How to use LiftUr

How to Use LiftUr: Build Workouts, Blocks, and Training Plans

A complete guide to creating structured training programs in LiftUr—from single workouts to fully periodized plans.

Getting Started with LiftUr

LiftUr is built around three core routine building features: Workouts, Blocks, and Plans. Think of them as a hierarchy:

  - Workouts are individual training sessions

  - Blocks are multi-week training cycles made up of scheduled workouts

  - Plans combine blocks and workouts into complete periodized programs

Once you're training, LiftUr's Calendar, Goals, and Charts help you stay on track and visualize your progress.

This guide walks you through everything—from your first workout to analyzing your long-term gains.

Part 1: Building Workouts

Workouts are the foundation of everything in LiftUr. Every block and plan is made up of individual workouts, so let's start here.

How to Create a Workout in LiftUr

  1. Navigate to the Workouts tab and tap Create Workout

  2. Add a name and description

    - Give your workout a clear name (e.g., "Upper Body A" or "Heavy Squat Day")

    - Add an optional description for notes about the session's focus

  3. Choose tracking settings

    - Decide if you want the workout to be tracked

    - Tracked workouts appear in your volume calculations, progress charts, and training heatmap

    - Untracked workouts are useful for warm-ups, mobility sessions, or experimental days

  4. Add exercises

    - Browse the 225+ exercise library or create custom exercises

    - Filter by muscle group or equipment to find what you need

  5. Configure each exercise

    - Set your target sets, reps, weight, and rest time

    - Switch between reps and time-based tracking for exercises like planks or carries

    - Change weight types for bodyweight movements or weighted variations

  6. Set up advanced options (via the three-dot menu)

    - Drop sets: Automatically calculate descending weights

    - Ascending sets: Set up pyramid training with increasing weights

    - Supersets and circuits: Group multiple exercises to perform back-to-back

    - Disable progression tracking: Turn off smart suggestions for specific exercises (useful for rehab work or accessories)

  7. Save your workout

    - Once saved, you can start it anytime from the Workouts tab

    - Or add it to blocks and plans for scheduled training

Part 2: Creating Training Blocks

Blocks are what set LiftUr apart from basic workout trackers. A block is a multi-week training cycle with workouts assigned to specific days—perfect for organizing training phases like accumulation, intensification, or peaking.

How to Create a Block in LiftUr

  1. Start with your workouts ready

    - Build the individual workouts you'll use in the block first

    - You can always add more later, but it's easier to plan with workouts prepared

  2. Create a new block

    - Navigate to the Blocks tab and tap Create Block

    - Give it a name (e.g., "Hypertrophy Block" or "Meet Prep Week 1-4")

    - Add an optional description

  3. Set the block length

    - Choose how many weeks your block will cover

    - Can select from 1 to 4 weeks

  4. Assign workouts to days

    - For each week in your block, assign workouts to specific days

    - Tap a day to select which workout goes there

    - You can assign different workouts to the same day across different weeks for progressive variation

  5. Schedule workout times (optional)

    - Set specific times for individual workouts

    - Or batch schedule: set all Monday workouts for 9:00 AM, all Tuesday workouts for 5:00 PM, etc.

    - Time scheduling enables more precise notifications

  6. Configure deloads

    - Deloading reduces weight by a specified percentage while maintaining the workout structure

    - Perfect for peaking cycles before competition or giving muscles recovery time while staying active

    - Set deloads for entire weeks or specific workouts

  7. Activate or add to a plan

    - Activate standalone: The block appears in your calendar and repeats continuously

    - Add to a plan: Use the block as a modular component in a larger periodized program

Part 3: Building Complete Training Plans

Plans are LiftUr's most powerful feature. A plan combines blocks and individual workouts into a complete, scheduled program—whether that's an 8-week strength cycle or a 16-week meet prep.

