Frequently asked questions

How can we help you?

Working out

How do I start a workout? How do I log a workout?

GymBook does not have something like a button to start a workout. Instead, workouts are started implicitly by starting to log sets.
To start logging a workout, select the workout you want to perform from within the Workouts screen. Afterwards, select any exercise to enter the workout and start logging it by tapping on the set and saving your first log.

What are the most important elements within a workout?

The image below shows an overview of the most important elements while working out with GymBook.

What are the most important elements within a workout?-0

How do I complete a workout?

Also for completing a workout, GymBook does not have something like a button. Instead, as soon as you have logged your last set, GymBook will prompt you to complete the workout and check out the summary.

I would like to complete a workout without logging all sets.

To complete a workout with some unfinished sets, you can skip your remaining sets. To skip a set, select it and tap on the skip button (the icon with the arrow jumping over the dot).
Alternatively, you can also skip all remaining sets at once. To do so, from within the workout screen where you see the exercises, tap on the skip remaining button (the icon with the checkmark in a dashed circle on the top right).

I would like to add notes to a logged set/log.

You can add notes to any log during your workout. To do so, hold your finger on an existing log. To edit or delete these notes, you can do it the same way by holding your finger on an existing log that contains notes.

When does the assisted move to the next exercise apply?

If the exercises are in a group, GymBook moves automatically to the next exercise (within the same group) after each set - until there are no pending sets in the group, in which case GymBook moves automatically to the next exercise in the next group.
If the exercises are not in a group, GymBook moves automatically to the next exercise only after all sets.

I have completed a workout and would like to repeat it. How do I clear/reset/restart it?

You don't need to actively reset a workout in GymBook. Your workout will be cleared automatically on the following day. This is because logs in GymBook are strongly linked to a date. So on any date where there are no logs, the workout will be empty.

Is it possible to log a workout from the past?

You can change the date of the workout you want to log from within a workout. To do so, open a workout as you always do when you want to log it, tap on Today and select the desired date.
Please notice that, for convenience, if you leave the workout and enter it again afterwards, the date will automatically be set to the current date.

How can I log time based strength exercises?

You can change the unit from x to either min, or sec,.

I'm logging time based strength exercises, now I see stuff like 8 x (≙ 32.00'') in my graphs.

As soon as you want to see a graph that contains both repetition based strength exercises as well as time based strength exercises, GymBook has to normalize the logs of the graph so that they have a common unit. To do that, GymBook normalizes time based logs by estimating that it takes you four seconds to perform one repetition (1 repetition ≙ 4 seconds).
Below some examples on how GymBook would - only for the sake of showing them in a graph - normalize the logs:
- 32'', 2.00 lb > 8 x 2.00 lb (8 repetitions ≙ 32 seconds)
- 1', 0.00 kg > 15 x 0.00 kg (15 repetitions ≙ 1 minute)
- 12 x, 10.00 kg > 12 x 10.00 kg (no normalization needed)
By the way: this is also how GymBook calculates the Heat Map of a workout that contains both repetition based and time based sets or logs. In addition, this logic is also applied when calculating the total weight lifted in time based logs (which is only applicable if the weight is not 0.00 of course).

Timer

GymBook supports a primary and a secondary timer. How am I supposed to use those timers?

The primary timer is supposed to be used as rest timer between sets (for example it can be setup to start automatically after logging a set). The secondary timer can be used however you want. Some users use it for longer rests (for example after a hard set), while other users use it for stretching or timed exercises. Of course you can also use the primary timer however you want.

The timer is not working.

If the timer is not working, there are several things you can check:
1. Please make sure that Notifications are enabled for GymBook (SettingsNotificationsGymBook).
2. Please make sure that your device is not on Do Not Disturb mode (or see below how to enable notifications for such cases).
3. Please make sure that your device is not on mute and the volume is loud enough.
4. If you are listening to music, please make sure that the volume of the timer is loud enough (see below how to adjust the volume of your timer, you might need to pause your music first).

