An Alpha Progression alternative that keeps your history
Alpha Progression is built around personalized plans, progression recommendations, and structured gym work. If your main need is managing weight, reps, intensity, and overload inside a program, it serves that job well. Symmetric Strength adds strength scoring, tier movement, and a Passport you can choose to publish.
Example result
Sample lifter
Strength score
Symmetry
89%- Squat
- 71.8
- Floor Pull
- 76.4
- Horizontal Press
- 68.2
- Vertical Press
- 54.6
- Pull-up / Row
- 66.0
Smart Coach: Vertical Press trails the other four patterns. Train it first.
Who each app is best for
Alpha Progression is better if you want
- A personalized plan based on your goals, equipment, experience, and schedule
- Weight, rep, and intensity recommendations for every set
- Detailed charts, PRs, streaks, achievements, and CSV export
Symmetric Strength is better if you want
- A private-by-default Strength Passport you can choose to publish
- Cohort ranking and percentiles when credible data is available
- Separately labeled OpenPowerlifting context when a comparable cohort exists
- Fastest Path planning for the next strength tier
Feature comparison
Scroll horizontally to compare all columns.
| Feature | Alpha Progression | Symmetric Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Progression planning | Weight, rep, and intensity targets based on past performance | Yes, targeted to score and tier movement |
| Workout logging | Sets, reps, RIR, weights, rest periods, and duration | Yes, with scoring built in |
| Strength score and tier | Charts for weight, strength rating, volume, and body measurements | Yes, per lift and overall |
| Percentile vs real lifters | PRs, streaks, achievements, and detailed charts | Shown only with a credible, labeled cohort; comparable competition context is separate |
| Profile you can publish | CSV export for raw training numbers | Available when you publish your Strength Passport |
| Cohort ranking | Personal progress charts and records | Shown only when a credible, labeled cohort is available |
| Next-tier planning | Per-set progression recommendations | Yes, Fastest Path shows the cheapest lift to improve |
| Coach with visible reasoning | Plan generation and progression recommendations | Yes, every suggestion carries its rationale |
What Symmetric Strength adds
Strength Passport
A private-by-default Strength Passport that shows your score, tier, and any available cohort percentiles in one place. You choose whether to publish it.
Labeled cohort context
When a credible cohort exists, Symmetric Strength labels the percentile, source, sample, and confidence. App cohorts leave out members who turned off community statistics; comparable OpenPowerlifting competition context is shown separately when available.
Fastest Path to your next tier
The app tells you which single lift to improve, and by how much, to reach your next strength tier with the least added weight.
A coach that shows its reasoning
When the Coach can issue a recommendation, it includes the rationale: which weak point it targets, what evidence triggered it, and what result it expects.
Bring your Alpha Progression history with you
You do not have to start over. In Alpha Progression, open Settings, choose Export training data, and bring the Workouts file into Symmetric Strength. The preview is parsed in your browser, and your Strength Passport is built from the training history you already have.
Not sure yet? Enter your lifts in the free calculator and see your score, tier, and weak points in about a minute. No account needed.
Calculate my strengthCommon questions
Is Alpha Progression better for planned overload?
For program-level progression management, Alpha Progression is strong. Symmetric Strength focuses on scoring the outcome and showing the next lift that changes your tier.
What does Symmetric Strength add?
It adds a private-by-default Passport you can publish, cohort percentiles when the data supports them, weak-point analysis, and recommendations with visible reasoning.
Can I use both apps?
Yes. Use Alpha Progression to run a personalized plan and Symmetric Strength to score your lifts, plan your next tier, and see a labeled cohort comparison when eligible data supports one.