ChatRPE is a gym log you talk to. Say the set out loud or type it, "185 for five, RPE 8," and the coach saves it, then answers what the log means: whether today was a PR, what to load next week, whether the last block moved your squat. Routines, rest timers, plate math, and estimated 1RM charts all run through the same conversation, and there is no limit on how many routines you keep.
Your Strong history comes with you as screenshots or pasted rows, and four to eight weeks of it is enough for the coach to program from. The last section covers the move.
Routines without a routine screen
Strong's free version keeps three custom routines, according to its App Store listing, and Strong PRO lifts the cap for $4.99 a month or $29.99 a year at US prices. In ChatRPE a routine is something you describe: "Push day: bench 3x5, overhead press 3x8, dips 3x10, two minutes rest." Ask the coach to save it and it is stored as an entry in your log, which you can ask for by name later. Routines are entries rather than slots in a template library, so there is no count to run out of.
To run it, say "start push day" in chat or "Hey Siri, start a workout with ChatRPE" on an iPhone. The coach opens a live session showing the current exercise, the target for the set, and, when the routine has rest times, a countdown between sets. On an iPhone the same session appears on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island, and a finished countdown sends a local notification that follows your mute switch and Focus settings. The guided workout guide walks through a full session.
Changing the routine is also a sentence. "Swap dips for close-grip bench until my elbow settles" edits the plan, and the reason goes into the log with it.
Logging a set without a checkbox
Mid-workout, voice is the fast route. The microphone button works in the web app and the iPhone app, and on iOS "Hey Siri, log with ChatRPE" saves a set without opening the app, so your hands stay on the bar and the phone stays on the bench. Every Siri request and every recorded voice message draws on a daily voice allowance: two a day on a signed-in free account, five on Basic, and unlimited on Premium, resetting at midnight UTC. Typed messages never count against it. The hands-free logging guide covers the Siri setup.
Typing wins when you batch. One message after your last set covers the whole exercise: "Bench 185x5, 185x5, 185x4 at RPE 9, left shoulder felt tight on the last one." That becomes three structured sets with the effort and the note attached, detail a checkbox never asks for.
Plate math is a question too. "What goes on each side for 275 on a 45-pound bar?" gets the breakdown, and if your gym has a different bar or is missing the 2.5s, say so and the coach works around it.
The numbers Strong PRO charts, as questions
Strong PRO charts best sets and estimated one-rep maxes. In ChatRPE you ask for them. "Chart my estimated 1RM on squat for the last three months, best set per session" produces a line that applies the Epley formula to each logged set and keeps the highest value from each day. The formula assumes each set went to failure, so a set with reps left in reserve reads low, and it is least reliable from high-rep sets. Treat the line as a trend rather than a max you could lift today. The one-rep max calculator explains why the estimate varies by lift and by lifter.
The chart groups sets by exercise name, so pick one name for each lift, "back squat" or "squat," and keep using it.
"Was that a PR?" is a question too. A PR check reads your 100 most recent entries and a chart reaches 500, so bring your all-time bests from Strong across as one entry: "All-time PRs from Strong: squat 405x1, bench 285x3, deadlift 495x1." The coach can then check a new top set against them whenever you ask.
Bringing your Strong history
Export it first. Strong's export instructions are in-app Settings, then Export Strong Data on iOS or Export Data on Android, which gives you a spreadsheet-friendly CSV. Keep the file as your archive whatever you decide.
Then import it by pasting. Open the CSV, copy the rows you want into a message, and say what the columns are; the coach turns them into dated sessions. Screenshots of Strong workouts work too. Paste a few weeks at a time rather than the whole file, and give full dates, such as August 14, 2026. A date the parser cannot read is refused rather than saved, so check the first batch landed on the right days before sending more.
Four to eight weeks of your main lifts, plus current working weights, is usually enough for the coach to program from. The Hevy alternative guide goes through the same move step by step, including how many screenshots each plan attaches per message.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a limit on routines in ChatRPE?
No. A routine is a plan you describe and save as an entry, and you can keep as many as you like. Strong's free version saves unlimited workouts and caps custom routines at three, according to its App Store listing.
Can ChatRPE import my Strong CSV export?
Yes, by pasting. Open the CSV, paste the rows into a message a few weeks at a time, and say what each column is. Screenshots of Strong workouts work too. Include a full date with each session, then check that the first batch saved on the right days.
Does ChatRPE have a rest timer?
Yes, inside a live session. The coach can run a countdown between sets, which shows in the app and, on an iPhone, on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. When it finishes you get a local notification even if the app is in the background.
Can ChatRPE do plate math?
Yes. Ask what goes on each side of the bar for a working weight, and mention your bar and plates if they are not a standard 45-pound bar and full plate set. In a live session you can ask before each work set.
Can I log sets with Siri on a free account?
Yes, twice a day on a signed-in free account, because every Siri request uses the daily voice allowance. Basic allows five and Premium is unlimited. Typed messages never use it, so a free account can still log every set by typing.
Strong is a trademark of its respective owner. This independent comparison is based on publicly documented product features and is not sponsored or endorsed by Strong.