Herculog FAQ & Glossary
The short answers to the questions lifters ask most — how the numbers are calculated, what's safe to delete, and how your data moves between phones — followed by a plain-English glossary of every stat and term Herculog uses. For the long version of any topic, each answer links to the full guide.
General & privacy
Is Herculog the same app as MyLiftLog?
Yes. Herculog is the new name for MyLiftLog — the same app, from the same studio, updated in place. Your workout history carries over with the update, because it never left your device in the first place.
Where is my workout data stored?
Entirely on your device. Herculog uses no cloud storage, requires no account, and collects no data — your training history is yours alone. See Private by Design for the full picture, including the honest trade-offs.
Can I sync between my iPhone and iPad?
There's no live cloud sync — that's the direct consequence of storing everything on-device with no account or server. To move your data between devices, export your workouts and plans as CSV on one device and import them on the other. It's a deliberate step, not an automatic one.
How do I move everything to a new phone?
Export both files (workouts and plans) from the old phone, transfer them by AirDrop or the Files app, and import them on the new one. The Backup & Export guide walks through it step by step.
Is Herculog really free, with no ads or account?
Yes — free, no ads, no account, no data collection. It runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS 17 or later.
Logging & metrics
How is estimated 1RM calculated?
With the Epley formula: weight × (1 + reps / 30). So 100 kg for 5 reps estimates a one-rep max of about 117 kg. It's an estimate — most accurate in the 1–10 rep range and drifting high above that — and warmup sets are left out of it. The 1RM calculator lets you try any numbers, and the Metrics guide explains where it appears in the app.
Why don't warmup sets count toward my metrics?
A set you flag as a warmup is still logged, so your record stays complete — but it's excluded from every metric, volume total, and personal record. Warmups are meant to be light, so counting them would drag down your working numbers and skew your estimated 1RM. See Logging Workouts for the warmup chip.
How do I change kg to lb?
Units are set per entry, not with a global switch. Tap the Metric chip on the Add form (or in the plan editor) to flip that entry between kilograms and pounds. Summaries then display in whichever unit is the majority for the period you're viewing. More in Settings & Support.
What triggers a personal-record alert?
Two things. "🏆 New all-time PR!" fires when you beat your best-ever result for an exercise; "💪 New 3-month best!" fires for a rolling three-month best. Warmups never trigger either. The Metrics guide covers the full set of PR windows.
Can I log a workout from a past date?
Yes. The Add form has a date and time picker, so you can back-log sessions you did before installing the app or forgot to enter at the time.
Plans, import & export
Does deleting a plan delete my workout history?
No. Plans are templates. Running one logs real entries into your history, but editing or deleting the plan afterward never touches those logged entries. Delete freely — your history stays put. See Workout Plans.
Does importing overwrite my existing data?
It depends what you import. Importing workouts replaces your history — Herculog makes an automatic safety backup (herculog_backup_*.csv) first. Importing plans is additive: new plans are appended, and any plan whose name already exists is skipped. Full detail in the Backup & Export guide.
How do I get a ready-made plan without building one?
Open the Plan tab and tap Discover — a library of beginner-to-advanced programs you can preview, add, and set your own weights on. The Discover guide has the full tour.
Can I build a plan on my computer?
Yes. The free Plan Builder runs in your browser — lay out exercises, sets, reps, weights, and RPE targets, download the CSV, and import it on your phone. Nothing is uploaded; it all runs client-side.
Glossary
Every stat and term you'll meet in Herculog, in one place.
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Set-group | One logged item: a single exercise at N sets × reps × weight, with a date and time. The unit Herculog logs in. |
| Volume (Vol) | Total work: sets × reps × weight, summed across everything in the period. The headline measure of how much you did. |
| Efficiency (Eff/min) | Volume per minute — total volume divided by the time span of the session. A rough gauge of workout density. |
| Time | For a day, the span from the first logged set to the last. Not a stopwatch — it's inferred from your entries' timestamps. |
| RPE | Rate of Perceived Exertion — a 1–10 rating of how hard a set felt, where 10 is all-out and 8 is roughly two reps from failure. Full guide. |
| 1RM (estimated) | Your projected one-rep max, computed with the Epley formula, weight × (1 + reps / 30). An estimate, not a tested max; warmups excluded. |
| Max Wt | The heaviest weight you lifted for an exercise in a window, regardless of reps. |
| Best 1RM | The highest estimated 1RM you reached for an exercise in a window. |
| PR window | The time frame a personal record is measured over: 3M, 6M, 1Y, or Lifetime. Records are always all-time within their window. |
| Warmup | A set flagged as preparatory. Logged for completeness but excluded from all metrics and PRs. |
| Laterality | Whether a movement is bilateral (both limbs together, like a barbell squat) or unilateral (one limb at a time, like a single-arm row). |
| Muscle group | The body region an exercise targets — Core, Chest, Back, Legs, Arms, or Shoulders. Auto-filled for known exercises; used by the muscle-split radar. |
| Day / Week streak | Consecutive days (or weeks) in which you logged at least one workout. Resets when you miss. |
| Progressive overload | The gradual increase in demand — usually weight or reps — that drives strength gains over time. Full guide. |
If your question isn't here, the workshop reads every letter — reach out through Support, or suggest and vote on improvements at Feature Requests. Mentioning your app version (found in the Settings footer) helps.
Every legend keeps a log
Answers are good; reps are better. Download Herculog and start your own log — private, ad-free, and yours alone.