There are a lot of reasons to add gym work to your cycling. And if you do, it’s nice….actually essential…..to have a simple gym app which can help you log your workouts. In general, these are not apps which show you what to do, and don’t give much training advice, no, they are like a simple diary trackers of what you did and when. But wait, thats still good, they can track, graph and reward your progress, and offer timings, and integrate multiple devices and back up to the cloud. There is actually a lot to these apps, but where most go wrong, horribly wrong is in the interface which is often messy and/or impossible to use: especially in a sweaty gym environment! They also have a nasty habit of bombarding you with ads or nags to upgrade, and ask you for silly subscriptions. So what I am looking for is this:
A simple clean interface
A database of workouts both gym + cardio + custom workouts
A diary view
No ads and no charges (or just a one-off payment)
That’s all, is that too much to ask? Let’s see. I spent all weekend (Jan21) reviewing about 50 apps. These 10 are the best I could find. If it is not in this table, then I got fed up with the design or the ads or the cost. So Let’s examine the Apple apps and then the Android apps…..rated #5 thru #1. Click on the table for a google sheet which you can copy.
======== APPLE GYM TRACKING APPS ========
#5th best
Workit (iOS and Android) 7/10
Good Points
- Simple but Effective logging screen.
- Includes a plate calculator.
- Includes ready-made exercise programs.
Bad Points
- Can’t define target intensity based on 1RM.
Workit, which is free for iOS | android offers easy ways to enter data as well as create routines, log workouts, and analyze/visualize your progress. Workit is a combination of a workout tracker and a strength training app. Plus it includes hundreds of exercises included with descriptions, animations, and YouTube video links. And it includes cardio. For $4.99, the Pro version removes ads, keeps body stats, and has BMI calculator and the ability to store progress pictures so you can see your gains (or losses).
#4th best
Strong (iOS, Android) 7.5/10
Good Points
- Fairly simple workout logging
- Fills in your previous weights and reps.
- Keeps track of your personal bests.
Bad Points
- No way to schedule workouts.
- Exercise descriptions, images, and videos not included.
- Set up can be confusing at first
Strong, which is free for iOS, Android and Apple Watch, is a good app for planning and logging workouts. Adding sets and exercises is fast, as theapp fills in previous data and offers a complete history, charts, and records. Strong lets you combine them into routines, as well (limited to three custom routines on free version). It locks a lot of features for $29.99 per year for an unlimited number of routines and to unlock additional PRO features.
#3rd best
Lift Log: #1 Weightlifting Log 4+ (iOS)
Good Points
- Totally minimalistic
- Includes PR/PBs
- Includes backups via email
Bad Points
- No diary view
- No calculators or measurements
- No database or videos or images
- No workouts, routines or recommendations
- No ads, but might nag for premium
This is a stupidly simple app with almost no features. Sounds rubbish but actually it still works, it still logs your workouts (just type them in) and it asks for reps/sets. Jake Mohr developed this one on the side on his main paid app FitnessAI which is good but very expensive.
It seems to be entirely free, but some users said it stopped after asking for premium, but if it’s free then it is actually all most people will need.
#2nd Best Free App
FitHero (Android & Apple) 9/10
FitHero is “your notepad in the gym”. Track your workouts and progress in a super simple way from a database of 300 exercises
Good Points
- Brilliantly clean simple exercise log
- Diary view
- Free backup and restore
- No need to register
Bad Points
- No real add-ons
- No calculators
Fithero is a really neat little app, with no ads, and free. Yes there is an option £0.89 payment (which I think is one off) but it doesn’t add much, because its pretty much all you need anyway.
#1st best App (note costs $4.99)
Gym Logger (Apple) 9.5/10#
Gym Logger is superb little app, a really simple but feature rich tracker with a super simple but graphical design. Sorry, I have to admit it’s paid, but you pay only $4.99 once and get all the features of Gym Logger and that’s hardly an issue, come on. (yes you can try it for free).
Good Points
• Big database of strength and cardio exercises
• Integrates workouts with Apple Watch (ios13) or iPhone.
• Timer / Coaching cues for all exercises
• graphs for Volume, Sets, Reps, Toughest sets, 1RM Progression.
• Automatically back up to iCloud
• Support for Apple Health
Bad Points
- Diary view is basic, just dates, but that’s ok.
- No fancy measurements or photo tracking
- Rarely updated, so risk going out of date
======= ANDROID GYM TRACKING APPS =======
#5th best
Workit (iOS and Android) 7/10
Good Points
- Simple but Effective logging screen.