The timer is too loud or the timer is not loud enough.

The timer currently uses the volume of the ringer of your device. You can adjust the volume of the ringer - and therefore of your timer - using the standard volume controls (it should say Ringer when you adjust the volume). Please note that this applies only if you have enabled the iOS option Change with Buttons (SettingsSounds & HapticsRinger and alerts). If this option is not enabled, the volume is not changeable and defaults to the standard volume.

How can I use the timer with Do Not Disturb turned on?

On iOS 15+, you can allow notifications from GymBook, even while you are on Do Not Disturb mode. To do so, go to SettingsFocusAllowed notificationsAppsAdd and select GymBook.

Workouts

How do I create a workout?

From within the Workouts screen, tap on the edit icon (the pencil icon on the top right) and then on +.

How do I adjust a workout?

From within the Workouts screen, tap on the edit icon (the pencil icon on the top right) and then on the workout you want to adjust.

How do I add exercises to a workout or modify the existing exercises inside a workout?

From within the Workouts screen, tap on a workout to see the workout's exercises. On the following screen, tap on the edit icon (the pencil icon on the top right). Afterwards, you can either add exercises by tapping on +, or edit existing exercises by tapping on an exercise.

How can I create supersets?

The way you can configure supersets in GymBook is by adding the exercises (and their sets) you want to have in a superset into the same group. For example, if you have the exercise Dumbbell Bench Presses with 3 sets and the exercise Incline Dumbbell Curls with 3 sets in the same group IV, GymBook considers this a superset IV (the name of the group is not relevant) and expects you to perform the sets in the following sequence:
1. Dumbbell Bench Presses, Set 1
2. Incline Dumbbell Curls, Set 1
3. Dumbbell Bench Presses, Set 2
4. Incline Dumbbell Curls, Set 2
5. Dumbbell Bench Presses, Set 3
6. Incline Dumbbell Curls, Set 3

A quick way of grouping multiple exercises at once is by using the group icon (the chain icon on the top left) and then selecting the exercises you want to group together.

What's the deal with warm up and cool down sets?

Warm up and cool down sets differ from the standard sets as they are not included in graphical statistics (line graphs or doughnut charts), in heat maps or in workout summaries.

Can I share my workout with someone else?

Yes! You can share a workout by going to the workout's detail screen (by tapping on i next to the workout's name) and then tapping on the export icon on the top right.

How do I import a shared workout?

1. On the device where you want to import the workout, make sure that GymBook is installed.
2. Tap on the GymBook database file (typically a file named something like GymBook-Backup-2023-12-12.database), and your OS will prompt you to choose the app to open it with.
3. Choose GymBook from the list of available options.

It's important to notice that, depending on the app you are using for sharing, sometimes the GymBook database file is not sent (for example, some messengers do not add the database file). Using email has been shown to work reliably, although the easiest way to do it is by using AirDrop.

How do I duplicate a workout?

You can duplicate a workout by swiping right on it and selecting Duplicate (from within the Workouts screen).

How do I archive/unarchive a workout?

You can archive your workouts from within the Workouts screen by swiping left and selecting Archive.
To unarchive your workouts, go to the Archived Workouts screen (by tapping the archive icon on the top right of the Workouts screen). From there you can swipe left on a workout and select Unarchive.

How do I delete a workout?

You can delete workouts from within the Workouts screen. The easiest way to do this is to swipe left on a workout and to tap on Delete.

Exercises

How do I create an exercise?

From within the Exercises screen, select any target region or All, then tap on the edit icon (the pencil icon on the top right) and then on +.

Can I search an exercise by name? Can I filter my exercises?

Yes, from within the Exercises screen, while the list of the exercises is at the top, drag the list down. A search field will appear. You can, for example, filter out all dumbbell exercises by typing in dumbbell.
This also works, on a similar way, when selecting exercises for a workout. There, you additionally also have the option to filter by region.

