How to Log Workouts and Sets

Stronglifts makes it super simple and quick to log your workouts and sets.

Starting Your Stronglifts Workout

1. Open Stronglifts
2. On the home screen, tap "Start Workout"
3. Tap a set circle to log your set
4. The workout has started

Logging Completed Sets

A completed set is when you performed the goal reps. For example: the goal is five reps and you completed five reps. Here's how to log this:

1. Open Stronglifts
2. On the home screen, tap "Start Workout"
3. Tap a set circle to log your set.

Most of the time you will be completing your sets without failing reps. Therefore, most of the time it will only take one tap on a set circle to log your set.

Logging Failed Sets

A failed set is when you performed fewer reps than planned. Example: the goal is 5 reps but you only completed three reps. You can log this by tapping the set circle several times in a row.

1. Open Stronglifts
2. On the home screen, tap "Start Workout"
3. Tap the set circle several times in a row to decrease the reps

For example: if the goal is 5 reps, but you only did three reps, then tap the set circle three times. The first tap logs 5 reps, the second tap decreases the reps from 5 to 4, and the third tap decreases the reps from 4 to 3 reps.

Logging Sets From The Notifications

You can log your sets quickly from the notifications without unlocking your phone. You can see the rest timer on the notification as well so you know when to do your next set.

iOS

1. Open Stronglifts
2. Tap Start Workout
3. Log a set, the timer runs
4. Lock your phone
5. When your rest time is up, you'll receive a notification on your home screen
6. Tap/hold the notification. You'll get a menu to enter the exact amount of reps you did.

Android

1. Open Stronglifts
2. Tap Start Workout
3. Log a set, the timer runs
4. Open your notifications (slide down on the screen)
5. The Stronglifts notification shows with the rest timer
6. Tap the button "Done: or "Failed" to log your set

The "Done" button logs a successful set. If the goal is 5 reps and you tap Done, it will log 5 reps. Most of the time you should be completing sets. So most of the time you will be tapping the Done button.

The "Failed" button logs one rep less than planned. If the goal is 5 reps and you tap Failed, it will log 4 reps. The weight will not increase next time in this case. If you logged fewer than 4 reps, tap the notification to enter the actual amount of reps that you did.

Frequently Asked Questions

How to do a different workout than the one Stronglifts gives next?

Three options:

• Tap the workout you want to do on the home screen
• Tap Start Workout on the home screen. Then tap the title at the top to change the workout
• Go to Stronglifts > programs > workouts > reorder the workout by putting the first one you want to do at the top > Go back to the home screen and tap Start Workout.

How to change the date of a workout?

The date is automatically updated when you log the workout. So there is no need to update it manually. If you want to change the date anyway you can do so like this:

1. From the home screen, tap on the workout
2. Go to edit > Change Date
3. Change the date

How do I log a skipped workout?

Don't log it. If you don't log a planned workout, then Stronglifts will automatically move it to the next available date that fits your schedule. This makes it easy to resume where you left off.

How do I pause a workout?

Workouts logged with your phone are automatically paused when you do nothing for 10min. This means that the workout duration will pause and resume once you start logging again.

On the Apple Watch, you can pause workouts like this:

1. When you're logging your set, tap the exercise name in the top left corner
2. From the workout view, tap the pause button (middle one)
3. When you're ready to resume your workout, tap the resume button

When should I log 0 reps?

Rarely. If you try to lift a weight but can't do it for even one rep, then log this as 0 reps.

Example: today is Deadlift 5x300lb. You set up for Deadlifts, grab the bar, and try to lift it. But the bar doesn't want to leave the floor. It's too heavy. You can't even lift it for one rep. Since you tried to lift the weight you log this as 0 reps. Here's how to log this...

1. Open Stronglifts
2. On the home screen, tap "Start Workout"
3. Tap the set circle several times in a row to decrease the reps all the way to 0

How do I log a skipped set?

Don't log it. Just leave the set circle blank. Stronglifts will understand that you didn't do the set and repeat the weight next workout.

How to resume a workout that was finished by mistake?

Stronglifts prevents finishing an ongoing workout by mistake by asking for a confirmation. If you didn't log every set of every exercise but tap "finish" in the workout screen, you will get a popup asking if you are really done. This prevents finishing ongoing workouts by mistake.

However, this prompt does not show if you have logged every set of every exercise. If you do this and leave the workout screen, then it will automatically be marked done - even if you didn't tap the finish button. We do this because many people forget to finish their workouts and end up with long workout durations that result in misleading statistics.

If you were planning to do one more exercise after logging the final set, please add the exercise before leaving the workout screen. If you finished your workout by mistake, you can resume like this:

1. Open Stronglifts
2. Go to History > List
3. Open the workout

Please note that several features don't work when opening workouts from the history - this includes the rest timer, customizing exercises, etc. If you need to make big changes to the workout, best is to delete it and then log it again.

How to automatically enable Focus mode when starting a workout?

Focus mode reduces distractions during your workout by only allowing notifications that you want to receive. You can set this up like this...

1. Go to iPhone > Settings > Focus.
2. Tap Fitness (or tap + to add a new focus, select Fitness > Customize Focus).
3. Under Set a Schedule, tap Add a Schedule > Apps
4. Select Stronglifts.

To receive the rest timer notifications while logging your workout in focus mode

1. Go to iPhone > Settings > Focus.
2. Tap Fitness
3. Under Allow Notification, tap Apps > Allow Notifications From > + Add Apps
4. Select Stronglifts

You can share the same Focus settings on all your devices where you're signed in to the same Apple Account. Here's how:

1. On your iPhone, open Settings.
2. Tap Focus, then turn on Share Across Devices.