"Tracking gym progress" means two different things and most people only solve for one of them. The first is the numbers: what you lifted, how many reps, whether your bench press actually went up this month. The second is the habit: whether you showed up at all, three weeks in a row, without the whole thing quietly fading out. Apps like Hevy, Strong, Boostcamp, Alpha Progression and JEFIT are built hard around the numbers. Fitcoin, our product, covers both: you can log sets, reps and weight, see workout heart rate, start GPS runs and cycles, and still get FitScore rewards for showing up. Most people training seriously end up comparing specialist loggers against an all-in-one habit layer, so this guide stays honest about where each wins.
Fitcoin will say so plainly where it applies. It logs plates and reps on strength-style sessions, shows heart-rate averages, zones and post-workout recovery from Health data, and includes built-in run and cycle tracking. What it does not do is sell you a named strength programme or a giant form-video library. If you want StrongLifts-style auto programming or Hevy-depth volume charts across years, keep a specialist app. If you want the log, the cardio sessions and the consistency rewards in one place, Fitcoin is built for that mix.
The best apps to track gym progress at a glance
- Hevy, best free strength logger for sets, reps and PRs
- Strong, best for a fast, no-fuss lifting log
- Boostcamp, best for following a named strength programme
- Alpha Progression, best for auto-adjusted progressive overload
- JEFIT, best exercise library and community feed
- Fitcoin, best for sets, heart rate, runs, cycles and consistency rewards
What "tracking gym progress" actually covers
A pure strength logger records the exercise, the weight, the reps and the set, then shows you a graph of that exercise over weeks and months. That graph is how you actually know if you are getting stronger, rather than guessing from how a session felt. This is the job Hevy, Strong, JEFIT, Boostcamp and Alpha Progression are built for, and it is a genuinely different job from step counting or general activity tracking.
The habit side is separate. Most people who fall off a training plan do not fail because they cannot calculate progressive overload, they fail because week four never happens. That is where apps that reward you for working out earn their keep, by turning the act of showing up into something that pays back, on top of the numbers a logger already tracks. For a wider view of trackers beyond strength training, our guide to the best workout tracker apps covers running and general fitness apps too.
1. Hevy: best free strength logger
Hevy has become one of the most recommended free strength-logging apps, and for good reason. The free tier gives you unlimited workout routines, a large built-in exercise library with instructional images, automatic personal record tracking, a plate calculator, rest timers and set-by-set volume graphs per exercise. There is also a social feed if you want to follow training partners, which is optional rather than forced on you.
Hevy Pro sits on top as a paid tier and typically unlocks things like advanced analytics, extra routine folders and offline sync, though exact features and pricing shift over time, so check current App Store or Play Store listings before assuming what is included.
Best for: anyone who wants a genuinely capable free logger without being pushed into a subscription immediately.
Potential catch: the deepest analytics and some quality-of-life features are typically behind Pro.
2. Strong: best for a fast, no-fuss lifting log
Strong is one of the longest-running strength apps and it shows in how quickly you can log a set. Tap the exercise, tap the weight, tap the reps, done, with a plate calculator and rest timer built in. It covers the core logging job extremely well and has built a loyal following of people who have used it for years without switching.
Strong offers a free tier with the essential logging features, while Strong Pro (a subscription) typically adds things like unlimited routine storage, cloud backup across devices and deeper stats, so it is worth checking current pricing before you rely on it long term.
Best for: lifters who want the fewest taps between walking up to a bar and logging the set.
Potential catch: some cloud sync and history features typically sit behind the paid tier.
3. Boostcamp: best for following a named programme
Boostcamp is built around well-known strength programmes rather than a blank logging slate. It includes structured plans such as 5/3/1 variations, GZCLP, StrongLifts-style linear progression and PHUL-type splits, with the logging and progression built into the plan itself. If you have ever wanted to just follow a proven programme without designing your own spreadsheet, this is the more direct route.
Best for: beginners and intermediates who want a proven programme with tracking built in, rather than building their own from scratch.
Potential catch: less useful if you already run a fully custom programme, since it is designed around its library of named plans.
4. Alpha Progression: best for auto-adjusted overload
Alpha Progression logs your sets like the others, but its selling point is that it adjusts your next session's targets based on how the last one went. Instead of you eyeballing whether to add 2.5kg, the app makes that call from your logged performance, which suits people who like structure but do not want to manage the progression maths themselves.
Best for: lifters who want the app to actively manage progressive overload rather than just display a graph.
Potential catch: handing over the overload decision suits some training styles better than others, particularly once you are advanced enough to have strong opinions about your own programming.
5. JEFIT: best exercise library and community
JEFIT has one of the largest exercise databases of any gym app, with instructional guidance for a huge range of movements, plus community workout plans you can adopt directly. It has been around for a long time and covers logging, planning and progress charts in one place.
JEFIT's free tier covers core logging and a limited plan library, while JEFIT Elite (subscription) typically unlocks the full plan catalogue, advanced analytics and ad removal, though as with any app, confirm current pricing before assuming what is free.
Best for: people who want a big exercise library and ready-made plans from a large community.
Potential catch: the interface can feel busier than newer apps like Hevy, and the best plans are typically behind Elite.
