ComparisonHevy vs. Strong in 2026: which workout tracker, and when neither fits
Hevy and Strong compared on logging, free tiers, Pro pricing, social features and coaching, plus a third option if you want the program written for you.
4 min read
Guides
Plain-language guides to eating, training and tracking your progress, from the team behind Bay.
pick a topic, or start with the newest. ask me anything else by text.
- Comparison
ComparisonBest Cal AI alternatives in 2026 for logging food by photo or text
Five alternatives to Cal AI compared on how you log, what keeps estimates honest, free tiers and verified prices, plus a text-based option with no app at all.
6 min read
ComparisonBest Zing Coach alternatives in 2026, by what you liked about it
Five alternatives to the Zing AI coach app, compared on how the plan adapts, form feedback, home vs. gym, food, check-ins and verified prices.
4 min read
ComparisonThe best AI fitness apps in 2026, compared on what the AI does
Seven AI fitness apps compared on how the workout is generated, whether they handle food and check-ins, free tiers and verified prices, and who each suits.
5 min read
- Comparison
The 7 best free workout apps in 2026, and what "free" includes
Seven workout apps you can use without paying, ranked by what the free tier covers: logging, programs, progression, coaching. Prices checked November 2026.
7 min read
ComparisonBest MacroFactor alternatives in 2026, by what you want from it
Five alternatives to MacroFactor compared on adaptive targets, logging speed, database quality and price, with every price checked against current listings.
5 min read
ComparisonBest Fitbod alternatives in 2026, compared on what the "AI" does
Six alternatives to Fitbod for strength training, with verified prices, what each one's algorithm actually does, and which kind of lifter each suits.
6 min read
NutritionHow to eat at restaurants and still lose weight
Eating out is where most deficits go wrong. One decision before you arrive, the four swaps that matter, how to log a plate you did not make, and when to relax.
6 min read
ComparisonBay vs. MyFitnessPal: a coach you text or the biggest food database?
Bay and MyFitnessPal compared on logging, food data, coaching, training, price and privacy, with MyFitnessPal facts from its own listings.
5 min read
NutritionWeight-loss plateau: what is happening and how an AI coach breaks it
Why weight loss stalls (mostly intake drift, partly a smaller body, rarely a damaged metabolism), how to tell which from your own data, and the small fixes.
6 min read
ComparisonBest Noom alternatives in 2026: cheaper, simpler or more hands-on
Five alternatives to Noom for weight loss, compared on what the coaching is, how logging works and what each costs, with prices read from current listings.
5 min read
- Nutrition
12 high-protein fast food orders under 500 calories
Twelve orders at twelve US chains with 26 g of protein or more under 500 calories, from the chains' published nutrition, plus how to log any of them by text.
7 min read
ComparisonHow to choose the best AI personal trainer: 7 things that matter
A buyer's checklist for AI personal trainer apps: does it build a plan, progress your weights, adapt to missed days, remember injuries and keep you accountable?
6 min read
TrainingAn AI coach for muscle gain: surplus, sets, protein and the log
What muscle gain requires (a small surplus, 10–20 hard sets per muscle a week, 1.6 g/kg protein, progression) and how an AI coach runs those levers by text.
6 min read
NutritionWhat an AI weight loss coach should do (and the red flags to avoid)
A good AI weight loss coach sets a moderate deficit, keeps you logging, adjusts from your weight trend in small steps and knows when to send you to a doctor.
5 min read
ComparisonAI fitness coach vs. personal trainer: cost, results and who wins
What a personal trainer costs in 2026, what an AI coach can and cannot replace, and a plain way to decide which one fits your goal, your budget and your week.
5 min read
TrainingHow to log workouts by text message (and why it beats an app)
Log a workout in one line like bench 135x5x3, ask for the trend when you want it, and skip the app between sets. The shorthand, and what a coach does with it.
5 min read
TrainingFitness coaching for new parents: a plan that survives broken sleep
How to train and eat well in the first year with a baby: the official guidance on starting again, a 20-minute home plan, and coaching that comes to you.