How do I adjust an exercise?

From within the Exercises screen, select any target region or All, then tap on the edit icon (the pencil icon on the top right) and then on the exercise you want to adjust.

How do I delete an exercise?

You can delete exercises (the ones you created yourself) from within the Exercises screen. The easiest way to do this is to swipe left on an exercise and to tap on Delete.
Important: Deleting an exercise removes the exercise from all the workouts and deletes all logs of it!

How do I duplicate an exercise?

You can duplicate an exercise by swiping right on it and selecting Duplicate (from within the Exercises screen).

How do I archive/unarchive an exercise?

You can archive any exercise from within the Exercises screen by swiping left and selecting Archive.
To unarchive an exercise, go to the Archived Exercises screen (by tapping the archive icon on the top right of the Exercises screen). From there you can swipe left on an exercise and select Unarchive.

Can I request more exercises?

Of course! Simply send us an email with the exercises you'd like. We'll add them to our list and will consider them for future releases.
Please notice that every single exercise request is considered, and when it comes to deciding which exercise we add next, we consider many different factors, such as the number of times the exercise was requested or the complexity of the exercise (some exercises are easier to draw than others). In addition, we also have to balance requests for new exercises with other feature requests, app improvements and bugfixes.

Why are the stretching exercises named the way they are?

Stretching exercises do not have common names, and it can be difficult to define consistent naming conventions. To name our stretches, we considered various sources such as books and online resources. Our approach was to ensure that the stretches could be easily distinguished from strength and cardio exercises and to provide a rough indication of the movement without redundancies such as the muscle targeted (which is shown separately).

Logs

How do I delete a log?

You can delete logs from within the Logs screen. The easiest way to do this is to swipe left on a log and to tap on Delete.
You can also delete logs during your workout. To delete a logged set, select it and tap on the delete button (the icon with the trash bin on the top right).

How do I transfer logs from a custom exercise to a non-custom exercise?

Since the catalog of exercises is being extended periodically, one of your custom exercises (exercises you created yourself) could at some point be available as a non-custom exercise, including its animation. In such cases, you might want to switch to that one rather than keep using the one you created (although it's perfectly fine to leave it as it is if you prefer).
Although transferring logs between exercises is not supported yet, there is a very simple workaround that consists of using the image of the non-custom exercise in your custom one and archiving the non-custom exercise:
1. From within the Exercises screen, go to your custom exercise, then tap on the edit icon (the pencil icon on the top right) and then on your custom exercise.
2. From within the exercise's editing screen, tap on the image. Afterwards, select the image you want to use for your custom exercises (typically, the image of the newly added non-custom exercise).
3. Tap on Save and the following screen on Done.
4. Go to the newly added non-custom exercise and archive it by swiping left and selecting Archive.

GymBook for Apple Watch

I cannot install GymBook for Apple Watch.

To install GymBook for Apple Watch, you need to have watchOS 5.0 or later installed on your Apple Watch.

I'm unable to see the workouts on GymBook for Apple Watch. I'm unable to synchronize the data on my iPhone with my Apple Watch.

Unfortunately, it can happen that the communication between your iPhone and your Apple Watch gets messed up. If this happens, there are several things you can try:
1. While GymBook on your iPhone and GymBook on your Apple Watch are open and you see the glowing circles:
  - Please make sure that your iPhone and your Apple Watch can communicate (i.e. that Apple Watch has been correctly paired with your iPhone, that Bluetooth is activated etc.).
  - Please try bringing GymBook for Apple Watch to the background and then back to the foreground (press the digital crown and then select GymBook for Apple Watch again).
  - Please try reordering your workouts on your iPhone (this usually also triggers a data update).
2. If everything under 1. is not helping, you could try force restarting GymBook for Apple Watch. To do so, press and hold the side button of your Apple Watch until you see the power down menu of the Apple Watch. Afterwards, press and hold the digital crown of your Apple Watch again until you see the home screen. Now you can do a clean restart of GymBook for Apple Watch by tapping the icon.
3. If force restarting is not helping as well, try to uninstall and then reinstall GymBook for Apple Watch (this last step usually does the trick).

