VBTCoach

Metric for Android is now available for download in public beta on Google Play.

To get the app first complete the short beta onboarding (link in our bio) and you’ll get a download link instantly.

Record or import your training videos.
Get instant velocity, ROM, eccentric tempo, and bar path data.
Measure and beat your personal records.
Compare sets and track fatigue against your six-week trend.
Log RPE.
Store, review and export your training videos.

StrengthTraining BarbellTracking StrengthCoach strengthandconditioning barspeed barbell

I wasn’t sure it was going to be very much worth sharing for the 2025 Metric year in review.

When you are in the thick of the work, tackling bugs, responding to feedback, testing the app, it can feel a bit like a hamster wheel of working flat out to just stay in place!

But then, I went through the Metric Changelog, and we actually made a heap of progress this year!! — How wrong was I!

Zooming out, it’s nice to see that Metric made some big progress this year and achieved some big improvements and additions to the training experience in the Metric app, and despite some hiccups with the 6.0 launch (thank you everyone for helping us rapidly find and fix those bugs!) I can confidently say Metric is an even better app today than it was 12 months ago, adding some much-requested features and making plenty of improvements to our iOS app.

One of my favourite things about building software is that it’s never finished — always improving, slowly coming to meet the vision. Only for the vision to expand and the next push to begin 😆

**Thank you** to everyone who left an App Store review (these are gold for indie devs like us!), submitted a bug report, sent feature requests, joined the Discord, or shared your Metric lifts on socials this year. We appreciate you.

An especially big thank you to our Pro and Pro Coach subscribers. Independent developers like us only get to work on projects like Metric because of the community we serve. We don’t run ads. We don’t sell data. We’re here to build a great training tool for coaches and lifters around the world — helping you train harder and smarter every session. Metric has always been an app by lifters, for lifters.

**🤖 Android update:**
Yes, we hear you — and yes, it’s coming. A lot of behind-the-scenes work went into getting our vision system Android-ready in 2025, and we’re super close. We’re planning a private Android beta in early 2026, with updates rolling out through the year. Join the waitlist at metric.coach to stay in the loop.

Happy holidays everyone ✌️
— Jacob

🐆 or 🦏? One moves the fastest. The other just moves heavy.
If you’re chasing sprint speed or vertical jump gains, strength alone won’t get you there.
A study of 61 elite athletes, including 15 Olympians, found that power output (not max strength) had the strongest correlation with sprint and jump performance.
Power is what transfers. Strength is just the foundation.
So if you’re only tracking how much you lift, you’re missing a key ingredient.
That’s where velocity and power tracking come in. With , you can:
✅ Measure bar speed in real time
✅ Track power output (in watts)
✅ Compare your efforts to previous sessions
✅ Turn your phone into a high-performance lab
You can download for free today!

Why Velocity-Based Training Works - And How You Can Start Today
It’s not just how much you lift… it’s how fast you move it.
That’s the power of bar speed tracking, and why serious athletes are switching to smarter training.
✅ Track bar speed
✅ Auto-adjust intensity
✅ Monitor fatigue in real time
✅ Build explosive strength and power
✅ See your power output in watts
No devices. Just your phone.
Download Metric - the world’s smartest barbell tracking app.
Train with intent. Recover faster. Perform at your peak.
👉 Free to start. Link in bio.


Do Cluster Sets = More Gains? 🏋️‍♂️
Cluster sets are trending in the strength world but do they actually build more power?

In a recent 11-week study:
✅ Cluster sets led to better bar speed
✅ Higher peak power output
✅ Cleaner reps with less fatigue

Here’s the takeaway:
Cluster sets are powerful tools for bar speed and explosiveness. Use them wisely, especially during in-season phases, power blocks, or when you want clean volume without crushing your nervous system.
Want to test clusters and track rep quality for real?
Train smarter with Metric, no hardware, just your phone.

Link in bio or DM me to learn more.

# #

The 5-zone VBT model is outdated.
Yes, it’s popular. Yes, it looks neat in a chart.
But in the real world? It’s too rigid, too theoretical, and doesn’t reflect how actual athletes perform.

Here’s what the research and coaching experience tell us:
❌ Athletes don’t always fit the zones
❌ The model ignores fatigue and daily readiness
❌ Force-velocity isn’t linear across lifts or people

That’s why I built the 3-Zone Model - a smarter, more practical way to apply velocity-based training.

✅ Based on velocity loss instead of absolute velocity
✅ Scales to any athlete or training focus
✅ Works in the gym, not just on paper

Learn why it matters - full breakdown at [vbtcoach.com]

Should you train to failure?
The real answer isn’t “yes” or “no” - it’s about knowing when failure drives adaptation and when it just adds unnecessary fatigue.

Velocity-based training gives you data to guide that line - showing you:
✅ When you’re slowing down
✅ How close you are to technical failure
✅ How to autoregulate without guessing

Smart programming isn’t about pushing every set to the edge - it’s about pushing with purpose.
Learn how to use velocity loss to auto-adjust your volume, preserve power output, and still train hard.

Dive deeper in the full breakdown at [vbtcoach.com]

Metric just got an iPad glow up 💅

Metric’s iPad optimization is available for all users (Free, Pro & Coach), but Coach Mode is where those extra pixels really shine. The extra screen space makes programming, reviewing trainign data and coaching your athletes so much easier.

✅ Bigger screens = better athlete management
✅ Perfect for reviewing form videos during sessions
✅ Multi-athlete workouts with rapid athlete switching on a single devcie
✅ Fast, effortless program writing.

Coaches - this one’s for you. Update to v5.6 and see the difference a properly sized screen makes when you’re managing your athletes’ training.

A refreshed Metric v5.0 is now available on the App Store.

Download or update to the latest version of the app for a fresh look and a bunch of new features to help you take your training to the next level!

Back by popular demand, you can get a free copy of the VBTcoach velocity logbook on the VBTcoach website!!!

Compatible with any bar speed tracker (but extra compatible with 😏) this free tool is a great way to log your velocity data and track your progress in the gym.

When your ready to level up, all the features in the logbook (and more) are also available on the Metric app, automated, efficient and complete with workout logging tools, real-time feedback, video storage, bar path and more!

Get a copy of the logbook when you sign up for the VBTcoach newsletter - link in da bio