Hevy Coach vs. MyPTHub: An Overview
MyPTHub is advertised as the best all-in-one personal training software and app. However, as with any bold claim, we must do independent research before concluding.
At first glance, the platform looks like the complete package because it has many valuable features for coaches: an extensive exercise library, decent program-building options, client profiles with multiple subcategories, habit-tracking, nutrition planning, and built-in payment solutions.
But despite its shiny exterior, some areas could use improvements and more flexibility: more information in the exercise library, a less cluttered dashboard, the ability to sort programs, and more features to build detailed workouts, to name a few.
In comparison, while Hevy Coach may lack some of MyPTHub’s features, it more than makes up for it with simplicity and how it handles the existing functions for coaches and trainers.
Hevy Coach is better than MyPTHub for trainers and coaches because it has a better workout builder with automatic rest timers and set types, the exercise library is easier to navigate, the dashboard is just as informative but less cluttered, client profiles allow you to track performance and body composition, and you can build or join a coaching team.
| Features Comparison | ||
| Feature | Hevy Coach | MyPTHub |
| Client Activity Feed | ✅ | ✅ |
| Individual Exercise Performance | ✅ | ✅ |
| Body Measurements | ✅ | ✅ |
| Progress Photos | ✅ | ✅ |
| Program Folders | ✅ | ❌ |
| Drag and Drop | ✅ | ✅ |
| RPE | ✅ | ❌ |
| Automatic Rest Timers | ✅ | ❌ |
| Manage Coaching Teams | ✅ | ❌ |
| Lead Generation | ✅ | ❌ |
User Interface and Navigation
MyPTHub’s main selling point is that it’s an all-in-one solution with many features. However, features add complexity, meaning the platform is more cluttered, takes longer to figure out, and is more difficult to use day-to-day, especially for coaches who value minimalism.
The main menu is organized well enough, with distinct tabs for all the major sections, such as workout building, accessing the exercise library, and navigating to client chats. However, each tab consists of subcategories that can be frustrating to navigate.
Take, for example, the dashboard:
You have a horizontal menu on the top, eight buttons aligned vertically on the left, an advertisement in the middle, an activity feed below it, and even more sections on the right.
In contrast, the dashboard in Hevy Coach is more streamlined and informative. You get an overview of active and inactive clients, a feed displaying all recently logged workouts, measurements, progress photos, and other activities by clients, and a graph showing the percentage of weekly active clients.
Beyond the dashboard, Hevy Coach continues the trend of simplicity. All of its sections—from the client section and program library to the team feature—have essential options and are simple to figure out and navigate. Every area is built intuitively and with the personal trainer and strength coach in mind.
“It’s a simple and easy dashboard that has a very clean app with UI. It has all the tools required to track progressive overload and ensure clients enjoy their workouts. Compared to other apps, they’re either too confusing or have too many bells and whistles that confuse clients. Hevy does a very good job at keeping things simple but extremely effective and easy to use. My clients love it.”
-Rashid K. (Source: Capterra)
Program Library
MyPTHub has several pre-made training programs based on gender, goals, and equipment. You can import any of them to your library and assign them to clients.
You can also create programs from scratch. Start with a name, write a brief description, and add as many weeks as you want. Click on any day of the week to add a workout, a file, or nutritional guidance. You can also assign reminders for the client to update body measurements and upload progress photos.
To schedule workouts, select a day and choose from the ones available in your library. You cannot open the workout builder and create new ones from scratch here.
Once saved in your library, you can duplicate, assign, or delete the program. However, there aren’t any options to organize your existing programs in folders or with tags. This can be problematic if you work with more clients and have dozens of programs in your library.
Hevy Coach offers the same simplicity, but it handles some functions better. First, the library has a better outline because it lists all the programs and the workouts each plan has. You can organize plans into folders based on goals (e.g., muscle growth), experience (e.g., advanced), available equipment (e.g., bands + dumbbells), and other things.
For streamlined program building, you can duplicate entire folders or individual plans. The drag-and-drop functions allow you to move training programs around, including between different folders.
Second, once inside the program builder, you can set a program duration, write a routine note, rearrange, add, remove and duplicate individual workouts, see a program summary, and even copy workouts to other programs in your library.
