4 Best Weightlifting Apps for Progressive Overload in 2026
Last week's bench numbers are filed somewhere in your head, right next to your old locker combination. Time to write them down.
The short answer
Brolic Best overallThe best weightlifting app for progressive overload is Brolic. It logs sets fast, keeps your best on screen while you log so you know what to beat, and gives every lift a leaderboard with the exact gap to the next lifter, all free. For charts on Android too, choose Hevy. For progression planned for you, choose Fitbod.
Which one is for you?
Best overallBrolicLifters who train harder when there's a specific number to beat
2
Best for progress chartsHevyLifters who want charts and history on iPhone or Android
3
Fastest between setsStrong Workout TrackerExperienced lifters who already run their own program
4
Best auto progressionFitbodBeginners and busy lifters who want the progression planned
- Brolic is #1: free, fast logging with your best set on screen and a clear target on every lift.
- Hevy charts progress on iPhone, Android and the web; Strong is the quickest log between sets.
- Fitbod plans the weights and volume for you, but it needs a subscription after the trial.
Progressive overload is simple on paper: a bit more weight or a few more reps than last time. The tricky part is remembering last time. The best weightlifting app for progressive overload puts your recent numbers in front of you, catches new records and makes the next target obvious before you load the bar.
Keep reading
Some picks are fast logs that leave the programming to you, one adds a competitive target from other lifters, and one writes the progression for you. The ranking weighs how clearly each shows what to beat, how fast it logs a set, and price.
-
Best overall
1. Brolic
0Every lift comes with a number to beat, plus the exact gap to the lifter just above you.
- Free
- iPhone
- No subscription
You're between sets, chalk on your hands, deciding whether to add weight. Brolic already has your best on screen. Enter weight and reps, tick the set, and the rest timer starts itself. Beat that best and it's recorded automatically, so there's no separate record log to babysit.
More about Brolic
Then there are the leaderboards: every lift has one, worldwide or filtered by country, city or weight class, and Brolic works out what you need to pass the lifter above you. Other lifters vote on suspicious numbers. It's all free, but you need an account, there's no AI programming, and Android users are out.
Great forLifters who train harder when there's a specific number to beat
The catchNo auto-programming, and it's iPhone and iPad only
-
Best for progress charts
2. Hevy
0Last session's numbers beside every set, and charts that tell you when a lift has stalled.
- Free + paid plans
- iPhone · Android · Web
- No subscription
Hevy makes progression visible. As you log, the numbers from last session sit beside each set, so adding a rep or a small jump in weight is a choice, not a guess. Records are tracked as you go, and progress charts show whether a lift is climbing or quietly stalling.
More about Hevy
The free plan logs unlimited workouts on iPhone, Android or the web, with watch apps for Apple Watch and Wear OS and a social feed for copying friends' routines. The catches: saved routines are capped, deeper analytics need Hevy Pro, and it won't decide what comes next.
Great forLifters who want charts and history on iPhone or Android
The catchFree plan caps saved routines, and you bring your own program
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Fastest between sets
3. Strong Workout Tracker
0The log that gets out of your way, plus a plate calculator to spare you the gym math.
- Free + paid plans
- iPhone · Android
- No subscription
Strong is for lifters who already know their program and want the log to disappear. Pick a routine, follow your previous numbers set by set, and let the rest timer count down. Adding a small jump? The plate calculator tells you exactly what to load, so there's no mental math mid-workout.
More about Strong Workout Tracker
The Apple Watch app is excellent, so you can log without touching your phone, and there's no social feed to distract you. The catch: the free plan caps saved routines, so regulars usually upgrade to Strong PRO, as a subscription or a one-off lifetime unlock. New features arrive slowly.
Great forExperienced lifters who already run their own program
The catchSaved routines are limited unless you buy Strong PRO
-
Best auto progression
4. Fitbod
0Hands you today's weights and sets, so 'how much should I add?' stops being your job.
- Subscription
- iPhone · Android
- No ads
Not sure how much to add, or too busy to plan? Fitbod looks at your equipment, your recent sessions and which muscles have recovered, then builds a workout whose weights and volume rise as you improve. Video demos cover the exercises you've never tried.
More about Fitbod
The trade-off is control and cost. If you follow a set program, its choices can clash with it, and logging is slower than in Strong or Hevy. After a short free trial you need a subscription. It runs on iPhone and Android with Apple Watch support, but there's no web version.
Great forBeginners and busy lifters who want the progression planned
The catchA subscription after the trial, and slower logging
Side by side
| # | App | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Brolic |
Best overall |
| 2 |
Hevy |
Best for progress charts |
| 3 |
Strong Workout Tracker |
Fastest between sets |
| 4 |
Fitbod |
Best auto progression |
How to choose
What makes the best weightlifting app for progressive overload?
It shows you what to beat. The most useful feature is your previous weight and reps beside the set you're about to do, because that's when you decide whether to add a little. Automatic record tracking catches new bests, and per-lift charts reveal the longer trend, which is where a stall shows up.
Speed matters more than it sounds. If logging takes too many taps, you stop logging. Look for a rest timer that starts itself, quick weight changes and saved routines. Then decide whether you'll plan increments yourself, as in Brolic, Hevy and Strong, or let Fitbod pick them.
How do you use a lifting app to progress week to week?
Pick a simple rule and let the app hold you to it. A common one: stay at a weight until you hit the top of your rep range on every set, then add the smallest jump. Before each set, glance at last session's numbers and aim to beat one. If a lift stalls, change something instead of grinding on.
Get Brolic if having a number to beat makes you lift harder; it's fast and free. If you'd rather the app choose your weights for you, Fitbod does that for a subscription.
See why Brolic is #1Compare the top picks
Brolic
9.1
vs
Hevy
9.1
Brolic
9.1
vs
Strong Workout Tracker
8.8
Hevy
9.1
vs
Strong Workout Tracker
8.8
Questions people ask
What is the best free weightlifting app?
Brolic is the best free choice: routines are unlimited, the leaderboards and weekly report cost nothing, and no feature is held back. Hevy also has a generous free plan that logs unlimited workouts but limits saved routines.
Brolic or Hevy: which is better for progressive overload?
Brolic is better if a concrete target motivates you, since it shows your best and the gap to the next lifter on every lift, all free. Hevy is better if you want detailed charts, an Android app or a social feed.
Which app plans progressive overload for me?
Fitbod does: it sets weights and volume for each workout based on your recent training and recovery, then raises them as you progress. You need a subscription after the free trial.
Do weightlifting apps work on Apple Watch?
Strong, Hevy and Fitbod all support Apple Watch, and Hevy also has a Wear OS app. Brolic is an iPhone and iPad app, so you log from your phone.
