I’ve used Hevy for a little over a year. It’s my workout buddy now. Not perfect, but close. I lift in my garage most days—chalk on my hands, bar feels cold, playlist too loud—and Hevy just…handles the boring stuff so I can focus.
For the full nitty-gritty—including screenshots of every chart—check out my extended Hevy app deep dive on Woopid.
Here’s the thing: I wanted a tracker that didn’t nag me or get in the way. Hevy does that. Mostly.
Quick take
- Clean app, no ads, easy to learn.
- Tracks sets, reps, weight, time, and notes.
- Great for progressive overload and PRs.
- Social feed is light and friendly.
- Some small bugs with the watch app.
- Premium stats are worth it if you love charts like I do.
If you want to see how Hevy compares to other popular workout trackers, check out this side-by-side rundown on Woopid.
It even stacks up against habit-centric tools such as Proveo. For a broader look at apps designed to pack on muscle, you might skim TechRadar’s list of gym-focused fitness apps.
How I actually use it
I’m on a four-day upper/lower split. Monday is heavy lower, Tuesday is push, Thursday is pull, Saturday is lighter legs and core. I use an iPhone 13 and an Apple Watch SE. My gym is a squat rack, bar, plates, a bench, some bands, and stubborn grit.
A real session from last week (Tuesday Push Day):
- Barbell Bench Press: 5 sets x 5 reps
- 95 lb, 95 lb, 100 lb, 100 lb, 105 lb (2:00 rest timer each set)
- Dumbbell Incline Press: 3 x 10 at 30 lb each (1:15 rest)
- Seated Shoulder Press: 4 x 8 at 65 lb
- Cable Fly (I use bands at home): 3 x 12, medium tension
- Triceps Rope Pushdown (at the gym): 3 x 12 at 40 lb
I hit a small rep PR on bench: 105 lb for 5. Hevy popped a little badge. It’s silly, but it made me smile.
On Thursday Pull Day, I set up a superset:
- Pull-Ups: 4 x 5 (bodyweight)
- Face Pulls: 4 x 12 at 35 lb
I log them as a superset in Hevy. The app stacks them, and the rest timer starts right when I tap “done.” Simple.
The tiny things that add up
- It remembers my last weight. When I open a routine, it pulls in what I did last time. No guesswork.
- Plate math is solid. For 155 lb squats on a 45 lb bar, it tells me: one 45 and one 10 per side. No head math. No mistakes.
- Notes per set help. I type “knees out” or “breath” or “slow on the way down.” Next week, those reminders stare me in the face.
- Rest timer buzzes my watch. So I stop scrolling and lift. It sounds silly, but it helps.
- Split KG/LB in a tap. I train in pounds at home and sometimes switch at the gym. No drama.
Many of these touches line up with the broader Hevy feature set officially outlined by the developers.
The social bit that doesn’t feel fake
Hevy has a feed. Nothing wild. I follow a few friends and two lifters I met at the gym. We give fist-bumps and short comments like “Nice pull!” or “That tempo tho.” I’ve shared my workout cards to Instagram Stories too. The card is clean. Name, sets, weights, and a little PR label if you earned it. It looks neat even on a busy day.
Is there spam? Some. But I don’t see much because I follow only a few people. That helps.
A real day that sold me
Garage Leg Day, two weeks ago. Rain was loud. Hands were cold. I set up:
- Back Squat: 5 x 3 at 165 lb (2:30 rest)
- Romanian Deadlift: 4 x 8 at 135 lb
- Bulgarian Split Squat: 3 x 10 at 25 lb dumbbells
- Planks: 3 x 45 seconds
Hevy lined it all up. I tapped through my sets. The rest timer buzzed right when I needed it. I wrote short notes like “hips shoot back” and “grip tired.” Then I looked at my volume chart after. Squat volume was up 6% from last month. Not huge. But real.
That chart gave me proof. Not feelings. Proof.
What I love
- Easy routine builder: I made “Lower A,” “Upper A,” “Lower B,” “Upper B.” I can swap in single-leg work when my knee gets cranky.
- PRs that make sense: It tracks weight PRs, rep PRs, and volume PRs. Last month I got a deadlift rep PR: 215 lb for 3. Tiny badge. Big grin.
- Charts that tell a story: With Pro, I check trends for squat, bench, deadlift, and rows. I can see dips when I travel or sleep less. It’s honest.
- Offline works: My garage Wi-Fi drops. Hevy keeps logging and syncs later.
- Custom exercises: I added “Heel-Elevated Goblet Squat” with a note on tempo. Now it’s part of my routine.
- Apple Health: It writes my workouts so my rings close without me thinking about it.
Stuff that bugged me
- Watch hiccups: Twice this month, my Apple Watch didn’t mark a set as done. It wasn’t the end of the world. I fixed it on my phone after. But still.
- Superset edits feel clunky: If I change reps on one move inside a superset, the flow stutters. I wish it felt smoother.
- Exercise search is picky: Type “OHP,” and it won’t always show “Overhead Press.” I learned to type full names.
- Tempo and RPE fields: There’s no real tempo field per set. I write it in notes. It works, but I want it built in.
- Community feed can feel random: Some days it’s all mirror pics. Easy fix—follow fewer people—but I wish there was a “training only” filter.
About Hevy Pro
I pay for Pro. It’s the price of a cheap coffee each month. What I use:
- Progress graphs by exercise and total volume
- Body measurements with charts (waist, hips, thigh, biceps)
- Percentage-based sets (like 3 x 5 @ 75% 1RM)
- CSV export for my coach
Could you stay on the free plan? Yes. It’s solid. I just like data. Maybe too much.
A small, real example week
- Monday Lower: Squat 5 x 5 at 145 lb; Hip Thrust 4 x 10 at 185 lb; Calf Raise 3 x 15.
- Tuesday Push: Bench 5 x 5 at 100 lb; DB Incline 3 x 10 at 30s; Dips 3 x 6.
- Thursday Pull: Deadlift 5 x 3 at 205 lb; Barbell Row 4 x 8 at 95 lb; Pull-Ups 4 x 5.
- Saturday Legs + Core: Front Squat 4 x 6 at 115 lb; Reverse Lunge 3 x 10; Planks 3 x 45 sec.
Hevy saved all of it, pulled forward my last weights, and flagged that my deadlift volume was trending up, while my rows were flat. That told me where to push next week.
Little tips from my own use
- Set rest timers by lift: 2:30 for heavy squats and deads, 1:00 for accessories. Your pace will feel smooth.
- Write short cues: “Elbows under bar,” “brace,” “head neutral.” You’ll thank yourself next week.
- Use supersets for accessory work: Pull-ups + Face Pulls. Lunges + Planks. It keeps you moving.
- Save your routines: Name them clearly. Add notes like “Week 1” or “Deload.”
- Check your volume chart once a week: Not daily. Weekly keeps you sane.
Who it’s for
- Beginners who want a clean tracker that doesn’t shout.
- Intermediate lifters chasing steady PRs.
- Home gym folks who need offline logging and plate math.
- Data nerds who like charts but still want a simple feel.
Want to swap the familiar clank of your garage for the buzz of a neighborhood iron paradise? Browse the community-built directory at FuckLocal, where lifters share unfiltered reviews of independent gyms near you so you can find the perfect local spot to crush your next session.
Maybe you’re road-tripping through SEC country or catching a