Why do I still use a notebook to track my lifts?
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I hear you and do a similar thing but then forget my notebook and so just ego lift till I injure myself, rinse, repeat.
I had set up something similar to what you’re talking about using shortcuts on iOS but I find myself coming back to the app “strong”.
Ultimately I think a notebook is the best way to do it but I use strong because my phone is terminally in my pocket, and it’s lets you view and export the data in different ways.
I had set up something similar to what you’re talking about using shortcuts on iOS but I find myself coming back to the app “strong”.
Ultimately I think a notebook is the best way to do it but I use strong because my phone is terminally in my pocket, and it’s lets you view and export the data in different ways.
The pattern I keep seeing: Download app → excited for a week → realize it takes 8 taps to log a single set → back to pen and paper.
Most apps seem designed around social features or trying to be "everything" (meal plans, progress photos, community challenges). Which is cool if that's your thing, but I just want to log "225 x 5" without navigating through three screens.
So I'm thinking about building something dead simple. Working name is "Valid." The core idea:
- Keyboard-first entry. Open app, type "225x5", hit enter. Done. - No feed, no discover tab, no gamification badges - At the end of each workout, it spits out a simple receipt-style summary (total volume, time, PRs if any) that you can screenshot and forget about
The receipt thing might be dumb, but I liked the idea of treating each workout as a discrete "transaction" rather than endless scrolling through history.
My question: Does this resonate with anyone else who lifts regularly? Or have you found an app that actually stays fast and minimal? Trying to figure out if this is a real gap or just my own pet peeve.
Happy to hear I'm wrong and there's already something good out there I've missed.