# Underground Fitness Stack: Free Self-Hosted Tools + Data Hacking

**URL:** <https://onehack.st/t/underground-fitness-stack-free-self-hosted-tools-data-hacking/314298>\
**Category:** Tools & Scripts\
**Tags:** programming, privacy, freebies, self-improvement\
**Created:** [December 2, 2025, 11:28pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/underground-fitness-stack-free-self-hosted-tools-data-hacking/314298 "2025-12-02T23:28:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Margaret](https://onehack.st/user_avatar/onehack.st/margaret/32/174872_2.png) [@Margaret](https://onehack.st/u/Margaret)\
**Post date:** [December 2, 2025, 11:28pm UTC](https://onehack.st/t/underground-fitness-stack-free-self-hosted-tools-data-hacking/314298/1 "2025-12-02T23:28:22Z")

</div>

# Underground Fitness Tools: Free, Self-Hosted, Actually Good

> Want to stop paying monthly for apps that track your gym sessions? Want your data to actually be yours? Here’s how.

 ![image](https://onehack.st/uploads/default/original/3X/4/b/4b4827689d6531e993873d4604fecd58ca5b35ef.jpeg)

* * *

## **The Problem (Why You’re Reading This)**

Right now, your fitness life is scattered:

- Workouts live in one app
- Your progress lives in a Google Sheet (cursed)
- Your smartwatch data is trapped forever
- You’re paying $15/month to see numbers you already know

That sucks.

* * *

## **The Solution (In 3 Words)**

**Wingfit.** Own it locally.

- Self-hosting Wingfit doesn’t just “protect” your data better — it stops random third parties from collecting it in the first place. No trackers, no ad-SDKs, no surprise “partners.”

![](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/itskovacs/wingfit/main/.github/screenshot.png)

It’s a free app you run on your own computer. No ads. No “come back!” notifications at 3 AM. Just you, your workouts, your data.

## Live demo: [wingfit.fr](https://wingfit.fr/)

## **GitHub:**

> **[GitHub - itskovacs/wingfit: Minimalist fitness app to plan your workouts,...](https://github.com/itskovacs/wingfit/)**
>
> Minimalist fitness app to plan your workouts, track your personal records and leverage smartwatch data

* * *

## **What Does Wingfit Actually Do?**

Three things:

1. **Plan your workouts** – Stop improvising every session. Build actual training blocks.
2. **Track your lifts** – Watch your numbers go up. Feel good about it.
3. **See your smartwatch data** – Heart rate, volume, recovery. All in one place.

That’s it. No social feeds. No infinite scroll. Just the things that matter.

* * *

## **But What If Wingfit Alone Isn’t Enough?**

No problem. There are other free tools you can glue together.

**Want bar speed tracking without $500 hardware?**

- Point a webcam at your barbell
- Tape looks cool
- Get actual velocity data
- Tool: VBT-Barbell-Tracker ([https://github.com/kostecky/VBT-Barbell-Tracker](https://github.com/kostecky/VBT-Barbell-Tracker))

**Want a heatmap of your training days?**

- See which days you actually showed up
- Tool: ExerciseDiary ([https://github.com/aceberg/ExerciseDiary](https://github.com/aceberg/ExerciseDiary))

**Want a simple phone app for logging?**

- No cloud, no signup
- Tool: GymRoutines ([https://codeberg.org/noahjutz/GymRoutines](https://codeberg.org/noahjutz/GymRoutines))

**Want to track runs without feeding Strava?**

- Offline maps, GPS, easy exports
- Tool: FitoTrack ([https://codeberg.org/jannis/FitoTrack](https://codeberg.org/jannis/FitoTrack))

**Want a super lightweight, minimal tracker?**

- Built in Rust, lightning fast
- Tool: Toedi ([https://github.com/toedirs/toedirs](https://github.com/toedirs/toedirs))

**Want to log workouts in your browser, no account needed?**

- Everything stays on your device
- Tool: [MuscleBook.net](http://MuscleBook.net) ([https://github.com/cfilipov/MuscleBook.net](https://github.com/cfilipov/MuscleBook.net))

Think of Wingfit as the main brain. These are optional sidequests.

* * *

## **Getting Your Old Data Back (Data Jailbreak)**

Stuck in Garmin? Apple Health? Mi Band?

**From Garmin:**

- Use **Garth** (Python tool that logs in like their app)
- [https://github.com/matin/garth](https://github.com/matin/garth)
- Pulls everything out, lasts a year
- Now feed it into Wingfit or keep it safe

**From Mi Band / Zepp / Amazfit:**

- Use **Mi-Fit-and-Zepp-workout-exporter**
- [https://github.com/rolandsz/Mi-Fit-and-Zepp-workout-exporter](https://github.com/rolandsz/Mi-Fit-and-Zepp-workout-exporter)
- Talks to hidden APIs
- Exports to GPX, JSON, whatever format you want

**From Apple Health:**

- Export your data as XML (Settings \> Health \> Data Access & Devices)
- Use **apple-health-parser** to turn that mess into readable data
- [https://github.com/cvyl/apple-health-parser](https://github.com/cvyl/apple-health-parser)

Point: Your data is yours. Go get it.

