Moving from StrongLifts
Bring your whole history with you
Switching from the StrongLifts app? Import every workout, working weight and PR into Lift5x5 in under a minute. Free, and you can do it as a guest — no signup required.
Three steps, about a minute
- 1
Export your data from StrongLifts
Open the StrongLifts app, tap the ••• menu, then Export data → CSV. Send the file to yourself (email, AirDrop, or save to Files) so it lands on the phone you'll use Lift5x5 on.
- 2
Install Lift5x5 (free)
Grab Lift5x5 on the App Store or Google Play. You can import straight away as a guest — no account needed.
- 3
Import your history
In Lift5x5: Settings → Import data → Choose CSV file → Import. We read every workout, set your current working weight for all five lifts, and rebuild your PRs. Your next session continues exactly where you left off.
What comes across
- Every logged workout — date, lifts, sets, reps and weights
- Your current working weight for each of the five lifts
- Personal records, rebuilt from your history
- Your unit (kg or lb) — auto-detected from the file
- Your bodyweight, if it's in the export
The import is smart about duplicates — re-importing the same file won't double up your history.
Why people make the move
Most people leave the StrongLifts app over pricing, not the program. StrongLifts Pro runs $11.99/month or $59.99/year, and gates custom routines, advanced analytics and the warmup calculator behind it. Lift5x5 keeps the complete classic 5x5 — automatic progression, plate calculator, warmup sets, rest timer and graphs — free, forever. The 5x5 method itself is decades old and belongs to no one, so there's nothing to "lose" by running it in a different app.
We make Lift5x5, so read that with the obvious bias in mind — and StrongLifts is genuinely better in a few areas (Apple Watch, exercise videos, a longer track record). For an honest, fact-checked breakdown of where each app wins, read our Lift5x5 vs StrongLifts comparison or see six StrongLifts alternatives.
Frequently asked questions
How do I export my data from StrongLifts?
In the StrongLifts app, open the ••• menu and choose Export data → CSV. It produces a single CSV file with your whole training log. Send it to yourself (email or save to Files), then pick it inside Lift5x5 under Settings → Import data.
Will I lose my progress if I switch apps?
No. The import brings your whole history across, and it sets your current working weight and personal records automatically — so your very next workout in Lift5x5 picks up right where StrongLifts left off. Nothing resets.
Do I need an account to import?
No. You can import as a guest and your history stays on your device (the latest 100 workouts are kept). Create a free account if you want to keep an unlimited history and sync it across phones — Lift5x5 will offer this automatically if your export is large.
Is Lift5x5 free?
Yes. The complete classic 5x5 experience is free forever: automatic progression, rest timer, plate calculator, warmup sets, graphs and full history. An optional Pro tier adds coach forecasts, the Madcow 5x5 program, custom per-lift progression, leaderboards and CSV/JSON export — but you never need it to run the program.
What file does the importer need?
A StrongLifts 5×5 CSV export, exactly as the StrongLifts app produces it. The importer auto-detects whether you trained in kg or lb and silently skips any rows it doesn't recognise, so a slightly messy file still imports cleanly.
Is Lift5x5 affiliated with StrongLifts?
No. StrongLifts is a separate company and the original popularizer of the 5x5 program. Lift5x5 is an independent app that runs the same public-domain method — five barbell lifts, two alternating workouts, linear progression. We reference StrongLifts by name only to help people moving between the two apps.
Pick up exactly where you left off
Install Lift5x5, import your StrongLifts CSV, and keep training. No reset, no re-entering weights, no ads.