Training, explained plainly.
Workout guides, nutrition, training science and product updates, written for people who lift.
Updates
Sleep Tracking Is Here
Ellim now tracks your sleep. Connect Apple Health once and last night shows up on Today: how long you slept, when you went to bed, and your Deep, Core and REM time from your Apple Watch — free, right next to your workouts, meals and water. Plus: what the research says a short night does to a heavy session and to a cut.
Sep 24, 2026, 7 min read
Updates
Water Tracking Is Here
Ellim now tracks your water. Log with customizable one-tap cups, set a daily goal based on your body weight, and sync your water logs to Apple Health — free in the latest update, right next to your workouts and meals.
Aug 28, 2026, 3 min read
Fitness
10 Best MyFitnessPal Alternatives in 2026 (Free Barcode Still Included)
MyFitnessPal moved barcode scanning behind Premium in 2022, custom macros in 2024, and the April 2026 redesign added friction. We tested 10 alternatives that still let you scan, track, and log meals for free — Ellim, Cronometer, Lose It!, FatSecret, MyNetDiary, Foodnoms, YAZIO, MacroFactor, Lifesum, Noom.
Jun 14, 2026, 19 min read
Fitness
10 Best Nutrition Tracking Apps in 2026 (Tested & Honestly Compared)
Honest comparison of 10 nutrition tracking apps in 2026: Ellim, MyFitnessPal, Cronometer, FatSecret, MacroFactor, Lose It!, YAZIO, Lifesum, MyNetDiary, and Foodnoms. Real free-tier limits, verified prices, honest pros and cons.
Jun 1, 2026, 18 min read
Fitness
10 Best Free Workout Apps in 2026 (Tested & Honestly Compared)
We tested 10 free workout apps in 2026 — Ellim, Hevy, Strong, JEFIT, FitNotes, Boostcamp, StrongLifts 5x5, Nike Training Club, Caliber, and Gymshark Training. Pros, cons, free-tier limits, and which one fits your training.
May 19, 2026, 18 min read
Fitness
8 Best Workout Apps With Nutrition Tracking (2026)
Most workout apps don't track nutrition. Most nutrition apps can't track workouts. We tested 8 apps that promise both — and ranked which actually deliver, with the best free pick.
May 19, 2026, 16 min read
Fitness
8 Best Free Gym Trackers With No Routine Limits (2026)
Hevy caps you at 4 routines, Strong at 3. A PPL split alone fills 3 slots. Here are 8 free gym trackers with no routine limits, tested and ranked.
May 19, 2026, 15 min read
Fitness
How to Track Workouts and Nutrition in One Free App (2026)
Stop juggling MyFitnessPal and Hevy. Track workouts and nutrition in one free app — 3,500+ exercises, barcode scanning, unlimited routines. Your first workout and meal logged in under 5 minutes.
May 19, 2026, 13 min read
Fitness
10 Best Hevy Alternatives in 2026 (Tested & Free)
Hevy caps free users at 4 routines, 7 custom exercises, and 3 months of graph history — with no nutrition. We tested 10 alternatives in 2026 and ranked the ones that actually fix those gaps.
May 19, 2026, 16 min read
Fitness
10 Best Strong App Alternatives in 2026 (Tested & Free)
Strong caps free users at 3 routines and locks progress charts behind Pro — with no nutrition tracking or AI. We tested 10 alternatives and ranked the ones that fix those gaps.
May 19, 2026, 16 min read
Fitness
10 Best Free Fitbod Alternatives in 2026 (Tested)
Fitbod locks you out after 3 workouts and has no nutrition tracking on any plan. We tested 10 free Fitbod alternatives in 2026 — full tracking, AI features, and the best free pick.
May 19, 2026, 16 min read
Fitness
10 Best Free Fitness Apps for Beginners in 2026 (Tested)
A complete beginner needs five things in one app: ready-made routines, exercise instructions, simple tracking, food logging, and zero paywall friction. We tested 10 free fitness apps for beginners and ranked the ones that deliver.
May 19, 2026, 16 min read
Fitness
10 Best Workout Apps for iPhone in 2026 (iOS-Native, Tested)
We tested 10 workout apps on iPhone in 2026. iOS-native apps with Live Activities, HealthKit, and Apple Watch — including the best free pick. Side-by-side comparison.
May 19, 2026, 17 min read
Fitness
How to Import Any Workout Routine for Free (2026) — Photo, Text, or PDF
Photo, text, screenshot, or PDF — turn any workout routine into a trackable plan in under two minutes. Free on iPhone, no subscription, no daily limit.
May 19, 2026, 12 min read
Updates
You Logged the Workout. But Did You Actually Progress?
You log your sets. But after the session, do you know if you actually improved? Ellim now tells you — automatically, after every workout.
Apr 13, 2026, 3 min read
Workouts
The Gymmaxxing Guide: The Only Looksmaxing Strategy That Actually Works
Every looksmaxing app tells you to 'gymmax' but none of them help you actually do it. Here's the research-backed guide to the three muscle groups that change your physique the most — and the routine to train them.
Mar 19, 2026, 6 min read
Workouts
Best Ab Exercises Ranked by Muscle Activation (According to EMG Research)
One of the most cited ab studies measured muscle activity during 13 common exercises and ranked them head-to-head. Here are the actual results — and a practical routine built from the top performers.
Mar 11, 2026, 6 min read
Fitness
How to Build a Workout Routine You'll Actually Follow
Most workout routines fail within two weeks — not because you're lazy, but because the routine was built wrong. Here's how to build one that actually sticks.
Mar 2, 2026, 4 min read
Nutrition
How Much Protein Do You Actually Need to Build Muscle?
You've heard everything from "1 gram per pound" to "just eat more chicken." The research is actually clear — but the right target depends on whether you're cutting, maintaining, or bulking.
Mar 1, 2026, 9 min read
Workouts
Progressive Overload: The Only Training Principle That Actually Matters
Progressive overload is the single most important concept in strength training. Here's what it really means, why most lifters get it wrong, and how to apply it to every workout starting today.
Feb 21, 2026, 8 min read
Start today.
Ellim is free on the App Store for iPhone, with no card to start and nothing that expires.
Free · iPhone only · Available on the App Store
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