New feature! Strength exercise tracking

How does it work?

The new feature allows you to keep track of your strength training sessions in detail. Here's how to use it:

1. Open the app and tap into the search bar.
2. Tap on 'Exercise' at the very top of the screen > 'Strength'. Then search for a term relating to your exercise – for example, 'bicep'. This will bring back a list of exercises that target the biceps, such as a barbell curl or bicep curl machine.
3. Select your exercise. Adjust the number of reps and add how much weight you lifted.
4. Switch between lbs or kgs depending on your measurement preference.
5. Tap 'add set' to add more sets. Adjust the reps and weight lifted as necessary.
6. You then have the choice to 'Track energy burned' by toggling this option on or off.
7. Finish by tapping the 'Exercise' button at the bottom and this will then be added to your diary for the day.

How will it help me?

This feature is designed to help you keep an accurate record of your training sessions. It's very helpful for monitoring progress over time as you can scroll back to previous days. Here are 3 ways to use your data:

1. Track improvements over time

Just tap the back arrow in your diary and see how much weight you were lifting 4 weeks ago for example. You can then check how much you've progressed.

2. Identify when it's time to change your session

If you scroll back and see that you have been lifting the same weight for 6 weeks, it's a reminder it's time to up your weights to keep seeing results.

3. Monitor the type of exercises you're doing

It's recommended we progress our training programme every 6-8 weeks, so by tracking your complete workouts accurately, you can see when it's time for a change. Mix things up by introducing new exercises or increasing the intensity of your workout by upping the weight but still achieving the same number of reps.

Is it useful for tracking calories burned?

The strength exercise feature is designed to help you record your weight training sessions and track your progress in reps or weights lifted over time. At present, the calorie burn figure is a rudimental estimate as we don't have the information necessary to give a more personalised figure – for example, the strength of the individual.

For the most accurate estimate, we recommend using an activity tracker to monitor your calorie burn for each session. Or you can search for 'Weight Lifting' in our exercise database and use the calorie burn estimate for the duration of your session as a whole.

Interesting stats!

If you're interested to know how your workouts compare with other members, here are some numbers...

Most popular number of sets

Three! The typical number of sets added ranges from 1-6, but three is a clear favourite, with one set coming in second and four sets coming in third.

This makes sense since three sets as a minimum is recommended when working towards muscle and strength gains. It's interesting to see lots of members adding one set for various exercises too – which is often used when people are determining their 1-rep max for example. Or it could be members completing a circuit-style exercise routine which includes one set of each exercise, or beginners who are getting used to strength training exercises.

Most popular number of reps

Ten! The number of repetitions of each exercise within each set ranges from 8-15 – but 10 is the firm favourite. This is a popular number to aim for as it's ideal for promoting gains in both muscle size and strength. Higher reps with lighter weights are better for improving muscular endurance; fewer reps with heavier weights are more geared to promoting stronger, bigger muscles.

Top 5 exercises tracked

1. Barbell squat
2. Sit-ups
3. Flat barbell bench press
4. Dumbbell curl
5. Leg press machine