Also, like MyPTHUB, Hevy Coach has a library of more than a dozen pre-made training plans you can browse and save to your library to assign to clients. All plans are based on resistance training and organized by goals, experience, and available equipment.
Hevy Coach also allows you to build workout plans more quickly thanks to the options to duplicate, import, and use drag-and-drop. MyPTHub’s program builder feels more rigid in comparison because you can’t easily move workouts around.
Workout Builder
MyPTHub’s workout builder is flexible and has features similar to those of Hevy Coach. You can access it when building a new workout from scratch or editing an existing one.
Inside the builder, you can write a note for the workout and add movements from the exercise library on the right. The library is a bit slow to load and doesn’t always bring up the most relevant exercises based on queries.
In contrast, the library in Hevy Coach loads results instantly and displays the most relevant movements, allowing you to quickly add the correct activities to any workout.
Once you’ve added movements in MyPTHub’s workout builder, you can write a custom note for each exercise, add individual sets, and fill in the information for each training variable.
The three default variables differ based on movement––for example, you get weight, reps, and rest period for the barbell bench press. However, you can select different variables in each column from a pop-up menu. This allows for good customizability when creating workouts for various clients.
The downside is that you only get three columns, so if you want to have more variables, such as weight, reps, RPE, rest period, and tempo, you can’t add them all.
There’s also a Group Set option that allows you to add two or more exercises into a superset/circuit.
Now, on to Hevy Coach. Aside from the differences in the exercise library discussed above, Hevy Coach shares some similarities but does a few things better.
Like MyPTHub, you can:
- Write custom notes for all exercises
- Add as many sets as you want for each activity
- Remove sets when necessary
- Pair two or more movements into a superset or circuit
- Add weight, reps or rep range, and RPE target for each set
However, unlike MyPTHub, Hevy Coach’s builder handles some things better and offers a few extra features. First, you have a separate tab for rest periods that start automatically as soon as your client marks a set as complete while logging (more on that below). So, you get four training variables per movement instead of three.
Second, you can mark sets by type: normal, drop set, to failure, or warm-up. This provides additional details to clients without needing to write custom notes.
Third, the Hevy Coach builder is more flexible because you can use the drag-and-drop function to move exercises around anytime. You can also click the three dots icon on each movement to swap it for another.
MyPTHub has a rearrange option, but you must select it to enter that state and close it to proceed with editing your workout. The platform doesn’t offer an easy way to swap exercises.
Another nice touch by Hevy Coach is that you can edit the details of any movement you’ve added to a workout––for example, adjusting the how-to instructions or attaching an informative video.
Speaking of the latter, you can add a warm-up activity and attach a video with a sequence your client can do to prepare for the workout. You can also use the custom note feature to describe what the client should do.
The bottom line is that Hevy Coach’s workout builder feels more refined. You can easily find and add the correct movements, adjust all the training details, add more variables, rearrange and swap exercises, and write custom notes for further clarification.
“The best coaching app I’ve used (and I’ve used a few!). The ability to write up client workouts so that all they have to do is hit “start routine” is such a time saver on their side! It’s just super easy to use and intuitive.”
-Dan I. (Source: Capterra)
Exercise Library
MyPTHub’s exercise library is accessible on a separate tab and in the workout builder. It’s large and has a search bar and muscle target filter to help you find movements.
However, while extensive, the library is not without its drawbacks. Results load for several seconds and are not always the most relevant. For example, when using the popular search bench press, you get numerous results that may not be the one you’re searching for.
Also, they don’t seem to have any built-in synonyms, which means you must write the exercise’s name just as it’s saved in the library. This is how it looks when searching for a back squat:
Combined with the slower loading times, it will take longer to find the right movements, which can add up when building a workout with several movements.
Another drawback of the library is that you can’t edit (read: customize to your liking) any of the entries. Some movements come with helpful information like equipment needed, muscles trained, and how-to instructions. However, you cannot change any of the details or attach a different video if you don’t like the existing one.
So, while the library is large, you may not be satisfied with some (or many) of the entries, and you may need to create dozens of custom exercises that suit your needs. This means spending more time on busy work rather than coaching people.
