Cardio Tracking Apps: What to Look for If You Train Cardio and Strength Together

Most cardio tracking apps fall into one of two categories: dedicated GPS and heart-rate tools built for runners and cyclists, or general training logs that let you record a cardio session as part of a broader workout history. Which one you need depends on what you actually do with cardio — is it the main event, or something you do alongside strength training? This article covers what to look for in a cardio tracking app and where a combined training log fits in.

The short answer

• Dedicated GPS/running apps are built for route mapping, pace, and heart-rate-strap integration — the right choice if cardio (running, cycling) is your primary sport.
• A combined training log records cardio sessions alongside your strength training, so your whole training week lives in one place instead of two separate apps.
• The main benefit of a combined log is seeing your full training picture — how cardio and strength sessions are distributed across the week — without switching apps.
• Don't expect a general strength-focused app to replace a GPS running watch — if you need route mapping or heart-rate-strap data, a dedicated cardio app or wearable still does that better.
• Match the tool to the goal: serious endurance athletes need dedicated cardio tools; people doing cardio as a supplement to strength training often get more value from a unified log.

Two different jobs: dedicated cardio apps vs. combined training logs

A dedicated cardio or running app is built around metrics that matter for endurance training specifically — GPS-mapped routes, pace per mile or kilometer, elevation, and (with compatible hardware) heart-rate-strap data during the session. If your training is centered on running, cycling, or another cardio-first sport, this is the right category of tool, and it's not something a general strength-training app is designed to replace.

A combined training log takes a different approach: instead of specializing in cardio metrics, it records that a cardio session happened — type, duration, and how it felt — as one entry in your overall training history, sitting alongside your logged strength sessions. The value here isn't depth on cardio-specific metrics; it's having one place that shows your whole week of training, cardio and strength together.

App type	Best for	What it tracks well
Dedicated GPS/cardio app	Runners, cyclists, endurance-focused training	Route, pace, elevation, heart-rate-strap data
Combined training log	People doing cardio alongside strength training	Cardio sessions logged as part of an overall training history

Why a combined log matters if you lift and do cardio

If cardio is something you do a few times a week alongside a structured strength program — for conditioning, heart health, or general fitness — tracking it in the same place as your lifting sessions has a real advantage: you can see your whole training week at a glance. Without a combined view, it's easy to lose track of whether you actually did the cardio you planned, or to not notice that cardio and your hardest lifting days keep landing back-to-back. Our guide on cardio and strength training on the same day covers how to sequence the two when they overlap.

What GymMonster offers — and what it doesn't

GymMonster's core strength is strength training: fast set/rep/weight logging, a rest timer, PR tracking, saved routines, and a muscle heatmap that shows which muscles you've trained based on your logged workouts. It's not a dedicated GPS running or cycling app — it doesn't map routes or connect to a heart-rate strap for live cardio metrics. What it does well is let you log a cardio session as part of your overall training record, so your cardio work shows up in the same history as your lifting, giving you a complete picture of your training week without needing to check two separate apps.

If you're a competitive runner or cyclist who needs detailed pace, route, and heart-rate data, a dedicated cardio app or GPS watch will serve that specific need better. If your priority is a single training log that captures both your strength sessions and your cardio sessions so nothing falls through the cracks, that's where a combined log like GymMonster fits.

Questions to ask before choosing

• Is cardio my primary training focus, or a supplement to strength training? The former points to a dedicated GPS app; the latter points to a combined log.
• Do I need route mapping or heart-rate-strap data during cardio? If yes, you need dedicated cardio hardware/software, regardless of what else you use for strength training.
• Do I want one place to see my whole training week? If yes, a combined log removes the need to cross-reference two separate apps to understand your training balance.

The bottom line

The right cardio tracking approach depends on whether cardio is your main sport or a complement to strength training — dedicated GPS apps win on cardio-specific metrics, while a combined training log wins on giving you one complete picture of your week. GymMonster is built as that combined log: strong at strength training logging (sets, reps, weights, PRs, rest timer, routines, and a muscle heatmap), and a reliable place to record your cardio sessions alongside it, even though it isn't a dedicated GPS running or cycling tool.