- Includes a plate calculator.
- Includes ready-made exercise programs.
Bad Points
- Can’t define target intensity based on 1RM.
Workit, which is free for iOS | android offers easy ways to enter data as well as create routines, log workouts, and analyze/visualize your progress. Plus it includes hundreds of exercises included with descriptions, animations, and YouTube video links. And it includes cardio. For $4.99, the Pro version removes ads, keeps body stats, and more.
#4th best
Simple Workout Log (Android) 7.5/10
(link)
Good Points
- Simple exercise tracker but UI is a bit dated now
- Web version lets you enter and review data from a desktop computer.
- Can display workouts and routines
Bad Points
- Not much, just poor diary view
Simple Workout Log, free for Android, is super simple in appearance and use . It’s easy to log sets, all with your history, exercise performance graph, and plate calculator at hand. Includes a summary page with stats from your previous workout, powerful graphing of both strength and cardio exercises, the ability to log supersets, cloud backup, export to Excel, and a web version is available for reviewing data and setting up routines.
Ads are fairly minimal but Pro version is available if you want to eliminate ads and add a couple of functions
An iOS version of Simple Workout Log is in the works.
#3rd best
FitHero (Android & Apple) 9/10
Good Points
- Brilliantly clean simple exercise log
- Diary view
- Free backup and restore
- No need to register
Bad Points
- No real add-ons
- No calculators
FitHero is “your notepad in the gym”. It’s a brilliant app, which we rates as #1 on apple (above). Track your workouts and progress in a super simple way from a database of 300 exercises
Fithero is a really neat little app, with no ads, and free. Yes there is an option £0.89 payment (which I think is one off) but it doesn’t add much, because it’s pretty much all you need anyway.
#2nd Best Free App
FitNotes (Android) 9/10
(link)
Good Points
- Simple, functional design.
- Calendar with rules for highlighting
- Has workout timer
- Has motivational cups
- Has 1RM and Plate REP and Set Calculator
Bad Points
- Doesn’t allow for tracking body measurements.
- Limited exercise library
FitNotes, which is free for Android, is a workout tracker with a focus on simplicity and clean design. It works offline and requires no account sign-ups or anything like that. It’s highly customizable, works for both cardio and resistance exercises, and it includes a calendar for workout planning.
In addition to the basic exercises, you can also find complete exercise complexes such as Olympic or Plyometric and also include Cardio.
The workout log lets you view and navigate daily workouts quickly by swiping between them, as well as navigate to a specific day using the built-in calendar. Add an exercise to the workout log and record sets of weight and reps or distance and time. FitNotes is a great app if you’re just getting started with workout logging due to its clean interface and ease of use with no pro charging
There are no ads, but your can buy an excellent value £3.99 Supporter version which adds a couple of functions
NB: Fitnotes 2 has been copied to apple by another developer (link)
#1st best app (low cost)
GymKeeper (Android) 10/10
(link)
Good Points
- Simple, functional with lots of option design.
- Good Calendar
- Has workout timer
- Has motivational cups
- Has 1RM and Plate and other Calculator
- Has automatic progress indicators
- Allows multiple users
- Allows body measurements
- Allows photo tracking/uploads
Bad Points
- Paid but minimally so, £8.99 one-off!
GymKeeper is the best I have seen. It includes workouts and routines. But the main focus is on keeping a training journal. The gym diary is divided into pages, each of which represents a separate training day with all the exercises and sets visible so that you don’t have to make extra clicks to fully view and edit your workout. You can track the statistics on your workouts, exercises, muscle groups and body measurements for any period of time and set new records with free interactive charts and fitness calculator you can figure out the recommended barbell weight for a set, as well as the body mass index, the daily calorie intake and the target heart rate for your workouts. The “Share” function will help you to keep up motivation with your friends.
And yes, again sorry it’s paid but its only £8.99 or $10 one off!! Come on. Thats value!
Summary (click for google sheets view)
Out of about 50 apps I looked at most were buggy, ad infested and costly. There was only one decent free no ad app on both android AND apple = FitHero which is brilliant but basic. Lift Log: #1 is almost as good as FitHero on iOS but it’s perhaps too simple, it does not contain a single graphic or calculation! Fitnotes on android is also as good as Fithero both they are slightly different styles.
In order to beat Fithero (or Fitnotes) you (sadly) have to pay (a minimal, very reasonable less than 10 bucks/dollars/pounds) for Gym Logger on apple (which is not well known) or GymKeeper on android which are both truly excellent and well worth the price and not the ones you may have heard of!