In contrast, the Hevy Coach library is smaller but more curated. Еach entry is of higher quality and is more relevant for personal trainers and strength coaches.
First, the search field and filters allow you to find the relevant movements in seconds.
Second, each entry includes step-by-step instructions and information on the equipment needed, primary and secondary muscle targets, and type (e.g., Weight/Reps). Most entries also come with a demonstrational animation for your clients. You can also edit the how-to instructions and attach a video to any existing exercise.
That said, even if you want to use movements not found in the library, you can add them with an image, video, how-to instructions, and other helpful information.
Client List and Client Profile
MyPTHub’s client list section is organized and displays your clients’ names, email, and assigned trainer. You can click on a client to visit their profile, where you get several subsections:
- Open chat
- Activity feed
- Habits activity
- Information about assigned programs, workouts, nutrition plans, and forms
- Result tracker where you can track their weight, body fat, circumference measurements, time spent training, volume, number of completed workouts, and specific exercise performance
- Progress photos
- Vital stats like height, resting heart rate, blood pressure, training frequency, and somatotype (the lattermost being rooted in pseudoscience and not an actual thing worth ever thinking about)
- Notes (write these in free text)
- PAR-Q form responses
- Goals and interests (the client can write these in free text)
Client profiles are quite detailed and offer much actionable information. This is one area where you can’t find as many differences between the two platforms.
That said, the client list on Hevy Coach is more suitable for trainers and coaches because it provides more helpful information. It shows the client’s name, their activity in the last seven days, the currently assigned plan (along with their progress on it, such as Week 6 of 8), and their coach in case it’s a person from your team.
Once inside a client’s profile, you get fewer tabs but just as many features:
- Write notes for clients (only visible to you)
- See the client’s latest logged activities
- Track your client’s time spent training, volume, and sets completed
- Examine and edit the client’s current training plan
- See your client’s completed workouts on a feed
- Track individual exercise performance
- Dive into advanced stats like sets per muscle group
- Track body weight, body fat, and circumference measurements
- See and compare progress photos
- Access your client’s calendar for a bird’s eye view of their active days month-to-month
In essence, Hevy Coach’s client profiles have all the necessary information organized in several tabs. They are easy to navigate and don’t feel bloated.
Client App
MyPTHub’s client app is quite detailed and has many options. Clients can start and log workouts, log their nutrition, upload progress photos, and add body metrics, among other things.
To log a workout, your client must navigate to the Workouts tab, select from their list of assigned ones, and click the Start Workout button. They can then log the workout one set at a time, add or remove sets, change their rest periods, and input the weight and number of reps they complete on each set.
Clients can add, swap, or remove exercises and track their rest periods using a built-in stopwatch. The rest timer doesn’t start automatically like in the Hevy client app.
Before marking the workout as complete, your client can leave a brief note with feedback for you.
The app’s home screen shows options to log nutrition, upload progress photos, and update metrics. Clients can freely log their food intake, even if they don’t have an assigned meal plan.
Beyond that, clients have additional options in the main menu, such as marking assigned habits as complete, seeing scheduled tasks on their calendars, chatting with you, and filling out forms.
The guys at MyPTHub have worked hard to make the app as functional and useful as possible for your clients. But while it has a sleek design and cool features like the ability to log workouts set by set, the Hevy client app is better.
Your clients will use Hevy––a 5-star app millions of athletes use to log workouts, track their progress, and engage with the active community.
Let’s begin with workout logging. Your client must navigate to the Coach tab, select the workout they must do that day, and click Start Routine. A new window will open with the session, all the details you’ve added, and a stopwatch at the top left.
Your client can input the reps or duration and weight for each set before marking it complete. This will start the automatic rest timer and your client will be notified when their break ends.
Custom notes you’ve written for any exercises will be visible throughout the workout. Your client can mark sets by type and input an RPE value for each set (if enabled).
The client can tap the stopwatch on the top left to:
- Pause the workout in case they must stop and finish it later
- Change the start date and time, which is particularly useful if the client wants to log a previously completed workout
Before marking a workout as complete, your client can upload photos, videos (such as for you to review their technique), and a private note.
