Unnecessary distraction
Too many emojis, gamification and playful animations.
Hi, I am the person behind nocardio
IT guy · vibe coder · in the gym since 2013 · dad · early riser
I come from Munich, I have trained regularly in the gym since 2013, and I am a sysadmin by profession.
What began as a small side project has since become the app I start my training with every morning. With a bit of coding and AI support for routine work, I have built in exactly the features I need myself.
How nocardio came about
I love strength training. Over time I noticed that things which look unimportant at first glance make a big difference: sensible training plans, clear statistics, the right rest times and a clear view of your own progress. Over the years I have tried countless training apps. Almost every one had a catch of some kind:
And then there was something else that bothered me every time: I prefer to plan my training in peace on a large screen and to pick up only my phone in the gym. None of the apps really solved that combination well.
At some point I thought: if I like building things anyway, why not simply develop the app I want to use myself every day? I started nocardio at the end of 2025 and have worked on it almost daily since then. By now a great many hours and a lot of heart have gone into the project – and even so, this is only the beginning. I still have plenty of ideas that I want to put into practice step by step.
The hardest part was not the code at all. It was far harder to find high-quality exercise videos and to integrate them cleanly. By now there are over 200 exercises – each with a short video and step-by-step instructions. And of course the biggest challenge of all: finding time for the project every day alongside family and work, and still building something good whose fixed costs stay small, so that the app can stay free for good.
Paywall
Important features were only available for payment.
Inaccurate information
Statistics were inaccurate, or did not show the information I actually needed.
A few things about me
My way into scripting and programming began with HTML and CSS during my IT apprenticeship. Later came PowerShell and Bash at work, and at some point, out of pure curiosity, a Python course as well.
I love creating things: software, 3D printing, craft projects with the family. But I am also very fond of board games, hiking and, recently, padel – trying out new sports is huge fun for me.
Unfortunately there is never enough free time for everything. At the moment nocardio gets the largest part of it.
- In the gym
- since 2013
- Split
- 4× / week
- Training time
- 6 in the morning
- Favourite exercise
- Pull-ups
Push, Pull, Legs, Full Body
before everyone is awake
My principles
- I only build a feature once it genuinely adds something – not because it sells well.
- I train with nocardio myself every morning and test every new feature on myself first.
- No artificial limits, just to sell a subscription at some point.
- Your feedback goes straight into the app – a lot of what is here exists because somebody suggested it.
How nocardio is funded
I want to keep nocardio free and free of advertising. If the project ever covers its own costs, I will be glad – until then, voluntary support and possibly affiliate links in future help to pay for servers and development.
Thank you for taking the time to read this far
If something is missing for you in nocardio, or you have an idea, feel free to write to me. I read every message myself, and many features of the app came out of exactly those conversations. Perhaps nocardio will help you enjoy strength training in the long run just as it helps me every morning.