LiftNerd
DE Coming soon

Two trainers · Open sources · No account

Train smarter. Get more out of it.

That's what we want too. LiftNerd tells you what to aim for in every set today. When you stall, the app notices and shows you what to change. Every recommendation is explained, most of them backed by a sports science study.

Coming soon to the App Store

Targets and Coach suggestions are part of Pro. The first 14 days are free, no account needed.

Today screen: the next workout with targets for every exercise
During a workout: set 2 with 87.5 kg and 8 reps, 2 reps in reserve
  • 0accounts. Your data is yours.
  • [1]Every source is linked in the app
  • 146exercises, plus your own
  • EN · DEkg and lb, light and dark design

Where are you right now?

No more guessing, however long you've been training.

You want to get the most out of it

Years in the gym, every bit of progress hard-earned. Too much, too little, to failure or not?

Reps in reserve for every set, recovery per muscle, weekly volume against reference values, gaps in your plan made visible. And every rule comes with its reason, usually a study.

How the app plans ahead →

You're stuck

The same weights for weeks, and your app just keeps a log.

The app spots the plateau, suggests a change and tells you why. Pro

How the Coach helps →

You want to train right from the start

Not two years of trial and error. But how much weight should you use today?

The app suggests a plan based on your training days and experience, and plans more reps in reserve at the beginning. With Pro it also fills in the numbers for every set.

What a workout looks like →

During your workout

Every set has a target. Every target has a reason.

The app works out what you should manage today from your recent sessions and fills it into every set. You train, it does the thinking. Pro

  • Hit them with reps to spare? Next time the weight goes up or you add a rep. Pro
  • If a muscle hasn't recovered, the app holds your numbers instead of pushing you. Pro
  • If you're stuck, it rebuilds with a little less weight on purpose and tells you why. Pro
  • Rest timer that announces your next set, even with the screen locked. Your music keeps playing.
A workout in progress with the set, reps in reserve and rest timer

Plan before, train during

Every Monday, the Coach reviews your plan.

The Coach is part of the app. Once a week it looks at your training: which exercises are getting stronger, where are you treading water, which muscle isn't getting enough? From that it makes concrete suggestions for your plan, such as one more set or a different exercise. You decide before you train and apply a suggestion with one tap. During your workout it leaves you alone.

  • Weekly review: how many exercises are going up, holding or slipping.
  • Suggestions for sets, rep range, exercise swaps and missing exercises. Pro
  • Body map, front and back: how much does your plan train each muscle?
  • Plan a deload week with one tap when recovery falls behind. Pro
Plan tab: the Coach with the weekly review and two suggestions
Body map: hard sets per muscle and week, front and back

Recovery

See why you're tired.

The recovery battery shows which workouts are still weighing on you and when you'll be ready again. Per muscle, not just overall.

  • If you like, sleep, HRV and resting heart rate from Apple Health are included, compared with your own average.
  • It's an estimate for your training, not a diagnosis.
  • Trends for training load, sleep and HRV, plus your hardest workouts. Pro
Progress › Recovery: the battery, what is lowering it, recovery per muscle

Check it, don't just believe it

Every recommendation follows a rule. Most rules have a study behind them.

You shouldn't have to take our word for it. Tap "Rule & study" in the app and you see the rule, your own numbers and the study behind it, with a link.

  • Where no study backs a rule, the app says so and labels it "Practice".
  • All rules and sources are collected on a separate page in the app.
  • No chatbot, no black box. The suggestions follow fixed rules.
Example · Reps in reserve per set

The app plans one or two reps in reserve instead of taking every set to failure.

Your data · Barbell Bench Press
Set intensityBalanced
Sets 1 to 3RIR 2
Last setRIR 1
Study Study

On average, training to failure adds little muscle growth but takes longer to recover from. Refalo et al. 2023, 2024; Robinson et al. 2024; Morán-Navarro et al. 2017

What we stand for

Not influencers. Nerds.

To be honest, we can't offer glossy gym photos. What we can do is read studies, check rules and build an app that explains every recommendation. So we'd rather let the app convince you. Try it for two weeks and then decide.