Beyond workout logging, your clients can use the app to:
- Chat with you through the Coach tab
- Create routines and log impromptu sessions (like an unscheduled gym session)
- Examine their performance on any lift they’ve logged through the app
- Upload body metrics and progress photos
Your client can also examine their more advanced workout stats (like sets per muscle group), see what movements they do most often, overview their activity on a calendar, and track their active workout streak. These things can be highly motivating and help keep them accountable.
Aside from workout logging and progress tracking, clients can enjoy the app’s social aspect by following others, getting followed, and showing support by liking and commenting. Of course, clients who are not interested can set their profiles to private.
“My clients love using the app, from simple tracking and social sharing to more advanced features like 1rm predictions and workout muscle usage charts.”
-Pete S. (Source: G2)
Coach App
MyPTHub’s coach app has the same features as the desktop version. It has a sleek design and a menu with numerous options.
You can create new workouts and edit the existing ones, visit client profiles, create meal plans, build and import training programs, chat with clients, review your financials, and more.
More importantly, you can log workouts for clients while working with them in person. To do so, navigate to Hub, select Start a Workout, pick a client, select the workout for the day, and click Start Workout.
The interface and workout logging section are the same as the client app.
Hevy Coach’s app, which is different from the one your clients get, is more basic but arguably just as functional because it offers the primary feature you need: the ability to log workouts for clients while working with them in person. You can and should do everything else on a larger screen for the best experience.
Once you open the coach app, navigate to the Clients tab, select a person from the list, pick a workout from their assigned training plan, and tap Start session. This will open a new window where you can log the workout like your client would.
This means marking sets as complete one by one, inputting weight, reps, and RPE, adjusting the rest timer if necessary, adding or removing sets, swapping exercises, and uploading media (images and videos) and a workout description before marking the session as complete.
In addition to workout logging, you can invite new clients and chat with them.
Coaching Team
As a coach on MyPTHub, you can invite trainers and add them to your network.
Each time you invite a new client, you’re prompted to select their trainer––yourself, a coach from your contact list, or unassigned (where they are added to the client pool). You can navigate to the client pool section, select anyone from the list, and assign them to yourself or another coach anytime.
When you visit a trainer’s profile, you can see their client list, calendar, and saved training programs and nutrition plans. Inside a client’s profile, you get a full view of their activities and can even write notes, interests, and goals. The client doesn’t see that.
However, one huge drawback is that once you’ve invited a client and assigned them to yourself or another coach, you cannot reassign them or bring them back to the client pool. This would be a huge issue if a client’s trainer quits and you must reassign them.
Deleting the trainer from your list doesn’t work, either. Doing so also deletes all of the clients assigned to that person.
In addition to the fact that the feature is not clearly labeled as a coaching team or organization and that there are no other clear benefits, it doesn’t make much sense and doesn’t feel that useful.
In contrast, Hevy Coach has Teams––a feature that allows you to create or join a coaching team. As a team’s owner or admin, you can add or remove members, see their profiles, and visit their clients’ profiles to review recent activities, the current training plan, advanced workout stats, overall adherence, body metrics, and progress photos.
Unlike MyPTHub, you can also reassign clients at any time, which gives you a lot of freedom to manage your coaching team and ensure each client gets the guidance they need.
As an added benefit, workout plans and custom exercises are shared among all team members. Your library expands constantly, and you can share your resources with other professionals, which creates an atmosphere of mutual support and cooperation.
Grow: Generating New Leads
Hevy Coach has Grow, allowing you to create a custom lead generation form with a header image, message to prospects, and a unique invite link.
Once you create your lead generation form, you can share the link with people on social media, your website, your email newsletter, and other channels. Prospects who click the link can apply for coaching with their name, email address, and a short message about who they are and why they want to work with you.
Each application shows under the Leads section within the Grow tab.
MyPTHub offers an option to create a landing page. However, there’s no lead generation option. Instead, you can add other information for prospects: title and description, header image, four slots of featured items (such as a training package for sale), up to four testimonials, a brief about section, and an email where people can reach you.
