#1 Free Fitness App, Stop Paying for Home Workouts

StretchIt doesn’t provide the option to log one-off sessions like a run or gym workout. It only allows you to complete the scheduled workout according to your plan. There are also eight individual workout categories, including at-home, travel, dumbbell-only, and bodyweight. Work out anywhere with celebs and world-class trainers who will motivate you to reach your goals.

For busy people who prioritize fitness

EvolveYouIf you’re someone who likes to mix up your workouts, alternating between cardio or weights, Pilates or HIIT, the gym, or workouts in your living room, EvolveYou is a workout app worth considering. Designed for women by personal trainer Krissy Cela, the app has six different trainers on board, all of whom have several different workout plans to choose from. The list includes hiking, canoeing, an e-bike rides, rowing, alpine skiing, swimming, stand-up paddleboarding, and yoga. Of course, it’s important to point out that there are no actual workouts on Strava, so unlike other apps on this list, don’t expect to follow a strength training session — this is an app for tracking your progress. The best workout app depends on your goals, experience, and preferences—someone training for muscle gain might choose a strength‑focused app, while a beginner walker may prefer a simple, walking‑based program. The best option is the one you can use consistently and safely for months, not days.

Free Workout Apps:

My main fitness go-tos these days are YouTube videos, or when weather permits, a run or bike ride outside. But after some time choosing workout videos ad hoc on YouTube and going on self-driven, sometimes-listless jogs, I wanted something with a bit more guidance. This is why this assignment to try out workout apps, many of which offer comprehensive fitness plans, came at just the right time. Yes, there are a number of free workout apps out there, such as Nike Training Club, delivering solid workout plans to help you mix up your training sessions. Additionally, some fitness apps offer free trial periods at the start of your subscription to help you get a feel for the workout variety and platform offerings. Apps of this kind, however, often limit your capabilities within the service until you ultimately sign up and pay for the membership.

Training Shoes

best fitness apps for beginners at home

Designed by the industry’s best to build your chest, arms and back. Master a true blend of strength and dynamic mobility in this 6-week gym-based program. I am pretty athletic and have fairly extensive fitness knowledge, but gym motivation never resonated with me.

  • It costs $19.49 a month and grants users access to all virtual and live classes on iOS, Android, and the web.
  • From there, your Future Coach creates weekly, highly personalized training programs just for you, and adapts them whenever you need.
  • Create and log your workouts with Hevy and track your progress.
  • The first, and more well-known aspect of ClassPass, is that you can search for and participate in local fitness classes—HIIT, boot camp, kettlebell classes, plus salon appointments.
  • If you’re looking for a quick, new workout to do, SmartWOD can provide it.
  • Plus, there are new programs added every month, so you’ll never get bored.

Great workout experience

Often when a yoga instructor says something like “Bring your knee cap to face the sky”, I can’t work out what it means and by the time I do, the exercise is over. If you enjoy the sessions and programs, you’ll find it easier to make them part of your routine and progress towards your targets. For instance, if you like intense, high-energy classes, then the Peloton app might suit you. Not every workout app can be the best, but some can still be great and worth your time.

How we tested the best workout apps

BetterMe’s paid version generates workout programs based on goals, experience, preferred exercise frequency, and other factors. The Nike Training Club app will make your fitness habits stick with quicker options, goal-setting tools, and new content daily. Strengthen your mindset and your muscles with free guidance from your favorite trainers, athletes, and wellness experts. The free app will analyze basic workout stats, but for a deeper dive into statistics, the premium subscription is needed.

What’s the most reliable way to track progressive overload?

They also noted that the instructors were clear and easy to follow along with, and appreciated how upfront they were with equipment requirements prior to the session. After trying the app myself, I’d give the instruction a 4.5 out of 5. The workouts are easy to follow, though you do have to rewind the videos if you miss a move. Now, to track your daily caloric intake, Noom does require you to log each meal. While this level of involvement may not suit mad muscles app review everyone’s needs, our tester said that this process was easy given the simple user interface. We also liked that it increased accountability, giving this category a 3.5 out of 5, as some apps have more involved accountability measures.

best fitness apps for beginners at home

Day Fitness at Home

There are over 900 workout variations and they cover all of your major muscle groups. It comes with tutorial videos to help you with exercises you don’t know and to get the right form on them. MacroFactor costs $11.99 per month, or about $71.99 for a year. I learned a ton from tracking my calorie burn with MacroFactor, and I highly recommend it if you are OK with calorie tracking and are interested in gaining weight, losing weight, or fueling appropriately for exercise.

