SetonomyHelp
Set-by-set training
Setonomy guides you through your workout: enter reps and weight, complete the set, and the rest timer starts. On the Lock Screen, the whole workout runs through the Live Activity without unlocking.
Where to find it
- Workout
- a workout
- Start workout
Or from the Up next card on the Dashboard. Before your first workout, Setonomy shows a short safety note once.
Logging a set
−/+ changes reps by 1 and weight by one step, usually 5 lb; tap a number to open the keypad. For timed exercises, you set the duration. “Complete set” works once reps are entered; “Skip set” always works.
From the second set on, the previous set's values are already filled in (“Carry over values from previous set,” on by default). Above the card, chips show the Suggestion from your history and the values from Last time and the Last set; tap one to use it. A line below explains why Setonomy suggests it.
How hard was the set? (RPE)
With “Use target RPE” under Settings → Effort (RPE), Setonomy asks after every set how hard it felt: Easy, Medium, Hard or Max, which is RPE 7 to 10. What each level means only shows after you tap, so it doesn't sway your choice; on small iPhones, it isn't shown. Instead of the four buttons, there's also a 1–10 slider.
RPE makes the next suggestions more precise, and sets rated Hard or above count toward your personal records. What the levels mean and how accurate the rating is: see the article RPE and RIR.
Rest
After every set, the rest timer runs, 1:30 by default (Settings → Default rest). Change it with the slider, −15 s and +15 s, or end it with “Skip rest.” After an exercise's last set, the rest keeps counting until you start the next exercise.
The first time, Setonomy asks whether it may notify you when rest ends. You then get a notification with sound, even when your iPhone is locked; with the app open, it vibrates.
On the Lock Screen: Live Activity
During a workout, the Lock Screen and the Dynamic Island show a Live Activity with total time, rest and, if measured, your heart rate. The whole workout works from there without unlocking: change reps and weight, complete or skip a set, rate the RPE, extend or skip the rest, pause, and move on to the next exercise.
Swapping and adding exercises
Tap the circular arrows at the top of the set card to replace an exercise, for example when the machine is taken. Setonomy suggests substitutes with the same movement, easier or harder if you like, and flags what doesn't fit your equipment. Sets you've checked off stay as they are.
After the last set, you can add an exercise or one more set.
Warm-ups and summary
Warm-up sets you plan in the workout show up on the first set as a checklist. They don't count toward volume.
After the workout, Setonomy shows duration, work and rest, volume, sets, new records and, if measured, your heart rate. Then it suggests updating the workout's targets; you can apply the suggestions or not.
Premium
Partly Premium. Training with suggestions, the rest timer, notifications and the Live Activity is free. Premium adds custom rest per exercise and calculated warm-up sets from your working weight (Premium).
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I tap “Complete set”?
The reps are still missing. Enter them and it works; “Skip set” always works.
Where do I turn on RPE?
Under Settings → Effort (RPE) → “Use target RPE.” That's also where you choose between the four buttons and the slider.
Will I notice when rest ends with my iPhone locked?
Yes, if you've allowed notifications: you get a notification with sound, and the Lock Screen shows the time left in the Live Activity.
Can I change the rest during a workout?
Yes, with the slider and ±15 s, or skip it. You set the default rest in Settings; custom rest per exercise comes with Premium.
I logged a set wrong.
During the workout, use ⋯ → “Correct sets …”; afterward, open it in History and tap “Edit.”