Bravel vs a training spreadsheet
Bravel started because both of us were coached out of spreadsheets: sets in one tab, food in another, the watch data nowhere. Spreadsheets are flexible — and that's exactly why they get messy.
The short version
A spreadsheet can model any program you can imagine. You (or your coach) write the plan, fill in weights, and add formulas for percentages and progression. It costs nothing and you own every cell.
Bravel does the bookkeeping for you: every set shows what you lifted last time, meals and macros sit next to the training, steps come in from Apple Health or Health Connect, and it all works one-handed between sets.
Feature by feature
| Feature | Bravel | Spreadsheet |
|---|---|---|
| Flexibility | Templates and plans for strength, hypertrophy, mobility and running | Anything you can build |
| Logging mid-workout | Built for the phone, between sets | Fiddly on a phone screen |
| Progression | Last session's weights and reps shown in every set | Manual or your own formulas |
| Exercise how-to | 800 exercises, most with video demos | Whatever links you add |
| Nutrition | Meals, macros, barcode scanner | Another tab, filled by hand |
| Steps & activity | Synced from Apple Health / Health Connect | Typed in, if at all |
| Progress view | Volume & PR history, activity heatmap | Charts you build yourself |
What it costs
Bravel
- Free
- Workout logging, the exercise library and activity tracking
- Premium
- From $4.99/mo with regional pricing — adds the Spiro AI coach and the advanced training & nutrition tools
- Availability
- Pre-release — join the waitlist to get it at launch
Spreadsheets are free; the cost is your time keeping them up to date. Bravel's free plan covers logging, the exercise library and 3 AI coach requests; Premium adds unlimited coaching and advanced training & nutrition tools.
When you don’t need Bravel
Your coach writes in Sheets
If your coach sends a spreadsheet every block and reviews it there, staying in their format may be easiest.
You love building your own system
If designing the formulas is part of the fun, a spreadsheet gives you total control.
When Bravel fits better
You're tired of the bookkeeping
No copying last week's numbers forward: every set shows what you did last time, right where you log.
You log at the gym
Logging is built for a phone between sets, not for zooming into cells.
You want everything in one timeline
Training, food, steps and sleep together — if two numbers disagree, that's the app's job to fix.
FAQ
Can I keep my program from a spreadsheet?
You can rebuild it with Bravel's templates and the exercise library. Importing files isn't supported yet — it's on the roadmap.
Is a spreadsheet good enough for training?
It can be, especially with a coach who reviews it. It becomes a chore when you want progression, nutrition and activity tracked without filling everything in by hand.
Does Bravel calculate progression like my formulas did?
Not with formulas — every set shows the weights and reps you did last time, so you pick the jump with the numbers in front of you, and Bravel tracks your PRs and estimated one-rep max. For one-off maths, try our free one-rep max and TDEE calculators.
What happens to my data if I stop using Bravel?
It stays in your account, and you can delete your account and all its data anytime from settings.
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Want one app for training and nutrition?
Bravel is launching soon. Leave your email and we'll send a download link on day one.