How to Measure Bar Speed with Your Phone on Android

You can measure bar speed with an Android phone camera and Setvio. In the session editor, tap Measure with video, calibrate the plate size and measure your set. Then review the reps and apply the numbers to your log. The feature is free with ads, runs on your phone and never saves or uploads video.

What you need

• Setvio installed on a phone running Android 7.0 or later, with camera permission.
• A barbell plate whose diameter matches one of the Plate size options.
• A stable support for the phone, enough light and a side view that keeps the plate visible throughout each rep.

You do not need a sensor attached to the bar or a Setvio account. The app tracks a point in the image and uses the plate diameter as its distance reference.

1. Open the measurement from your set

In the session editor, find your barbell exercise and tap Measure with video. If Android asks for camera permission, allow it to see the camera image and take a measurement.

2. Position your phone and calibrate the plate

Prop the phone up to the side of the bar, facing the plate. Keep the camera still and check that the plate stays in frame throughout its travel. Select the actual diameter under Plate size; for example, Competition 450 mm only fits a plate of that diameter.

Tap the centre of the plate and then its edge. This calibration converts movement on screen into a distance. Calibrate again if you change the phone or plate position relative to the camera.

3. Measure the set

When the app says it is ready, press Record, perform your set and stop the measurement. Despite the button's name, no video file is created: frames are analysed on the phone and discarded.

If tracking is lost, check the framing, light and contrast of the selected point before trying again. A moving camera or a plate leaving the frame prevents a consistent view of the movement.

4. Review and save the results

Check the detected reps and discard any that do not correspond to a real rep. Tap Use these numbers to fill in the set's fields, then save the session in your log.

• Mean and peak velocity: the average speed of the upward phase and its fastest instant.
• Range of motion and tempo: the distance and times detected.
• Velocity loss: how much reps slow down relative to the fastest rep in the set.

How to compare your measurements

Compare the same exercise using consistent camera placement and calibration. Select a session in Tracking to review its metrics. Also log weight, reps and RIR to keep the training context.

For what speed means in training, read the velocity-based training guide. The method is covered in the review by Weakley et al., 2021; that review does not validate Setvio's accuracy.

Measurement limits

Setvio's camera measurement has been checked against simulated motion, not against a linear transducer. Laboratory accuracy is not claimed. Framing, calibration and point tracking affect the result.

The load-velocity profile and 1RM from velocity are separate from logging a set. The 1RM is an estimate, and Setvio does not calculate it from velocity for the deadlift. An estimated number is not a weight you have already demonstrated you can lift.

Is it free? Is video saved?

Measurement is included in the free version with ads. Premium is an optional one-time purchase that removes ads. Frames are never saved or uploaded; your session keeps the numerical results you choose to apply and save.

If you want to choose your next load from your training history, read when to increase weight in the gym.

Published by Qjason Mobile, the developer of Setvio. Sources are listed below; app examples use demonstration data.

Sources

1. Weakley J, Mann B, Banyard H, McLaren S, Scott T, Garcia-Ramos A. Velocity-Based Training: From Theory to Application. Strength Cond J. 2021;43(2):31-49. doi.org/10.1519/SSC.0000000000000560