Why does GymBook for Apple Watch start a workout session?

GymBook for Apple Watch starts a workout session of the type Traditional Strength Training on your Apple Watch, as soon as you enter a workout (when you select any workout from within the Workouts screen) and stops it, as soon as you leave it (when you return to the Workouts screen, which will happen automatically if you complete the workout). Besides the general benefits of having a running workout session on your Apple Watch, this also allows GymBook for Apple Watch to stay in the foreground during your workout, to display your heart rate and to fire the timer in the background.

I want to start my own workout session but GymBook for Apple Watch keeps stopping it.

The workout session started by GymBook for Apple Watch stops any previously running workout session on your Apple Watch, because watchOS does not allow multiple workout sessions at the same time.
You can choose to not start a workout session automatically by disabling it in GymBook for Apple Watch (SettingsAutomatic workout session). Please notice that this will limit some functionalities of GymBook for Apple Watch (like staying in the foreground, displaying your heart rate or firing the timer in the background).

Does GymBook calculate calories?

Calorie calculations are done directly by Apple's watchOS, if you use GymBook for Apple Watch. The workout session started by GymBook for Apple Watch (or the one that has been manually started by you) calculates calories independently of GymBook and saves them in the Health app. GymBook then reads them and associates them with your workout at the end of the workout.

The calories associated to the workout don't seem right.

It can happen that your Apple Watch saves the burned calories into the Health app after GymBook adds the workout to it (in which case the workout would not have the correct calories associated to it). If this happens, you can try deleting the workout from the Health app (but not the data, otherwise you would also delete the calories!) and then add it again (by opening the summary of your completed workout on GymBook).

Health app integration

Does GymBook integrate with the Health app?

Yes! Both completed workouts (with date, start time, end time, duration, name and optionally active calories and heart rates) as well as some body measurements (weight, height, body fat percentage and waist circumference) are synced with the Health app.

How do I save a completed workout to the Health app?

Whenever you complete a workout and see the workout completion screen (or you confirm the completion of a workout on GymBook for Apple Watch by tapping on End and open GymBook on your iPhone afterwards), your workout will be saved to the Health app.

How do I save a body measurement to the Health app?

Whenever you save (add or update) one of the body measurements supported by the Health app, that body measurement will also be synced with the Health app.

No data or only some of the data is being synced with the Health app.

Please make sure that GymBook is authorized to access all the health data types it needs by checking the permissions in the Health app under SourcesGymBook (you can tap on Turn All Categories On if that's not the case).

I have data from other apps or manually entered data in the Health app. How can I see this data within GymBook?

Right now, GymBook does not consider data in Health app that originates from other apps or that has been entered manually. This is mainly because this data would only be readable by GymBook and not editable (due to constraints from iOS). Nevertheless, we are thinking of other options to display that data and we'll try to consider this for future releases.

In-app purchases

Are the in-app purchases one-time payments?

Yes! All in-app purchases, so all packages and all features, are one-time payments. There are no subscription-based purchases in GymBook.

Which exercises do I get with the Exercises+ feature?

You can get a list of all additional exercises inside the Exercises+ feature by going to the GymBook Store (by tapping on the top right icon on the Settings screen) and tapping on Exercises+ and then on More.

I have previously bought a GymBook package or feature, but I don't see it on my other device.

If you are using the same Apple ID that you used when you purchased the package or feature, you can restore your purchases by going to the GymBook Store (by tapping on the top right icon on the Settings screen) and tapping on Restore.
The same also applies if you have a new device or had to reset your old device.

Various

How do I sync data between my iPhone and my iPad?

Syncing between devices can be done via the Cloud feature, which uses iCloud. On your iPhone, simply go to Settings and select Back up now. On your iPad, go to Settings again and select Restore, and then select the backup (from your iPhone) that you want to restore.

