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Best Apps for Sheiko: 3 Workout Apps Compared (2026)

Boris Sheiko is a Russian powerlifting coach widely regarded as one of the most successful in the history of the sport: head coach of the Russian national team and coach of multiple world champions and record holders. His methodology centers on high-frequency percentage-based programming with numbered training cycles. Few apps ship Sheiko as named pre-built content, which makes this field narrow but well-defined.

Last updated May 2026
Read the Sheiko methodology hub →
#1

Boostcamp

US App Store
4.8 ★ (8.8K)
Pricing
Free tier + Pro at $59.99/yr ($4.99/mo annual), 7-day trial
Platforms
iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision, Android

Why it's on this list

Boostcamp hosts community-uploaded Sheiko routines as named programs, including the canonical numbered cycles (#29, #30, #31, #32, and #37 are the most referenced). They run free, with loads calculated from your 1RM. Boostcamp's program-publishing model is the reason its catalog carries Sheiko at all: coaches and lifters keep uploading the cycles, where most general apps have none.

Sheiko's defining trait is volume and frequency. Sets and reps are prescribed at fixed percentages, often four or more sessions a week, with the same lifts trained repeatedly, and crucially there is no AMRAP feedback loop. So the tracking job is staying on top of a high session count and watching weekly tonnage rather than chasing a top set. Boostcamp logs each prescribed set against its percentage, the plate calculator absorbs the constant load changes, and the weekly reports surface the volume trends that tell you whether a block is sustainable. RPE and RIR are available if you want to layer autoregulation on top.

Because the cycles sit in the same library as 5/3/1, nSuns, and 11,000+ other programs, a Sheiko block, an off-season hypertrophy phase, and a meet peak all live in one continuous history. Pro adds the Strength Score, a per-muscle volume heatmap that suits Sheiko's high tonnage, and 20+ exclusive coach programs for $59.99/year ($4.99/month annual).

Best for: Powerlifters who want community Sheiko cycles tracked against percentages and weekly tonnage, plus a library for cycles between Sheiko blocks
#2

Sheiko Gold: AI Powerlifting

US App Store
4.7 ★ (178)
Pricing
Free + subscription or one-time lifetime ($6.99/wk, $19.99/mo, $89.99/quarter, $118.99/yr, or $219.99 lifetime)
Platforms
iPhone, iPad, Apple Vision

Why it's on this list

Sheiko Gold is the official AI-powered powerlifting app from Boris Sheiko, released in 2019 and currently rated 4.7 stars with 178 US ratings. The app uses an initial 30-day observation period to learn how you respond to different training loads, then generates individualized programs that adjust intensity, volume, and exercise selection in real time based on readiness and performance. Velocity-based training (VBT) integration via the VELOS-ID barbell tracker is supported for more precise adjustments based on bar speed.

This is the most advanced of the dedicated Sheiko apps and the only one with native AI personalization. The pricing spans weekly to annual subscription tiers plus a lifetime option, which is unusual in the category. If you want Boris Sheiko's methodology delivered as a personalized AI coach rather than as fixed numbered cycles, Sheiko Gold is the official version.

Best for: Powerlifters who want Boris Sheiko's methodology delivered as a personalized AI coach with optional velocity-based training
Visit Sheiko Gold: AI Powerlifting →
#3

Sheiko - Workout Routines

US App Store
4.7 ★ (147)
Pricing
$9.99 one-time purchase + optional in-app purchases
Platforms
iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, Apple Vision

Why it's on this list

Sheiko - Workout Routines is the original Sheiko app (also by developer Robert Frederick) and the long-standing community favorite for running the classic Boris Sheiko numbered cycles. The app includes 51 training cycles designed for all skill levels (beginner, intermediate, advanced), demonstration videos for the main and supplemental lifts, progress charts, customization options, bench specialization programs, and bar tracking and analysis. It carries 4.7 stars and 147 US ratings.

At $9.99 one-time, it is the only dedicated Sheiko app with a true one-time purchase model (no subscription required for the base feature set). Apple Watch logging is included. For lifters who want the canonical Sheiko numbered programs without the AI adaptation layer, this is the original and the standard recommendation.

Best for: Powerlifters who want the original Sheiko numbered cycles with a one-time purchase and Apple Watch logging
Visit Sheiko - Workout Routines →

Frequently asked questions

Why is Boostcamp ranked first for Sheiko?

Few general apps carry Sheiko at all. Boostcamp does, because its community-publishing model lets coaches and lifters upload the numbered cycles, which then run free with percentage-based loading. The two dedicated Sheiko apps are excellent for Sheiko specifically, but Boostcamp keeps the routines alongside the rest of your training in one continuous history, which fits how most lifters use Sheiko: as one block among many rather than forever.

How does Boostcamp handle Sheiko's high training volume?

Sheiko blocks are high-frequency and high-tonnage, so the useful signal is weekly volume rather than a single top set. Boostcamp logs every prescribed set against its percentage and rolls the numbers into weekly reports, and Pro adds a per-muscle volume heatmap that makes it easy to see whether a four-plus-session week is accumulating more than you can recover from. Between Sheiko blocks, the same tracker carries your history into a hypertrophy phase, a 5/3/1 cycle, or a meet peak without starting over.

Why are there two Sheiko apps from the same developer?

Both Sheiko Gold (released 2019) and Sheiko - Workout Routines (the original) are by developer Robert Frederick. Sheiko Gold is the newer official AI-powered version that adapts programming in real time based on a 30-day observation period and velocity-based training data, with a subscription or lifetime pricing model. Sheiko - Workout Routines is the original app with 51 classic Sheiko numbered cycles for a $9.99 one-time purchase. They serve different audiences: Sheiko Gold for lifters who want AI adaptation, the original for lifters who want the canonical numbered programs without adaptation.

Which Sheiko cycle should I start with?

Sheiko #29, #30, #31, #32, and #37 are the most commonly referenced numbered cycles in the strength community, each with different volume, intensity, and frequency profiles. #29 and #37 are often recommended as intermediate-friendly starting points; the higher-numbered intermediate-to-advanced cycles ramp volume significantly. Sheiko - Workout Routines includes all 51 official cycles with skill-level recommendations. Sheiko Gold uses its observation period to assign personalized programming rather than asking you to pick a number. On Boostcamp, browse the Sheiko community uploads and pick a cycle that matches your current intermediate vs advanced level.

Do I need to know my one rep max to start Sheiko?

Yes. Sheiko programs are percentage-based, so working weights are calculated from your true 1RM (or a Training Max set just below it). All three apps include a 1RM estimator from rep records if you do not want to test a true max. Sheiko Gold's 30-day observation period adapts the percentage targets to your actual recoverability rather than assuming standard recovery ratios.

More roundups

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5/3/1 is Jim Wendler's percentage-based strength template, built around four core lifts and a four-week wave. Most workout apps treat 5/3/1 as a custom routine you build from scratch. These four apps either include 5/3/1 as a pre-built program or are dedicated to the methodology, so you can start a cycle without doing the math yourself.

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Best apps for powerlifting

Competitive powerlifting training is built around percentage-based loading of the squat, bench, and deadlift, with structured peaking blocks before meets. These four apps either ship the canonical powerlifting methodologies as pre-built content or deliver personalized powerlifting programming from elite coaches.

See roundup →

Already using a different app and want a direct head-to-head? See how Boostcamp compares.

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