How to Create a Plan in LiftUr

  1. Create a new plan

    - Navigate to the Plans tab and tap Create Plan

    - Name your plan and add a description of the training phase or goal

  2. Add blocks and workouts

    - Combine your pre-built blocks into a sequence

    - Add individual workouts for testing days, deload sessions, or one-off training

    - Arrange everything in the order you want to follow

  3. Activate your plan

    - Once activated, your entire schedule populates your calendar

    - Each workout appears on its assigned day with all the details

  4. Set up notifications

    - Enable reminders for workout days

    - If you scheduled specific times, notifications will remind you at those times

    - Never miss a scheduled session

  5. Train and track completion

    - Completing workouts checks them off on your calendar

    - LiftUr's smart streak tracker recognizes your scheduled rest days

    - Your streak won't break on planned recovery days—only missed training days

Part 4: Using the Calendar

The Calendar is your command center for seeing what's scheduled, what's completed, and what's coming up.

How the Calendar Works

  1. Navigate to the Calendar tab

    - The default view shows your current week

    - Tap left or right to move between weeks

  2. Switch between views

    - Weekly view: See 7 days at a glance with detailed workout cards

    - Monthly view: Get a broader overview and jump to any date

    - Toggle between views with the buttons at the top

  3. Understanding the day cards

    - Scheduled workouts appear with their name and time (if set)

    - Completed workouts show a green checkmark

    - Rest days are clearly marked with no workouts scheduled

    - Deload weeks display a special indicator with the reduction percentage

    - Today is highlighted with a badge

  4. Tap any day to see details

    - View all workouts scheduled for that day

    - See completed workout details: exercises, sets, reps, weights, and duration

    - Multiple workouts per day are fully supported

  5. Start workouts from the calendar

    - Tap Start Workout to begin a scheduled session

    - Or start a quick freestyle workout on any day

    - If you have a workout in progress, LiftUr will ask if you want to continue it or start fresh

  6. Workout recovery

    - If the app closes mid-workout, LiftUr saves your progress automatically

    - Next time you open the app, you'll get a prompt to continue or discard the session

  What the Calendar Shows

  - Active plan schedule: All workouts from your current plan appear automatically

  - Standalone block schedule: If running a block without a plan, it repeats on your calendar

  - Completed workouts: Both scheduled completions and freestyle "quick workouts"

  - Workout times: If you scheduled specific times, they appear on each workout card

Part 5: Setting and Tracking Goals

Goals help you train with purpose. LiftUr supports multiple goal types that automatically track your progress based on actual workout data.

  Types of Goals You Can Create

  1. Strength Goals (1RM)

    - Track your one-rep max for any exercise

    - LiftUr calculates your current 1RM automatically from recent workout data

    - Great for chasing specific numbers (e.g., 315 lb squat, 225 lb bench)

  2. Body Weight Goals

    - Track weight gain or loss

    - Direction is auto-detected based on your starting and target weight

    - Integrates with the body weight logging system

  3. Volume Goals

    - Track total weight lifted per week

    - Automatically calculated from your completed workouts

    - Perfect for hypertrophy phases where volume drives progress

  4. Frequency Goals

    - Track workouts per week

    - Set a target like 4 workouts/week and watch your consistency

    - Recalculates automatically as you complete sessions

  5. Body Measurement Goals

    - Track specific measurements (chest, waist, arms, etc.)

    - Set targets in inches or centimeters

How to Create a Goal

  1. Go to the Goals tab and tap Create Goal

  2. Select a goal type from the grid

  3. Enter your goal details:

  - select the exercise from the searchable list

  4. Save and start tracking Or let the auto goal feature start goals for you)

Tracking Your Progress

  - Progress bars show how close you are to each goal

  - Current vs. Target displays your live numbers (e.g., "185 / 225 lbs")

  - Remaining calculation shows exactly what's left (e.g., "40 lbs to go")

  - Live updates: Strength and volume goals recalculate automatically from your workout data—no manual entry needed

When You Hit a Goal

  - A "Goal Achieved!" badge appears when you reach 100%

  - Tap Maintain Goal to lock your achievement

    - The goal moves to maintenance mode

    - LiftUr will alert you if performance drops more than 10% below your maintained level

    - Set a new target anytime to exit maintenance and chase new numbers

Part 6: Viewing Your Progress with Charts

LiftUr's Charts give you a visual breakdown of your training over time. See trends, identify patterns, and make sure your programming is actually working.

