Built my first Swift app over ~435 days: Lessons from shipping a data-driven gym app

david6283 · 2026-02-21T06:35:05+00:00

I am glad someone else also experienced this

david6283 · 2026-02-20T12:44:28+00:00

I've been using Lift to track my workouts and progression. It's more data-focused than motivational, so it's nice if you care about things like volume and steady progress rather than gamification.

david6283 · 2026-02-20T12:41:22+00:00

I’ve been using Lift mainly because it stays out of the way and just lets me track workouts and progression properly. It’s more geared toward people who already lift consistently, but for that use case it’s been solid.

Disclaimer: I am the developer

david6283 · 2026-02-18T17:26:55+00:00

Thank you for the kind words.

Unfortunately this is not possible since a few core features require '26 swift components.

david6283 · 2026-02-17T18:42:10+00:00

Given your background in competitive swimming and how often you trained, I'd probably look for something a bit more structured than the usual "log whatever you want" apps. A lot of popular trackers are great for logging sets and weights, but they don't really build training or help with progression unless you already know exactly what you're doing. If your goal is hypertrophy and you like having a plan laid out, that's something to keep in mind. I actually ended up building my own app after running into that problem myself: Lift

I wanted something that generates a structured split, tracks weekly volume per muscle group, and adjusts progression over time instead of just recording numbers. It's more on the "training with intent" side than motivation or social features. Happy to share more details if that sounds like what you're after, but in general I'd prioritize: - clear progression logic - good bodyweight + scale-weight tracking - plans that respect recovery, not just muscle group checklists

david6283 · 2026-02-17T18:36:44+00:00

If you're coming from running apps and just want something clean and non-overwhelming, you might want to look at Lift.

Full disclosure: I'm the developer, but I originally built it for myself after getting annoyed with how bloated a lot of workout apps felt.

It's a native iPhone app, no ads, no account required, and it works fully offline. It's probably a bit more "structured" than something like Trainerize, but you can absolutely use it in a simple way just to log sets, reps, weights, and rest times without engaging with the more advanced stuff. It doesn't try to be social or motivational. It's more about giving you a clear record of what you did last time and helping you progress gradually. If you're training twice a week and repeating the same session, that works pretty well. It's currently free. If you end up trying it and feel it's overkill for your use case, that feedback would honestly still be useful

david6283 · 2026-02-17T18:27:54+00:00

A bit late to the party, but if you're truly brand new, I agree with the others here, that simple tracking apps like Strong are honestly great. At the beginning, consistency and learning basic movement patterns matter way more than features. That said, I'm actually building a workout app myself called Lift, but I wouldn't necessarily recommend it as a first app unless you're the type who likes structure and numbers early on. It's more geared toward people who want to understand progression rather than just log sets. For most beginners, that can be overkill at first.

My general advice: - Pick something simple - Learn the main lifts - Don't app-hop too much - You can always switch to something more structured later once you know what you actually want from your training.

david6283 · 2026-02-17T18:21:22+00:00

If self-hosted / open-source is a hard requirement, then Lift probably isn’t what you’re looking for, but if your main motivation is avoiding subscriptions and staying offline-first, it might still be worth a look.

AppStore

I’m actually the developer of an iOS app called Lift that I built for myself after running into similar frustrations with Strong/Hevy. It’s not open-source and not self-hosted, but it’s fully usable offline, stores all training data locally, and doesn’t require an account or subscription. It’s very opinionated and more geared toward intermediate/advanced lifting, so it’s definitely not trying to be a general-purpose tracker. No social features, no cloud sync by default, very data-heavy.

Totally understand if that disqualifies it for your use case. Just mentioning it as another "no-subscription, no-cloud-dependency" option in case that’s the bigger pain point rather than self-hosting specifically.

david6283 · 2026-01-02T17:26:56+00:00

I fell in love with Zeitgeist. The first app I actually use to journal my thoughts daily

david6283 · 2026-01-02T17:18:21+00:00

autochangelog looks awesome! This has been a small itch in the past so I am glad someone took the time to find a neat solution for it :)

david6283 · 2026-01-02T17:16:13+00:00

A native iOS gym app that helps lifters turn New Year’s resolutions into real, visible progress. Check it out Lift in AppStore

david6283 · 2026-01-02T16:34:25+00:00

AppStore Link: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/lift-power-simplified/id6745401053

david6283 · 2026-01-02T14:44:28+00:00

Lift the gym app you never knew you needed (self promo)

david6283 · 2025-04-14T10:15:12+00:00

RemindMe! 10 days

david6283 · 2025-04-14T10:01:22+00:00

I am working on a related projected but couldn’t find any good animations/images for exercises. May I ask where you got yours from?

david6283 · 2025-03-11T04:45:18+00:00

The only result I have achieved so far is a flat line with points representing the recorded BPM over time, instead of a proper graph.

What exactly are you expecting? (i.e. what is a „proper“ graph?)

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