Google Play and App Store. Frankly, most of these fitness-based apps are for cardio-based training and diet tracking — calories in and out, heart rate, steps taken, miles logged, etc. — and the options for heavy lifters are few and far between.
Part of the problem is that weight lifting is hard to track without manually inputting the info yourself. While your phone can accurately track your steps using the built-in accelerometer, the technology doesn’t exist yet that can estimate how much you’re lifting, for how long, or correct bad form; a few wearables exist out there that measure your “muscle quality,” but those can be expensive, if not unreliable. But there are a few options for upping your training, and getting new ideas for workouts. Here are a few apps that can help you out.
StrongLifts 5x5
Often called the simplest yet most effective way to build muscle, this app features the Stronglifts 5×5 principle (three lifts at five reps for five sets) and lays it out before you in a clean user experience. It helps you track reps for each lift instead of using a pen and paper, and even counts down your rest time. Track your growth with an in-app progress meter, and use the in-app calendar to help you plan future 5×5 workouts.
Price: Free, iOS and Android
iWOD Pro
A must-have for CrossFit enthusiasts everywhere, the iWOD Pro app features over 1,000 built-in WODs (Workouts of the Day) and over 50,000 Paleo recipes to help you build muscle after hitting the gym. The app comes baked with TIMERS PRO, a CrossFit proprietary timer for different WODs that was used in the 2012 and 2013 CrossFit Open, and dozens of how-to videos for each workout you’re bound to run into. There’s also a list of CrossFit and Paleo sites in the app to get more inspiration for workouts and meals.
Price: $0.99, iOS only
Fitness Point
Create your own workout plan with Fitness Point workout journal. This app comes with hundreds of exercise descriptions and videos for each muscle you need to train, and from there, you can make a customized plan based on how you want your training to go. Then you can log each workout to track your progress as you get bigger — there’s even a calendar. Hot tip: measure your body for better tracking results, like how much bigger your chest is getting. It also comes in a Pro version that includes cloud backup, timer, and a graph to visualize your progress.
Price: Free or $4.00 for Pro version, iOS and Android
Bulk Up! Protein Tracker
It’s hard to recommend any other diet tracker than MyFitnessPal — possibly the most comprehensive diet tracker there is — but this app is built for those who want to bulk, zoning in on the most important macros there are: protein, carbs and fat. Like MyFitnessPal, you log what you eat and whatever supplements you might take, and you’re presented with pie charts and graphs of your protein, carbs and fat intake over the day, helping you make better eating decisions. It’s iOS only, for now, but there’s a similar app in Google Play called Protein Tracker that does a similar thing.
Price: $3.99, iOS only
RM Lite One Rep Max Calculator
I once put an inflation calculator on my phone because I needed to know how much $50 was worth in 1975. The same principle comes with the 1RM Lite app — when you need to know your one-rep max for something, you’ll be glad you had it. Simply enter the weight you use on an exercise, and how many reps you can perform until failure. From there, the app will calculate your one-rep max using the Brzycki and Epley formulas. Good to know where you should be hitting your goals. Like Bulk Up!, the app is on iOS only, but there are many apps on Google Play that do the same thing, like the 1 Rep Max Calculator.
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