Available Charts

  1. Volume Chart

    - Total weight lifted per session or averaged weekly

    - See if your training volume is trending up, down, or stable

  2. Strength Chart

    - Similar to the volume chart, but designed to put more weight on heavier lifts with fewer reps.

    - Toggle between total strength and compound-only view

    - Track your overall strength progression

  3. 1RM Progression Chart

    - Select any specific exercise

    - See your estimated 1RM over time for that movement

    - Overlay your goal target to visualize the gap

  4. Body Weight Chart

    - Weight trend over time from your logged measurements

    - Overlay body weight goals to track cut or bulk progress

  5. Muscle Heatmap

    - Visual map showing volume per muscle group

    - Identify imbalances in your training

    - Make sure you're not neglecting any muscle groups

Configuring Your Charts

  1. Select a time range

    - Week: Last 7 days

    - Month: Last 30 days

    - Year: Last 365 days

    - All Time: Your complete training history

    - Switch instantly—all data is pre-loaded

  2. Toggle view modes

    - Session view: Each data point is one workout

    - Weekly view: Data averaged per week for smoother trends

  3. Overlay your goals

    - Turn on goal overlay to see target lines on relevant charts

    - Visualize how close you are to hitting your 1RM or body weight goals

  4. Filter by exercise type

    - On the Strength chart, toggle between all exercises and compound lifts only

    - Focus on what matters most for your goals

  Quick Stats

  Underneath the charts, you'll see three key metrics:

  - Total Workouts: Count of sessions in the selected time period

  - Total Volume: Sum of all weight lifted

  - Avg Workouts/Week: Your training frequency

  Additional Tools on the Progress Screen

  - PR Summary: See total PRs, recent PRs this month, and which exercises you've set records on

  - Body Weight Tracker: Quick input to log your current weight

  - 1RM Calculator: Enter weight and reps to calculate your estimated one-rep max (or work backwards from a target 1RM)

Putting It All Together: Example Workflow

Here's how a typical LiftUr setup might look for a powerlifter running a 12-week meet prep:

  Step 1: Build Your Workouts

  - Squat Day (Heavy)

  - Bench Day (Heavy)

  - Deadlift Day (Heavy)

  - Upper Accessories

  - Lower Accessories

  Step 2: Create Your Blocks

  - Accumulation Block (4 weeks): Higher volume, moderate intensity

  - Intensification Block (4 weeks): Lower volume, higher intensity

  - Peaking Block (3 weeks): Competition prep with built-in deloads

  - Meet Week: Openers only, scheduled for specific days

  Step 3: Build Your Plan

  - Combine all four blocks in sequence

  - Add a testing workout at the end of accumulation

  - Activate and let LiftUr manage your calendar

  Step 4: Set Your Goals

  - Create 1RM goals for squat, bench, and deadlift

  - Set targets based on your competition attempts

  Step 5: Track Progress

  - Check the calendar daily to see what's scheduled

  - Review charts weekly to confirm volume and strength are trending correctly

  - Watch your 1RM progression charts as you peak

  Result: A fully periodized 12-week program with scheduled workouts, automatic deloads, smart streak tracking, and visual progress tracking toward your meet goals.

Tips for Getting the Most Out of LiftUr

Start Simple

You don't need to build a 16-week periodized plan on day one. Start with a few workouts, run them for a few weeks, then organize them into a block when you're ready.

Use Untracked Workouts Strategically

Warm-up routines, mobility sessions, and "just messing around" days can be logged without affecting your volume metrics or progression tracking.

Take Advantage of Deloads

Don't skip the deload configuration. Planned deloads keep you healthy and are essential for peaking. LiftUr makes the math easy.

Let the Smart Engine Learn

The progression engine gets better as it collects data. Log your RPE honestly and let LiftUr suggest when you're ready to add weight.

Check Your Heatmap Monthly

The muscle group heatmap reveals imbalances you might not notice. If your posterior chain is getting neglected, you'll see it.

Set Goals for Accountability

Even simple goals like "4 workouts per week" create accountability. Watching the progress bar fill up is surprisingly motivating.