Forge

Lift. It logs itself.

The companion app for a line of sensor-fitted strength machines. Pair in one tap, and every set is recorded without touching the phone.

Sector: Connected strength equipment
Where: Ljubljana
Year: 2025 · 5 months
Role: iOS app, Hardware UX, Motion

Live · Station 0438:12

Bench press

Set 3 of 5 · target 8 reps · RPE 8

7of 8 reps

82.5kg on the bar

0.41m/s last rep

2·0·1tempo

18 × 8028 × 82.537 × 82.54— × 82.55— × 82.5

Logging on its own. Your phone can stay in your bag.

Today · Push A4 of 6 exercises

Overhead press4 × 6 · 47.5 kg
Dips3 × 10 · +10 kg
Cable fly3 × 12 · 17.5 kg
Bench pressSet 3 of 5
Incline DB press3 × 10 · 28 kg
Triceps pushdown3 × 12 · 25 kg

Rest after this set2:00

+30 sSkip rest

Last time on this benchThu 13 Mar

Top set8 × 80 kg

Volume3,120 kg

Today so far+6%

Live set screenReadable from two metres: the rep count, the load the station detected and the bar speed. Nothing on it needs a tap.

The problem

Early testers stopped logging after week two. Unlocking a phone with chalky hands between sets was the whole problem.

What changed

Moved logging off the screen: the machine detects reps, the app confirms.
Designed a glanceable set card readable from 2 metres.
Built pairing as a single NFC tap with a haptic handshake.

Pairing flowOne NFC tap on the upright. Two short buzzes confirm the handshake, so lifters never look at the screen.

Weekly progress and the watch glanceVolume, new bests and the streak on Sunday night. During a set, the watch shows only the count.

Rep pulse / 0 ms

Rep pulse / 60 ms

Rep pulse / 120 ms

176 × 176

Rep pulse / 180 ms

Easing · rep pulse

Haptics timeline

Rep countedlight

Set completesuccess ×2

Pairing handshakemedium + medium

Weight changedselection

Luka Novak2h

Testers read this from the squat rack, 2 m away. Pulse feels right; keep it under 200 ms.

Motion specThe rep pulse in four frames, its curve, and the haptics that carry the same news to your wrist.

Week-4 retention went from 22% to 61% in the closed beta.

0taps to log a set
61%week-4 retention
4.8TestFlight rating

“It's the first fitness app our testers forgot they were using. That's the compliment.”
Luka NovakCo-founder, Forge

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