Is Strong PRO Worth It for Unlimited Templates and Charts

Strong is a fitness app that feels like it has been around for as long as weightlifting itself. It is many people’s first fitness app, but it’s not difficult to outgrow. If you’ve come to this article, you’re most likely wondering whether subscribing to Strong PRO is worth the money.

When should you consider upgrading to Strong PRO?

You have an advanced workout split

If you follow a split that is more than 3 days, like PPL/UL, full-body split, or you just like having A/B variations of your workouts, then Strong free plan is automatically out, since it limits free users to 3 templates. Spending 5 minutes at the start of every workout configuring the workout from scratch quickly gets old.

You want to see your progression

Strong offers analytics exclusively on the Strong PRO plan. If you want to see any kind of progression charts, like your 1RM, best weight, volume, etc. then you have no choice but to look at Strong PRO or better alternatives we’ll get to later.

You hate doing Plate math

Strong PRO includes a helpful plate calculator for barbell exercises. While we’ve reviewed it in our Plate Calculator Comparison article and found it to be rather disappointing, it still does basic barbell plate math perfectly fine. The plate calculator is completely omitted from Strong’s free version.

Is Strong PRO worth it?

If you’re still happy in Strong

If you still like Strong, and just need templates, analytics, and a plate calculator, then Strong PRO can be a worthwhile upgrade. It costs $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr which can be a tad steep for some.

If you have a simple split

If you have a simple split where 3 templates are all you need and you don’t particularly care about the analytics, then stay free. There is no point in upgrading, the analytics are rather rudimentary anyways, and the barbell plate calculator will not change your training.

If you think Strong PRO is too expensive

If you feel like Strong PRO is too expensive and you hate subscriptions, you’re not alone. Paying $4.99/mo or $29.99/yr for an app that still looks and feels years behind can be hard to stomach. We felt the same way, which is why we built Plates. We offer everything Strong PRO offers (unlimited templates, advanced analytics, plate keyboard, and more) in a much more design-conscious package. Plates is just a $19.99 one-time payment for lifetime unlock, and we offer a 7 day free trial so you can decide before you commit.