Hevy is simple to use, intuitive, incredibly reliable, and surprisingly versatile. As such, even die-hard fans of the old-fashioned workout log find Hevy the perfect digital alternative.
The team behind the app works hard to improve it by fixing bugs and introducing new features without hindering the user experience for those only interested in the basic functions.
In addition to our in-depth review of the app, we’ve put together this quick step-by-step guide to showcase how effortless it is to use Hevy in your training.
The initial Setup of Hevy
It all starts with downloading the app. Go to Google Play or the Apple App Store and download Hevy for your phone.
Once installed on your phone, you will be prompted to answer a few questions during the initial setup process.
Setting up your Hevy Pro Account
Hevy Pro has a very attractive pricing model compared to other fitness apps. This is even compared to the Strong app, which costs almost twice as much as Hevy.
But how do you go from the free to the Pro version? Simple:
- Go to the profile tab and navigate to Settings (top-right corner).
- Select Manage Subscription.
- Choose your preferred subscription offer.
- Confirm the subscription inside the App Store or Google Play.
If you want to save some money and use a discount code, you need to manage your subscription via the Hevy website.
- Visit the Hevy website and log in to your account.
- Click on ‘unlock’ from the navigation (next to the “Hevy Pro” icon).
- Select your preferred subscription offer.
- And now, enter the discount code. For example, using “HOTELGYMS” gives you a lovely 10%.
If you are an existing Hevy user and need help to apply the Discount code, reach out to us or Hevy, and we help you to get this sorted out quickly.
Of course, you can also continue with your free plan and enjoy Hevy with its generous free version.
Build your personalized Workouts with Hevy
This section will guide you through creating your workout plans, ensuring you utilize all the unique features Hevy offers.
Creating your first Workout Plan (Routines)
One of the first things you can do with Hevy is click on New Routine and create one.
Routines are pre-made workout sessions that include all the necessary details: exercises, number of sets, weight, reps or rep ranges for each set, target RPE, notes for individual exercises, set types, and rest periods.
Instead of assembling workouts from scratch each time, routines allow you to jump straight into your scheduled training without skipping a beat.
Here is what the process looks like:
- Tap ‘New Routine’
- Find exercises through the search field and add them
- Add as many sets as you want to each movement
- Mark sets by type if you want (default is normal, but you can also select warm-up, to failure, or drop set)
- Adjust the rest period on each exercise
- Name the workout
Your routine is done and saved in just a few steps. You can then select it and start logging it.
Hevy’s free version allows you to have up to four routines at a time. You will need a Hevy Pro subscription to have more than that.
Dive into the Exercise Library
Hevy features a rich library with 400+ entries for all the major muscle groups with different types of equipment. Each exercise comes with step-by-step instructions on proper form and setup, a demo animation, and info on target muscles and equipment needed.
To get ideas for new exercises, visit the exercise library in the app or the Hevy website. The website library doesn’t have all the entries, but each is in blog format with far more information about the exercise, such as tips, variations, and mistakes to avoid.
To access the exercise library from the app, head over to your profile and click on Exercises. Use the two filters (equipment and muscle targets) and search bar to find the most relevant exercises.
For instance, let’s say you have a pair of dumbbells and want to train your legs. Open a routine, scroll to the bottom, and:
- Select Add Exercise to open the library (at the bottom of the workout)
- Under All Equipment, choose dumbbells
- And under All Muscles, select the leg muscles (optional; for even more relevant results)
- Additionally, you can write a keyword like deadlift, squat, or lunge in the search bar
Additionally, you can click on any exercise in the search results or a workout you’ve opened to access a summary of your performance (e.g., heaviest weight lifted and best set/session volume load), history (how well you perform on each session), and how-to instructions to master the movement.
Explore Routines from the Library
Creating a personalized routine can be challenging. Fortunately, Hevy has you covered. The app offers the option to explore a variety of pre-made routines to simplify the process. The team recently added 26 new programs to their library.
- Open the Workout section in your app
- Then click on the Explore Workouts box
- Review the different categories
- Then go to any Routine and select to open
- To make it yours, click on Save Routine
Additionally, Hevy allows you to view routines from other users, which can inspire you when designing your training plan. Let’s delve into this feature next.
Explore Routines from the Community
Hevy has integrated the community deeply into the app, which sets it apart from apps like Strong App or Fitbod. Working out becomes much more enjoyable when interacting with your gym buddies, family, or favorite athletes.
You can follow suggested athletes from the Hevy home screen or invite your friends and family to join you. Visit their profiles to review their statistics and draw inspiration from their routines.
When you open a particular routine, there is an additional Save Routine option, which allows you to save it and try it out later.
If you prefer not to have a public workout profile, there is also a feature to make your profile completely private.
Enjoy quick and improvised Workouts on the Go
Another thing that defines Hevy as a great app is its sheer flexibility. Your routines will be your go-to for training because they save you time and remove all the guesswork.
However, individual workouts can be great while traveling or if you need help getting to the gym and must train at home or outside instead. Click Start Empty Workout and assemble a quick session with your available equipment. Thanks to the clean interface, doing so only takes a minute, and you are ready to begin.
