Best app for tracking workout progress?

[ldesaus]

I used to use something called FitLinxx but have switched to a gym that doesn't offer it. I loved FitLinxx because I signed in to each station and it logged how much weight I should be lifting, what I was lifting, and generally kept track of my progress in a way that I could review online.

I don't really have an app that a) tells me what settings I need to set each piece of equipment to (yes I need this), and b) keeps a summary/chart of my progress. I'd also like it to be available on the web so I can check out how I'm doing off my phone. I've tried logging through FB but really it just seems to be for calorie counting and not overall fitness improvement gauging. Does anyone have anything that they've tried and liked?

[marapalumbo]

I just downloaded Jefit (free version) and tried it out yesterday. They have a routine that is all machine-based. I've only used it once and I liked it. Hope you find something that works!

[Heybales]

You didn't mention Android or Apple to narrow it down to what would be useful for you.

For Android, Fitness Buddy Free is only one I've tried more than looking at.

Can look up all kinds of lifts and machines and watch short clip for form if needed, create 2 different custom workouts with notes (machine settings) and your sets x reps x weights by coping from those.

My favorite so far -

Golf Pencil and Notepad for first use. And then at home Pen and Pencil and Paper to be used at the gym later. Not totally free, but close enough.

Has worked the best, and infinitely flexible.

The worst part is when I leave that in the my short's pocket and I rinse it out in the shower and soak it.

[Mary]

Did you ask your new gym if they offer any sort of paper log?  They might also offer one free personal trainer session to help you choose your initial settings on the gym machines.  

If not and if you don't find an app, look around for recommendations like "for the goal of hypertrophy and strength building, choose a weight that you can lift for 3 sets of 10-12 reps with good form but that is difficult at the end of the set."  

[ldesaus]

Gym does have a paper log, I want something on an app that tracks my machine settings where I can log what I do and then automatically sends it to their site where I can view my progress day-to-day, week-to-week, month-to-month in a layout that is more than just numbers (graphs, charts, summaries, etc).

[ldesaus]

Jefit is actually the closet I've come so far to what I'm looking for, the only issue being that it doesn't seem to let you put in the actual weight you set the machines at (which is what I like to refer to when I'm setting up the machines each time).  If they had that, I'd be totally good to go!

[Heybales]

Well, that would be downright cool, and logical.

Might try asking a wider audience for exactly that thing. Just don't use the word machines, just weight lifting workouts.

Any lifting forums will have more folks with chance of finding ones using something like what you want.

My suggestion of not mentioning machines is because I'm pretty sure that could cause a bad side-tracked discussion.

[ldesaus]

---

@Heybales wrote:

My suggestion of not mentioning machines is because I'm pretty sure that could cause a bad side-tracked discussion.

---

Interesting...I'm not very familiar with the culture on fitness boards so I wasn't aware.

[slysam]

I think it depends what you want to track. I don't use machines very often, so not sure. I have tied a lot of apps though. It depends what you want.

A lot of people like Fitocracy because it is very social and has a game type feel. Really, if you are using strength exercises then any strength tracker works assuming your machines use "weights" so you have a number to log. Usually strenght trackers have you enter the exercise, sets, weight, reps. And many let you add your own.

Lately I have been using the strength tracker on Sparkpeople. The main reason I do this is because it will estimate a calorie burn based on the exercies, time spent doing each exercise, weight, etc. It lets you add your own, but will not have a calorie burn estimate for exercises you add. The reason I like this, I feel like it might be giving me a more reasonable estimate. The program I am doing has a warmup that consists of lighter strenght work like a physical therapist might prescribe and core work like planks and bird dogs. Then the main workout is compound exercises withn heavy weights like deadlifts, squats, rows, etc. So this is a mix of light intensity and vigorous intensity exercises. I looked it up on the Fitbit database and MET charts for comparison. Spark gave me a calorie burn higher than I would get for "weight lifting, light to moderate effort" but lower than "weight lifting, vigorous effort". So it seemed to be factoring  in the intensity of the exercises. What I don't know is if the estimate includes BMR or not though.