What does 1RM mean?

1RM stands for one-repetition maximum. Enabling Show 1RM will show the 1RM of a particular set or log at various places, for example below the set's target or below the log during a workout, or next to a set when adding or editing an execise within a workout.
GymBook calculates the 1RM based on the Epley formula: 1RM = weight * (1 + (repetitions / 30)).

Is there a GymBook app for Android?

Unfortunately not. As of today, GymBook is an iOS-only app.

I have requested a feature, why isn't it released yet?

We are working hard on improving GymBook and every single user request is considered. When it comes to deciding what to build next, we consider many different factors, such as the number of times the feature was requested or the complexity/maintainability of the feature.
We are extremely passionate about GymBook and want to continuously improve it, in order to provide the best possible experience to our users. Hence, we are listening to our users and are rigorously following our feature request list.

Does GymBook integrate with Strava?

Kind of... Strava integration is currently available in a closed Beta phase, where you can connect GymBook to Strava. When connected, GymBook will save all completed workouts to Strava as well (including a long summary).
If you are interested to join the Strava Beta phase, please feel free to get in touch with us. We'll be happy to enable Strava for you.

Which OS versions does GymBook support?

GymBook will always be fully supported on the two newest iOS and iPadOS versions, and often during transition phases even on the three newest versions. Supporting more OS versions leads to an exponential growth of complexity, which is unfortunately very difficult to manage. In addition, to be able to fully take advantage of the newest OS features, sometimes dropping support for an older OS is unavoidable. Here, we rely on Apple supporting their new OS versions on as many devices as possible.
Nevertheless, regardless of your OS version, you will always be able to run the latest GymBook version that works on your OS. And because these versions are not being updated anymore, they are subjected to longer test phases to ensure maximum stability of the app.

Known issues

When I reached midnight during my workout, my workout restarted (Midnight issue).

Unfortunately, GymBook is not designed for being used over midnight yet. All logs are strongly linked to a date, and a workout is supposed to be completed on a date. Your progress has not disappeared though, it is just under a different date (you can verify this by checking in the Logs screen or by changing the date inside the Workout screen). We are working on a solution, but unfortunately, it is not so trivial (the automatic start and stop of the workouts are based on this principle, for example).

For the time being, until we can fix this issue (unfortunately, fixing it is quite complicated), we can offer two potential workarounds:
A. You can change the system time of your device before you start working out so that the workout does not go over midnight.
B. You can change the date on the Training screen and set it back to yesterday (by tapping Today in the upper left and then selecting Yesterday). However, this option will then result in incorrect training times in the summary. But on the turn side, you don't have to change anything in the system times of your device for that.

My graphs and completed workouts suddenly show no data (Timezone bug).

In most cases, this issue is related to logging workouts in different time zones. Unfortunately, GymBook has issues in such cases. We are working on a fix, but it won’t happen overnight (it’s quite a complex one). In these cases, you can rest assured though that your logs are not lost, they are just not being shown in the line graphs, in the workout completion screens, or when accessing them by date (which is not optimal, of course, but not as bad as losing the logs forever). You can always still access them from within the Logs screen by accessing them By exercise or By workout.

For now, as a workaround, you could make sure that GymBook is always being used in the same timezone while logging a workout. So next time you are in a different time zone, you could manually switch your device to your home timezone before your training, and switch back to the automatic timezone after completing it.

Contact us

We are sorry that our FAQ did not answer your question. Please reach out to us and we'll try to answer as quickly as we can.

If you are experiencing a problem, please try to describe it as precisely as possible. After which actions does the issue occur exactly? Does GymBook crash? Can you attach a screenshot or even a video that shows the problem? Can you forward us a backup database file? What iOS, iPadOS, or watchOS version are you using? Which device are you using? The more information you provide, the easier it is for us to reproduce and fix the issue.

support@gymbookapp.com