* * *

## **Free Fitness Databases (Build Your Own Coach Brain)**

Don’t reinvent the wheel. These exist and are free.

**Exercise lists with images:**

- **Free Exercise DB** - thousands of exercises with muscles and equipment
- [https://github.com/yuhonas/free-exercise-db](https://github.com/yuhonas/free-exercise-db)
- JSON you can use: [https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yuhonas/free-exercise-db/main/dist/exercises.json](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/yuhonas/free-exercise-db/main/dist/exercises.json)

**Food data:**

- **Canadian Nutrient File API** - ~5,600 foods, 150+ nutrients
- [https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/api/canadian-nutrient-file/](https://food-nutrition.canada.ca/api/canadian-nutrient-file/)
- No API key needed

**Want to compare lifts scientifically?**

- **Powerlifting formulas** - Wilks scores, IPF standards, DOTS calculations
- [https://github.com/Magsport/powerlifting-formulas](https://github.com/Magsport/powerlifting-formulas)
- Settle arguments with math instead of opinions

**Heart rate variability (recovery tracking):**

- **pyHRV** or **hrv-analysis** - feed in your heartbeat gaps, get HRV metrics
- [https://github.com/PGomes92/pyhrv](https://github.com/PGomes92/pyhrv)
- [https://github.com/Aura-healthcare/hrv-analysis](https://github.com/Aura-healthcare/hrv-analysis)
- See what sleep, stress, and training actually do to your recovery

* * *

## **How to Actually Run This Thing**

Wingfit runs in Docker (a magic box that handles all the boring setup).

**Easiest way (Docker Compose):**

1. Install Docker on your computer or cheap VPS
2. Clone the repo: [https://github.com/itskovacs/wingfit/](https://github.com/itskovacs/wingfit/)
3. Run this one command:

```auto
docker-compose up -d

```

Done. Open [http://localhost:8080](http://localhost:8080)

**One-liner version:**

```auto
docker pull ghcr.io/itskovacs/wingfit:5
docker run -d -p 8080:8000 -v ./storage:/app/storage ghcr.io/itskovacs/wingfit:5

```

Your data lives in `./storage` – back it up by copying that folder.

* * *

## **Privacy & Storage (Real Talk)**

- Your data lives in a single database file on your machine
- You can plug in your own login system if you want
- It’s free for personal use (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
- Backups are simple: just copy the `.db` file

**Performance?** Fine for you, your friends, your family. Only breaks if you dump millions of rows with zero optimization.

* * *

## **Wingfit vs Other Options**

**vs wger (bigger, fuller system):**

- wger has nutrition, photos, measurements, gym management
- Wingfit is lighter, just workouts + PRs
- Pick wger if you want an all-in-one beast
- Pick Wingfit if you want minimal, clean, fast

**vs paid apps (Hevy, Strong, etc.):**

- Paid apps add social feeds, watch apps, auto-progression
- They own your data
- Wingfit is free, private, yours forever
- Pick this if you care about owning your history

* * *

## **Find Your People (Communities)**

Want ideas? Steal them from people who obsess over data:

- **Lifelogging Discord** : [https://discord.com/invite/ZFgwHAn6G9](https://discord.com/invite/ZFgwHAn6G9)
- **Endurain Discord** (Strava alternative): [https://discord.gg/rPWFv6W](https://discord.gg/rPWFv6W)
- **Self-Hosted Community** : [https://lemmy.world/c/selfhosted](https://lemmy.world/c/selfhosted)

* * *

## **Just Get Started Already**

1. Click the demo: [https://wingfit.fr/](https://wingfit.fr/) (2 minutes, see if you like it)
2. Pick your level:

- Just want simple tracking? → Wingfit only
- Want your old data? → Add Garth or an exporter
- Want a frankenstein coach system? → Bolt on the free databases and tools

1. Copy-paste the Docker command above
2. Free your data from wherever it’s trapped
3. Done. You now own your fitness stack.

* * *

## **Who This Is For**

You want this if you:

- Like owning your own stuff
- Hate paying $15/month to see your own numbers
- Want to keep this data for 5+ years
- Don’t mind one copy-paste command

If that’s you: run Wingfit, maybe add a tool or two, and watch paid apps scream about discounts while you quietly build something better.

* * *

_Big platforms hate exactly what this topic is about: gluing small, free, self-hosted tools together (Wingfit + VBT + HRV + exports) so you don’t need their walled-garden “fitness cloud” at all._

![Angry Conan Obrien GIF by Team Coco](https://media3.giphy.com/media/v1.Y2lkPTNiMWQxM2I2cWh5Z2Y5dW91ZjRvNm5pYXVmMGloMzF4NmU0emQxanJ6dHJqempnbCZlcD12MV9naWZzX3NlYXJjaCZjdD1n/5b43IKwQdoQYmT98S8/giphy.gif)