Easy to track your reps and your progress. Great beginner program so far. Weights it starts you at was a bit low to me, but it probably depends on your fitness/strength level to begin with. I started with weight a bit higher than it recommended, as what it recommended wasn't a challenge, and i wanted it to be at least a little hard to begin with.
The app is simple and effective. I've started hitting a plateau in some exercises, and adding every workout is definitely not the norm anymore. I'll see if the app helps keep me on track! My only suggestion, would be if the workout showed the overall time of each workout. As the weight goes up, I'm taking full rest periods. It would be nice to see a record of time rather than adding it in the notes.
1 year update: this app is awesome! I have never been stronger and it's the 5x5 program and the app tracking that have helped me avoid all the issues that used to derail my lifting. 1 month in and loving the app. My Achilles heel when starting new workout programs is tracking, but the built in calendar keeps me honest about when I last worked out, and it tells me what weight I am at every time, so no more trying to remember what weight to load on the bar when I forgot to write it down from the workout before. I hope to squat 300 lbs in 1 year, and I think this app is going to be the difference maker!
Its a good app for tracking a simple but effect workout. You dont have to have a lot of experience in the gym to figure this system out, or even any experience. 5 exercises, 5 sets, 5 reps. Easy. The only thing keeping this from a 5 star is the lack of warm up assitance without paying to unlock, but in all fairness that might just be me being a cheapass. Great app, great workout.
Great app for beginning or even intermediate weight lifters. Sticks to the basic but very functional and full body movements with a heavy barbell. I like that you can add additional exercises. Begins easy but not for the faint of heart once the progressive overload gets up there. Be careful, take your time, and ONLY progress when you have proper/good form. It's ok to have form issues while you go up as no set will be "perfect". But if you really break form don't go up or you risk injury.
TLDR: Takes the guesswork out of strength training and what to do in the gym. Best fitness $$ I've spent this year. I wouldn't bother with the free version though. Took ten years off from strength training. I was looking for a sensible routine and discovered lots of people like this program. Whole experience has been excellent. Incorporates a tried and true model for progression and includes loads of customization option in the pro version. Sign up for his daily emails. They're excellent!
I've used this app for nearly 10 years, and recently, it went to a paid model. The paid features the app initially offered a few years ago were of no use to me, so I ignored them. Now, the 5 star app I've been using to track everything has unexpectedly gone to a fully paid model, and there's no way to access my old information or anything unless I pay the fee. It would have been nice for a heads up or a warning that 10 years of lifting data would be held hostage. Find another app, or get a pen.
Basic. Therefore effective, I like how it gives you a low recommended start weight. I feel this makes it tunable to the very beginner level strength training initiate. You can also change the weight if you are more advanced. I do wish there was an exercise or two that work the hinge type movenent of the biceps and triceps specifically. I feel this is an important and neccesary strength to have and would make this program more "holistic". I like it!
I used this app to become the strongest I've ever been, in my mid 30s. It's so easy to use the app and follow the protocols, even for complete beginners, even with only a few hours available a week, but it also leaves space for diving in deep. I highly recommend watching the video instructions, printing the cheat sheets for each workout from the site, and adding notes as you get better at the forms. The app also keeps getting better and better, but I wish there was a Wear OS app again.
I've used this for app for years. I paid for one of the earlier power packs to use it ad free. This new update sucks. I don't need all the reminders; I don't need all the data collection; I don't need to pay for a subscription. The new update ruined this for me. EDIT: Since the developer responded as if I should be grovelling at their feet to pay a subscription to, I downloaded "5x5 Workout." Completely free and a better app. I uninstalled this garbage and wish I did it earlier.