6 min read
TrainingFitness coaching for busy professionals: a plan for a 60-hour week
How to get stronger and leaner on three short sessions, restaurant meals and a travel schedule, with the minimum effective dose and a sample week.
5 min read
TrainingStrength training for women over 40: what changes and what to lift
What the research says about muscle, bone and protein after 40, a two- or three-day lifting plan built for it, and how to progress safely.
6 min read
NutritionWhat an AI nutrition coach does, and how to tell a good one
An AI nutrition coach should set targets, make logging effortless, adjust from your results and know its limits. How to judge one, with Bay as the example.
6 min read
CoachingAI accountability coach for fitness: what works and what doesn't
What the research says makes accountability work for fitness, why reminders alone fail, and how an AI accountability coach can run the loop every day.
5 min read
TrainingHow to track fitness progress: the six numbers that matter
Which measures show progress, how often to take them, how to read a weight trend and an estimated one-rep max, and how to track without it becoming a job.
5 min read
TrainingAn AI workout coach for beginners: your first month, week by week
What a good AI workout coach should do for a complete beginner, the rules it should follow, what the first four weeks look like, and when you need a human.
6 min read
- Training
Strength training for runners: a 2-day plan built around your miles
Two lifting sessions a week improve running economy and cut injury risk without hurting your mileage. The evidence, the plan, and how a coach fits it in.
6 min read
NutritionHow to track calories without an app: five methods that actually last
Count calories without downloading anything: paper, a notes file, a spreadsheet, a kitchen scale or a coach you text, compared on effort and staying power.
4 min read
NutritionAn AI personal trainer over text: how it works, day by day
What coaching by text message looks like, from setup to your morning plan, logging sets and meals in a sentence, the evening recap and the weekly review.
6 min read
TrainingA dumbbell-only home workout plan: 3 days, every muscle twice a week
A complete three-day dumbbell plan for home with a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a bench or the floor: sets, reps, how to progress and how to swap exercises.
5 min read
CoachingHow to stay consistent with exercise: what the habit research says
Consistency is a design problem, not a willpower problem. The research on habit formation, and a practical system for the first 66 days and after.
6 min read
TrainingWhat is a deload week? When to take one and what the evidence says
A deload week is a planned drop in training volume and load. What it is for, how coaches run one, what the trials found, and a simple way to schedule it.
4 min read
- Training
The best workout split for 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6 days a week
Five splits, one per training frequency, with the weekly sets each gives every muscle and who it suits. Built on the frequency and volume research.
6 min read
TrainingHow to build a personalized workout routine in 6 steps
A step-by-step method for designing a workout routine around your days, goal, experience and equipment, with the research-backed numbers for each decision.
7 min read
NutritionHow much protein do you need per day?
What the research says about protein for losing fat or building muscle, turned into a target you can actually hit with normal food.
3 min read
NutritionHow many calories should I eat to lose weight?
A clear way to set a calorie target for fat loss, how fast to aim for, and when to adjust the number instead of forcing it.
3 min read
NutritionHow to track calories by texting
Logging food by text takes a few seconds a meal. Here is what to send, how estimates work, and how to keep them honest.
4 min read
TrainingProgressive overload explained: how to keep getting stronger
The one principle behind every good strength program, the simplest way to apply it, and what to do when a lift stalls.
4 min read
TrainingA 3-day full-body workout plan for beginners
A complete three-day strength plan built on six lifts, with sets, reps, how to add weight, and how to fit it around a busy week.
3 min read
- Nutrition
How often to weigh yourself: daily, weekly, and reading the trend
Daily weigh-ins beat weekly in the trials, as long as you read the trend and not the number. The weekend swing, water weight, and how a coach reviews the line.
5 min read
- Nutrition
How to log food with a photo: what the camera gets right and wrong
Photo calorie logging is fast and roughly right. What the studies measured, the shots that fail, when to add a sentence or scan a barcode, and how Bay does it.
6 min read