6. Fitcoin: best for sets, heart rate, runs, cycles and rewards
Fitcoin is our product, and it does more than sit on top of other trackers. On strength, CrossFit, HIIT and similar sessions you can log sets, reps and weight, mark warm-up, working, drop or failure sets, add RPE, use rest timers, save routines, see a muscle map of what you hit, and compare against previous performance and personal records. Workout detail also pulls heart rate from Apple Health or Google Health Connect, with average and max BPM, time in zones and the first minutes of post-workout recovery.
Outside the gym floor, Fitcoin includes built-in GPS run and cycle tracking, and it still reads completed workouts from other apps that write into Health. Steps and sessions combine into a daily FitScore, alongside Sleep, Recovery and Energy tracking and daily coaching. That feeds challenges, clubs and Leagues, and unlocks Fitcoin rewards you spend on brand discounts and free items, not cash.
Best for: people who want gym logging, workout heart rate, runs and cycles, plus consistency rewards, without juggling three apps for the basics.
Potential catch: it is not a named-programme coach like StrongLifts or Boostcamp, and specialist loggers still go deeper on huge exercise libraries and multi-year volume charts.
Quick comparison
| App | Best for | Logs sets/reps/weight? | Rewards your effort? | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hevy | Free strength logging & PRs | Yes | No | iOS & Android |
| Strong | Fast, simple lifting log | Yes | No | iOS & Android |
| Boostcamp | Named strength programmes | Yes | No | iOS & Android |
| Alpha Progression | Auto-adjusted overload | Yes | No | iOS & Android |
| JEFIT | Exercise library & community plans | Yes | No | iOS & Android |
| Fitcoin | Sets, HR, runs, cycles & rewards | Yes | Yes, brand discounts & free items | iOS & Android |
When you need plates logged vs when you need consistency rewarded
If your main question is "did my numbers actually go up", you need a dedicated logger. Hevy or Strong for a straightforward log, Boostcamp if you want a named programme with the progression built in, and Alpha Progression if you want the app to decide the next jump for you. JEFIT is worth a look if a big exercise library and community plans matter more to you than a minimalist interface.
If your main question is "will I actually keep showing up", Fitcoin is built for that as well as the log. You can record sets in Fitcoin itself, start runs and cycles there, or keep a specialist logger and still let Health-synced sessions count toward FitScore, Leagues standing and challenge progress.
New to the gym and not sure where to start before you even worry about which app to use? Our practical guide to going to the gym for the first time covers that groundwork. And if getting paid for your training more broadly is the goal, see our round-up of ways to get paid to go to the gym.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best free app to track gym progress?
Hevy is generally the best free starting point for logging sets, reps and weight, with unlimited routines and a large exercise library on its free tier. Strong and JEFIT also have usable free tiers, typically with limits on saved routines or history that lift on their paid plans. Always check current App Store or Play Store pricing before you commit, since free tiers change.
Do I need a separate app just to track PRs?
Not necessarily a separate app, but you do need one that logs sets, reps and weight rather than just time or calories. Hevy, Strong, JEFIT, Boostcamp, Alpha Progression and Fitcoin all let you log lifts and surface personal records or previous-session comparisons. Dedicated lifting apps usually go deeper on long-term volume charts and plate calculators; Fitcoin pairs the log with workout heart rate, FitScore rewards, and built-in GPS runs and cycles.
Can Fitcoin track my gym progress?
Yes. Fitcoin lets you log sets, reps and weight on strength-style workouts, with RPE, rest timers, saved routines, a muscle map and personal-record comparisons. Workout detail also shows heart rate from Apple Health or Google Health Connect, including average, max, zones and post-workout recovery. You can start GPS runs and cycles in Fitcoin, or sync sessions from other apps. FitScore, Sleep, Recovery and Energy then unlock brand discounts and free items, not cash. It does not prescribe named strength programmes the way Boostcamp or StrongLifts do.
Which app is best for tracking progressive overload?
Hevy, Strong and JEFIT all show volume and weight trends per exercise so you can see progressive overload directly. Boostcamp and Alpha Progression go a step further by adjusting your next session's targets based on what you logged, which suits people who want the app to manage the overload decision rather than eyeball a graph.
Do gym logging apps and Fitcoin work together?
Yes. You can log sets and reps inside Fitcoin, or keep using Hevy or Strong and let those sessions write into Apple Health or Google Health Connect so Fitcoin still counts them toward FitScore. Fitcoin also starts its own GPS runs and cycles. You do not need two apps for the basics, but a specialist logger can still sit alongside if you want a bigger exercise library or auto programming.
Method and sources: Written August 9, 2026 and corrected the same day against Fitcoin's shipping product: on-device strength logging (sets, reps, weight, RPE, routines, muscle map, PRs), workout heart-rate detail, built-in GPS run and cycle tracking, plus FitScore, Sleep, Recovery, Energy, challenges, clubs and Leagues. Third-party details checked from public app store listings and marketing pages for Hevy, Strong, Boostcamp, Alpha Progression and JEFIT. Free tiers and subscription pricing for third-party apps change regularly, so re-check current App Store or Play Store listings before assuming what is included. Fitcoin inclusion is ownership-disclosed.
Related reading: best workout tracker apps, what is FitScore, apps that reward you for working out, going to the gym for the first time, get paid to go to the gym.
About the author: Harris Khan is the co-founder of Fitcoin. He studied at Loughborough University and has more than 15 years of personal experience across strength training, bodybuilding, Muay Thai and general fitness.