You can also share your unique routines with the community. For instance, if you crafted a specific routine based on the equipment available at a hotel, consider adding a review on the HotelGyms.com hotel page. Doing so will assist others in staying fit while lodging at that hotel.
Track Workouts Effectively with Hevy
Progress tracking is the area where Hevy truly excels. Hevy has all the tools and neat features a lifter needs to track performance and improvements.
Analyze Your Performance
A straightforward way to analyze your performance is to head over to a recent workout or the Exercises tab under Profile, tap it, and click on one of the movements. The app will bring up a graph showing how well you have performed on that movement.
You also get info on:
- Heaviest weight – what’s the maximum you’ve lifted on that movement
- Best 1RM – the estimated amount of weight you can lift for a single rep based on your past performance
- Best set volume – highlights your best performance so far (weight used and for how many reps)
- Best session volume – a calculation of your best volume load (reps x weight x sets) so far
In one of its most recent updates, Hevy also introduced live personal records. This means that instead of waiting until the end of your workout to see if you’ve hit new PRs, the app notifies you as soon as you mark a set as complete.
For instance, if you lift a new top weight or do more reps than before, you get a banner immediately, which can be incredibly motivating to continue crushing your workout.
You can click on the banner to get an overview of your new record with information on how much more weight you’ve lifted than before and how that impacts your projected best 1RM.
Review your Statistics on Hevy
The best way to keep track of your progress is by diving into your analytics. To dive into your numbers, head to your profile and see the Statistics tab.
Once you click on it, you can see data from the last 30 days, three months, year, or all time. However, the latter two options are only available with a Hevy Pro subscription.
The statistics are cool because they put all the work you do in the gym into perspective. You can see things like:
- How many workouts have you completed
- How much total volume have you done
- Your average workout volume
- The number of reps you do per workout
- Your average workout duration
- How many recovery days do you take per week on average
- Your active streak (the number of consecutive weeks you’ve been training for)
Aside from giving you a motivational kick, seeing all that data can be a great way to understand your training better and notice potential issues with its structure. In addition, here is where you will find your one rep max calculation.
Track & Log Body Measurements
You can log all that information and see how your measurements compare with Hevy.
Gone are the days when you had to write down circumference measurements, body fat percentage, body weight, and other important fitness metrics in a notebook or note-taking app.
Simply go to your profile, click Measures, and input everything that matters to you. That’s it.
Using Hevy While Traveling
As briefly mentioned above, Hevy is a fantastic app to use while traveling. The combination of a routine library, social features, the ability to create improvised workouts (and log existing ones), and track performance makes Hevy the perfect tool.
Here’s a scenario:
You travel to a destination where you can access a basic hotel gym with some dumbbells, a bench with a barbell and some weight plates, a cable machine, and a treadmill.
Create a new routine or start an improvised workout (+ Start Empty Workout in the Workout tab) and use the filters for equipment and muscles to get ideas for relevant exercises.
Scroll through the results, add movements to the workout, and then adjust the variables:
- Add as many sets as you want for each exercise
- Mark sets by type
- Select the load and reps for each rep
- Include RPE (optional)
- Adjust the rest timer
You can also pair movements into supersets by tapping the three dots icon on the top right of each exercise. Additionally, use the custom notes to describe what you’re doing or how a certain movement feels for future reference.
Training outside or in your hotel room with no equipment (or just some basics like resistance bands and a suspension kit) is also a common scenario, and Hevy has you covered.
The process is the same, with the only difference being you must use the filters to find exercises with resistance bands, a suspension band, or no equipment (i.e., bodyweight).
Hidden Perks of Hevy
Some of Hevy’s lesser-known features include:
- Create custom exercises in case Hevy’s library does not have one or more of your favorite movements
- Train others or get coached through the new platform Hevy Coach
- Add notes to individual exercises for extra information when reviewing your performance later
- Calculate how much weight you need to add to a barbell to get your desired load with the plate calculator
- Use drop sets and supersets in your training by marking exercises in your workouts accordingly
Use the Web App
Thanks to its simple interface, the Hevy app is a pleasure to use. However, if you are not a fan of doing everything on your phone or prefer to review your data on a bigger screen, the Hevy web app has you covered.
You can go to Hevy.com, log into your profile, and gain instant access to your profile—as seen from your phone. The feed displays your most recent workouts, allowing easy access, and you can pick multiple options from the top bar: Routines, Exercises, Profile, and others.
You can assemble routines and workouts more quickly, adjust the necessary profile settings, and explore the Suggested Athletes section on the right side to connect with other users.
Final Words on Using Hevy
Logging your workouts is necessary for progress tracking. However, most solutions do not work well. They are complex to learn and take up valuable time.
Hevy is the favorite workout tool for many lifters precisely because it is simple and does not take long to figure out, especially with our helpful guide. The interface is clear of any distractions and intuitive to use. It takes just a few minutes to figure out where all the important options are and start logging your workouts like a boss.
The people behind Hevy are dedicated and consistently release updates that improve the user experience and the app’s overall reliability.
Some recent additions to the Hevy app include live syncing of your mobile and web app routines, improved exercise search usability, and the ability to retain exercise data (number of sets, weight used, etc.) when changing movements.