Pricing
MyPTHub offers a 30-day free trial (no credit card required). Beyond that, their monthly flexible plan costs €55. The upside is that there is no limit on clients. However, the downside is that it would cost quite a bit if you’re a coach with no more than 20-25 active clients.
Hevy Coach also offers a 30-day free trial, with no credit card required. The most affordable plan after that is $25 per month for up to ten clients.
All of your clients get a free Hevy app Pro subscription. See our pricing page for all the details.
| Table Comparison | ||
| Hevy Coach | MyPTHub | |
| UI and Navigation | It has a sleek, clean, and easy-to-navigate interface. | The interface is sleek, and the platform offers many features. |
| Dashboard | It lists your active and inactive clients, their latest logged activities, and the number of active clients. | The dashboard displays clients’ latest activities, but it feels messy and more complicated than necessary. |
| Program Library | Store, duplicate, import, and organize programs in folders. With a few clicks, you can assign any program to multiple clients. | Store unlimited programs. The program builder allows you to add multiple weeks and assign a specific workout to any day. |
| Workout Builder | Add exercises from the library, add/remove sets, adjust the training variables (load, reps, RPE, etc.), mark sets by type, create supersets, and write custom notes. | Add exercises from the library, add or remove sets, write custom notes, and include up to three training variables for each activity. |
| Exercise Library | The library has 400+ entries with how-to instructions and other helpful info. Еdit the how-to instructions, attach videos, and add unlimited custom exercises. | The library is extensive. Many entries come with basic how-to instructions and an attached video, which you cannot edit. However, you can add custom exercises. |
| Client Profile | Multiple tabs provide an overview of your client, notes you’ve written, their training plan, completed workouts feed, advanced training stats, body metrics, and progress photos. | Client profiles have multiple sub-tabs to provide an overview, information on their training, visual progress, and form responses. Write down goals, interests, and other notes. |
| Client App | Clients can use the 5-star Hevy app to log each workout and adjust training variables. They can also upload body metrics and progress photos, monitor their performance, and engage with other users. | The most important feature is the ability to log workouts one set at a time and fill out information on each training variable you assign. |
| Coach App | The coach app is basic, but you can log workouts for clients set by set (it has the same interface as the client app), invite new clients, and chat with them. | Log workouts for clients, chat with them, and access all the sections available on the desktop version of MyPTHub. |
| Teams | Create or join a coaching team. As an admin, you can add/remove coaches, assign and reassign clients, and visit coaches’ and clients’ profiles. Workout programs and custom exercises are shared between all team members. | You can invite coaches to join your network and assign clients to them. However, you cannot reassign clients. If you delete a coach, all the clients assigned to that person are also removed. |
| Lead Generation | Create a form with a header image, a message to prospects, and a link. People can apply for coaching through it. | There is an option to build a landing page with a custom URL and multiple tabs. However, there’s no lead generation form available. |
| Pricing | It starts from $25 monthly for up to ten clients. | The monthly plan costs €55 with no limit on client numbers. |
| Free Trial | There’s a 30-day free trial (no credit card required). | There’s a 30-day free trial (no credit card required). |
To Conclude
MyPTHub is touted as the best personal training software and app, and there is some truth to that statement.
The platform has a sleek, though somewhat cluttered interface, a functional program builder with options to assign more than just workouts to clients, and a flexible workout builder that rivals the one from Hevy Coach in some areas.
Their exercise library is extensive, client profiles are organized and informative, the coach and client apps are decent, and there are some useful trainer team options.
That said, while MyPTHub packs a punch and is certainly a platform worth considering as a fitness professional, Hevy Coach is better for personal trainers and strength coaches.
Hevy Coach has a more streamlined interface, a simpler and just as informative dashboard, a more functional program library with options for organizing training plans, a high-quality assortment of programs you can import and assign to clients, and a flexible drag-and-drop workout builder with some features not found on MyPTHub.
The exercise library is of higher quality. You can edit the how-to instructions for existing entries and attach videos. The client list is more informative with information on their current program and progress, and client profiles are outlined to provide crucial information on workout-to-workout performance, long-term progress, and consistency.
So, sign up for a free 30-day trial today and see how Hevy Coach can elevate your fitness business.
