Updated September 2026 · MyoAmigo
The best Apple Watch app for strength training
The best Apple Watch app for lifting weights is the one that matches your actual workout: it lets you record sets, reps, and weight without interrupting the lift; gives you a rest timer you can control; and gets the finished session where you review it later. For some people, Apple's Workout app is enough. For a set-by-set strength record, choose a lifting logger and check its Watch workflow before you commit.
That's the short version. The honest version is that "best" depends on what you actually need from the wrist, so this page walks through the criteria that matter and names where each app is the right pick.
What makes a watch app good for strength training
A running app and a lifting app want different things from a watch. For lifting, five things decide whether the app earns a place on your wrist:
- Set details. Can you record the load and reps you actually performed, rather than only the duration of a strength session?
- Phone-free workout. Can you start and finish an already-prepared routine with the phone in your bag? Check whether the app still needs the iPhone for setup or routine transfer.
- Rest control. Look for a glanceable countdown that you can extend or skip from the wrist, plus a haptic alert when it ends.
- Manual versus automatic entry. Know whether the app asks you to enter your numbers or claims to detect them. Manual entry is often the clearer record for a paused, assisted, or partial set.
- Sync path. Confirm where the session goes after training. A watch may sync to a paired phone first, while the phone handles cloud backup or a web account.
The built-in Apple Workout app
Start with what is already on your wrist. Apple documents Traditional Strength Training as a Workout type, and the Workout app is a sensible choice when you want a general activity record alongside your fitness metrics.
If your goal is simply to record that you trained, it keeps the choice simple. If your goal is to compare a bench set with the last time you benched, use a strength logger that stores load and reps for individual sets. Those are different jobs, and either can be the right choice.
If you only chase Move-ring closures and don't care about PRs or programming, the built-in app is all you need, and it's free. Honestly recommend it for that.
Strong's watch app
Strong documents an Apple Watch app for watchOS 10 or later. Its Watch workout screen lets you view and edit set values such as weight and reps, add or delete sets, and control a rest timer. It also says initial setup transfers workouts and templates from the iPhone.
That makes Strong a good fit if your routines already live there and you want to edit a planned workout from the wrist. Read its current setup and Watch support notes before choosing it, especially if you expect to build or change a full program without the phone.
Hevy's watch app
Hevy is a popular strength log with workout, routine, and performance tracking. Its current product documentation is a useful place to check its Watch availability, supported workout controls, and account/sync requirements for your region and version before you decide.
It can be the better choice if its routine workflow, performance history, or social features are the parts you value most. Do not choose any Watch logger from a comparison grid alone: install it, start a test routine, and make sure the wrist flow handles the way you log work sets and rest.
MyoAmigo—phone-free training after setup
MyoAmigo is for lifters who want the Apple Watch app to carry the active session. The paired iPhone remains part of the product: use it for setup, routine preparation, routine sync, and optional cloud sync. After that preparation, you can start the installed routine on the Watch with the phone elsewhere in the gym or at home:
- Manually log the load, reps, and effort for each set. It does not automatically detect or count reps.
- Use the rest countdown on the Watch; logging a set starts it, and you can extend or skip it with haptic notification when it ends.
- Record the session locally on the Watch without a nearby phone or internet connection.
- When the paired iPhone reconnects, sync the finished workout back to it. The iPhone, rather than the Watch, is the optional cloud-sync hub.
This is a phone-free workout workflow, not an iPhone-free product. MyoAmigo currently requires a paired iPhone running iOS 18 or later and an Apple Watch running watchOS 26 or later.
MyoAmigo is available on the App Store, alongside Strong and Hevy.
Side-by-side
| Apple Workout | Strong | Hevy | MyoAmigo | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Standalone session (phone in bag) | General workout record | See current setup requirements | Check current Watch workflow | Yes, after routine sync |
| Log sets, reps, weight | Choose a strength logger for this | ✓ | Check current Watch support | Manual load, reps, and effort |
| Rest timer on wrist | — | ✓ | Check current Watch support | Countdown with extend, skip, and haptics |
| Logging input | — | Set values on Watch | Check current Watch support | Manual set logging |
| Phone/internet-free recording | ✓ | Depends on setup | Depends on setup | Local recording; paired-iPhone sync |
| Availability | Included with Apple Watch | See current App Store terms | See current App Store terms | See current App Store terms |
So which should you pick?
Pick Apple's Workout app when a general activity record is enough. Pick Strong if its established routine and Watch workflow matches the way you train. Pick Hevy if its performance history and community fit your priorities. Pick MyoAmigo if you want to prepare the routine on a paired iPhone, then log each set's load, reps, and effort and run rest from the Watch with the phone left in your bag.
For the active-session workflow, see the Apple Watch page and the guide to an Apple Watch gym logger.
Frequently asked questions
Can the Apple Watch app work without my phone?
With MyoAmigo, yes, after a routine has been installed and synced from the paired iPhone. You can start, manually log sets, control rest, and finish from the Watch without the phone nearby or internet access. The completed session syncs back to the paired iPhone when the connection is available.
Does MyoAmigo automatically count reps?
No. You manually log the load, reps, and effort for each set. That gives you a record of what you performed instead of an estimate based on automatic motion detection.
What do I need to use MyoAmigo on Apple Watch?
You need a paired iPhone on iOS 18 or later and an Apple Watch on watchOS 26 or later. Set up MyoAmigo and sync the routine to the Watch before you train.
Which is the best Apple Watch app for strength training right now?
The right app depends on whether you need a general activity record, a phone-linked lifting plan, social features, or a phone-free active session. Test the Watch setup, set entry, rest timer, and sync flow with one routine before moving your training history.
