The best workout tracker app in the universe? The Strength Log review

From the land of pop perfection comes a training tool with the reliability of a Volvo, the simplicity and functionality of IKEA furniture, and the… the range of a Skarsgård? Can Sweden now add the best workout tracker app in the universe to its list of proud achievements?

The workout log app in question? Strength Log.

I used the FREE version and then Premium and I’m here to tell you all about it. Is it reeeallly the best workout tracker app in the universe? I don’t really know, but it’s pretty damn good.

The Strength log app review, go.

What is it?

A workout tracker for your phone, of course. This feature-full tool does much more than just log workouts though.

It will help you do 3 very important things:

Plan your workout
Track your workout
Capture and analyse data so you can track your progress

For a breakdown of features – visit the SL website here.

Plan your workout

Pre-made programs
Strength Log is jam packed with training programs and workouts with fun names like In a Hurry at The Gym and Deadlift Disco. Take a trip to Europe for some German volume training, or get after it like Arnold with his basic mass routine. Gym masochist? How about 20 sets of squats with the Swedish Idiot Routine. Hmmmm… no thank you.

“At StrengthLog, we are passionate about strength training, and we know that training is more enjoyable when it is done effectively. That is why we only give you information, methods, and programs based on a firm scientific foundation.”

– Strength Log

Strengthlog app — A program for everyone

You’ll find programs designed to increase strength in specific lifts, like the Bench Press Boogie (Premium) or the Squat Samba (Premium), as well as workouts that target specific muscle groups – like the StrengthLog calf workout, which looks like a productive and absolutely miserable way to spend 35 mins.

My bench press has plateaued hard so I’m eyeing up the Boogie. I’m also looking to revisit Mark Rippetoe’s legendary Starting Strength program, which is built-in and ready to go. For a beginner lifter like me, having an arsenal of professionally designed programs is a HUGE feature.

Create your own program
If none of the pre-made programs tickle your glutes, just create your own. I started with a homemade mash-up of the Jeff Nippard Fundamentals Hypertrophy Program (which I reviewed in too much detail here) and Mark Rippetoe’s Starting Strength. It’s a program I like to call:

Jark Rippetard’s Fundamental Hypertro-strength.

The program builder is intuitive and easy to use, with dragging and dropping, copying and pasting, and a big fat library of exercises to choose from. Can’t find your exercise? No problem, just create your own. You can even build in supersets and circuits, which as a time-poor dad, I’m a big fan of.

When you click ‘Create Program’ you’re presented with a touch of Swedish too, which is nice.

Google Translate will tell you this means ‘Empty program’ or ‘existing program’. In other words, you can start with a pre-made program and edit it to your heart’s content. Very useful.

Stumbling into some Swedish is a charming feature of the app. Get jacked, become a polyglot, and connect with other cultures for a richer human experience with Strength Log.

Track your workout

Clearly if you’re building the best workout tracker app in the universe, you’d want to get this feature right. And they did.

Rest between sets

When you mark a set as completed, the rest period timer starts. Set this to whatever you want and you’ll hear a beep when your rest is over. My SL timer seems to be broken. When I’m doing squats, the 2-minute rest period passes far too quickly for some reason.

Make changes on the fly

If you want to throw in another set, increase or decrease the weight, or change some other aspect of the workout, you can do this mid-workout with ease.

Technique

I’ve been using this app for nearly 2 months and I keep finding new features. I just realised there are short gif-style videos showing exercise technique. The short clips are followed up with excellent instructions to help you nail your technique. Huge feature for the beginner to intermediate lifter.

Stats

Training efficiently and effectively is a lot easier with data, and you get a lot of it with the Strength log app. How many times have you trained per week? How many sets? How many reps? Your volume? It’s all there, and you can’t hide from it.

Progressive overload

If you want to make progress in the gym, implementing a progressive overload protocol is key. Put simply, progressive overload is the principle that says if you want to make improvements in strength, size, or endurance, you need to progressively increase the demands placed on your musculoskeletal system.

With all of your stats at your fingertips, making incremental changes in weight, volume, training frequency, or rest is a breeze. Of equal importance, if you’re not making progress, this will be presented to you in graph-ic detail.

PRs

Who doesn’t like to smash a PR (personal record) every now and then? The SL app will show you PRs for specific exercises and rep ranges. If you’re mid-workout and throw up a PR, you’ll get a little ‘PR!’ Under the set number to let you know.

Total weight lifted

For some added motivation I like to check the total amount of weight I lifted during a workout, and then google stuff with a similar weight. Then I can tell people I moved the equivalent of a small, 2-seater plane in my last gym session.

On Friday I lifted an African Bush Elephant.

Should you go Premium

There is nothing worse than downloading an app, only to find that the FREE version is completely useless or packed with ads. This would massively harm the chances of StrengthLog being crowned the best workout tracker app in the universe. StrengthLog has done the opposite and the FREE version is feature packed and very useful.

However…

Premium rules. It’s really all about data with Premium. The in-depth stats and reporting is super useful and customising your homepage puts key data front and centre. For me, the FREE version seems ideal for the lifter with modest goals, and Premium is the tool for anyone looking to take things more seriously in search of those hard-earned gains.

Key Premium Features:

Advanced training programs.
Workouts for different goals.
In-depth reports and statistics about your training.
Quick-stats at a glance while you’re training.
Advanced logging with RPE/RiR.
Repeat a workout – with heavier weights.

Support

I have to make special mention of the customer service team at Strength Log. This is actually a pretty epic feature of the app. Even with the FREE version you can flick off an email to Sweden and receive a prompt and friendly reply. I tested this service and found them to be super friendly and helpful.

The future of the Strength Log app

It’s worth noting that this app is still evolving. In fact, if you go to Settings – Planned Features, you’ll see an ever growing list of planned upgrades. You can even vote on the upgrades you think are the most important.

Needless to say, this app is on the move. The question is, can they integrate new features without ruining the app. Sometimes it’s better to do 1 or 2 things really well, than 57 things quite well.

What is the Strength Log app, really?

Sure, all of these features are great, but what really matters is whether or not it supports the end goal/s. Does this app help you train efficiently, effectively, and consistently? Or is it just a distraction disguised as a tool?

When I’m not tracking, my adherence drops. I’ll skip a workout and ‘push it to next week’ knowing full well I won’t. I get lazy with the progressive overload and my progress can become a plateau.

Once you start to track with an app like StrengthLog, you can’t hide from the data. If your volume drops, you’ll see it in the graph. If you’re not progressing with a lift, you know about it. I’m no habit guru, but having the data staring me in the face every day was a big motivator. Who doesn’t love an upward trending graph?

So, did it make a difference to my training? Yes. Without wanting to sound like a SL salesman, I feel like I trained better the last couple of months than I have…. ever.