Substance over show

Every recommendation in the app shows its rule, and most also show the study behind it, with a link. You don't have to believe us. You can read it yourself.

Honest about what we don't know

Some rules aren't backed by a study. They're based on training experience, and the app says so.

We keep at it

When research shows something new, we check our rules and adjust them. That's how the app has grown so far.

A fair price

$3.99 a month or $29.99 a year in the US, with the first 14 days free. No ads, no account, and nobody makes money from your data.

Who's behind it

Two trainers, one band, one app.

We've been making music together for over 15 years. Sport has always been our other passion. LiftNerd is where the two come together: a well-practised team and what we've learned from many years of training.

Jürgen and Diana laughing, leaning against a brick wall in the studio

Jürgen Licensed fitness trainer

Jürgen has always been on the move: running, badminton, road cycling and finally strength training. He has always cared about good gear and new technology. Today he works as a licensed fitness trainer. His search for an app that really fits his training turned into LiftNerd.

Diana Licensed fitness trainer

Diana went from running to kettlebells and learned the technique from the ground up. Later she worked as a trainer at ICAROS in Munich and developed workouts for their equipment and app. Then came strength training. Like Jürgen, she is a licensed fitness trainer. Her rule: don't just believe what has always been done, look up what research knows right now.

We've both had setbacks and injuries. That's why we train with reps in reserve, with rest and with a plan. And that's exactly how the app calculates.

From Strong or Hevy

Your workouts move with you.

You don't have to start from zero. LiftNerd brings in your past workouts from Strong or Hevy. You don't need Pro for that.

Export

Export your data as a CSV file in Strong or Hevy.

Match

The app shows which exercise goes where. When it isn't sure, it asks.

Keep training

Your history and records are there right away. In your first workout you repeat your last numbers, after that the targets progress as usual Pro

Pricing

Start for free. Go Pro when you want more.

For the first 14 days you get every Pro feature for free. Then you decide.

Free

$0
forever
  • Log workouts with weight, reps and reps in reserve
  • Rest timer with announcements, Live Activity on the lock screen
  • Progress: trend per exercise, strength standards, weekly volume per muscle
  • Recovery battery and recovery per muscle
  • Body map and the Coach's weekly review
  • Apple Health: bodyweight and workouts

Pro

$3.99 a month
or $29.99 a year · 14 days free
  • Target values with automatic progression and variation suggestions
  • Coach suggestions for your plan: sets, rep range, exercise swaps, new exercises
  • Deload week planning, load, sleep and HRV history, hardest workouts
  • Strength score history with filters
  • Exercise deep-dive: history, sets and PR breakdown
  • Muscle radar: distribution by muscle group
  • iCloud sync between your iPhones (iOS 17 or later)

US prices. The App Store shows the price for your country before you subscribe.

FAQ

Good to know

Who is behind LiftNerd?

Jürgen and Diana, two trainers who have played in a band together for over 15 years. More about us.

I've been training for years. Will the app still help me?

Especially then. The longer you train, the smaller your gains get. The app adjusts the pace of progression to your experience, measures your weekly volume per muscle against reference values and notices when an exercise stalls.

Do I need an account?

No. You open the app and train. Your data lives on your iPhone, and you can export it as a file at any time. With Pro, iCloud syncs it between your iPhones (iOS 17 or later).

Is LiftNerd available for Android?

No, it's only available for iPhone right now. You need iOS 16.6 or later.

Is the app suitable for beginners?

Yes. When you start, the app asks how often you train and how much experience you have, and suggests a suitable plan. For beginners it plans more reps in reserve per set.

Does the app replace a trainer?

No. It plans your training and explains its suggestions. If you have pain or an injury, please see a doctor or physiotherapist.

How do I cancel Pro?

Like any App Store subscription: in your iPhone's Settings, under your name › Subscriptions. Cancel during the trial and you pay nothing.

LiftNerd app icon

Your next workout already has a target.

Download LiftNerd and try everything for two weeks.

Coming soon to the App Store