Planning and logging belong together
Many gym apps are either blank notebooks or rigid spreadsheets. A notebook is flexible but leaves every programming decision to you. A fixed template provides direction, but it cannot tell the difference between a smooth set and a grinder. RACK joins those two jobs: it prescribes the session, then uses the training you actually log to inform the next prescription.
You choose hypertrophy, powerbuilding or powerlifting, plus a programme length. Sessions can follow fixed weekdays or a flexible queue. Inside a session, you can change a load, cap or extend the work, swap an exercise or skip the session.
RPE is captured per set
A completed rep count is only part of the signal. Eight reps with four in reserve should not be treated like eight reps that barely moved. RACK asks for rate of perceived exertion at set level and uses that alongside load and reps. During a session it can suggest the next load; across sessions it can recalibrate working numbers and land deloads when the programme calls for them.
Fast enough for the gym floor
Logging has to disappear between sets. RACK keeps the active exercise, prescribed work and rest timer close together. Exercise sheets retain records and an estimated-max trend, so useful history is available without turning the live workout into a data-entry form.
The app is offline-first. A basement gym or poor mobile signal should not stop a workout: sets are written on the phone and sync later. If you use Apple Watch, the companion can run the rest timer and send set logs back to the paired iPhone session.
One history for lifting and running
Strength is not always the whole week. RACK keeps its run plan separate from the strength programme, then links both on one calendar. It can also import completed runs from Apple Health. Run data is visible beside lifting, but it is not used by the strength autoregulation engine.
Who it suits
- Lifters who want programmed hypertrophy, powerbuilding or powerlifting rather than a blank log.
- People who use RPE and want effort to affect future strength prescriptions.
- iPhone and Apple Watch users who value fast, offline-first logging.
- Runners who also lift and want both disciplines on one calendar.
RACK also includes a free Freestyle path for self-directed logging. The adaptive programme engine is part of Pro, while the beta is currently available through TestFlight.
Evidence checked: A systematic review and meta-analysis supports RPE as a valid measure of resistance-training intensity. It remains one signal, not a diagnosis of recovery.