How We Tested and Chose the Best Workout Apps

Some apps try to shame you into working out, or bombard you with notifications, so I liked this approach. Nike’s app also offers push notification reminders (which you can turn off) to prompt you when it’s time to do a workout. Whether you’re hitting the weights in the gym or at home, a workout app is a great way to guide you toward your fitness goals. But there are a lot of apps to choose from, all of which promise to turn you into your best, most-fit self after a few planks, burpees, and jumping jacks. We do want to note, though, that the Alo Moves platform is primarily centered around individual workouts and programs rather than working toward certain goals or progressive overload. If you prefer a structured regimen that’s planned for weeks, this may not be the best fit.

Find a CrossFit Gym Near You

If you like to decide whether it’s leg day based on how you felt when you rolled out of bed, you probably won’t like this fitness tracker. Unfortunately, if you primarily work out indoors, you won’t get much out of the app. It’s just not great at tracking activities like Pilates or weightlifting.

You think you only have minute daily for your health/exercise? From timing every workout to having videos and a chat with the coaches. 5+ new workouts each week and a variety of training plans to choose from. Weight Watchers has teamed up with the Jennifer Aniston–fronted fitness app Pvolve to offer strength training to its members. This app integrates with Apple Health, Strava, and Fitbit to make tracking progress easier, provides easy-to-follow instructions and video, and incorporates strength, cardio, mobility, and endurance training.

Pvolve Official Site Workouts, classes, equipment & apparel

Once you complete a quick quiz about your fitness level, goals, injury history, and your preferred coaching style, you’re paired with your instructor. You video chat with them for an introduction, and from there, your training plan is customized to your abilities and available equipment. Centr offers multi-week training programs focused on conditioning, plyometrics, cardio, and core, with elements of strength and muscle-building.

Hiit/Cardio

Now these wearables are becoming more high-tech with each release, equipped with features like personalized workout programs and the advertised ability to monitor stress or sleep quality. We went through the download process, app setup, payment, and of course we tried a variety of workouts (or long-term programs if applicable). Not only that, there is a ton of variety with iFIT, earning it a 5-star rating for this category. You’ll have access to machine-specific workouts and strength training, circuit training, yoga, and Pilates.

Best prenatal and postpartum fitness app

best workout apps comparison

Bodybuilding.com BodyFit secures its spot as one of the best workout apps for muscle gain by serving as an all-in-one ecosystem for lifters. It combines a massive library of over 60 expert-designed training plans with an extensive exercise database and a members-only supplement store. This integrated approach allows users to follow a structured hypertrophy program, learn proper form from thousands of videos, and purchase their supplements all within the same platform. And with a team of certified personal trainers, coaches, and competitive athletes, we know what to look for in top training programs. These 30-minute sessions are perfect for beginners and are designed to build a consistent, sustainable fitness routine. With over 2,000 workout videos across madmuscles scam 25 plus programs, including dance, strength training, high-intensity cardio, and yoga, you’ll never run out of ways to challenge yourself, and if you do — bravo.

best workout apps comparison

Although it doesn’t sound like you have a lot of weight options to gradually increase for progressive overload to see any size gains. I will keep on testing Fitbod for a month but I need a mix of both apps or Freeletics to add more variety to the coach. Once you’ve been cleared to work out by your doctor and you’ve completed the Postpartum Pelvic Floor and Core Recovery Program, this program will help rebuild your strength and transition you back into your regular workouts.

The coaches do a great job of verbally guiding you through different effort levels, based on factors like your RPE and breathing. However, these are pre-recorded and aren’t too personalized — it’s on you to gauge your effort. An iFIT subscription is available for $39 monthly, but we appreciate how the platform offers discounts for more dedicated subscriptions, meaning you can save money with longer commitments. Currently, iFIT offers one-year memberships for $396 — a savings of $72. A third and final three-year membership is also available for $899, or $505 saved when compared to a monthly subscription for the same duration. Additionally, iFIT offers an AutoAdjust feature on their compatible devices, which automatically toggles your incline and speed settings in tune with your instructor’s commands.

One-off Workouts

Integrated rep & weight tracking to visualize your progress, get PR alerts, and manage training notes in one place. A workout plan for every day, created by an expert coach and new each week. Discover an easy-to-follow workout plan that is new each week and can be done from anywhere. The Olympic sprinter and former TV Gladiator Jenny Stoute has exactly the perfect, straight-bodied, elegant, strong technique that you would expect – you don’t end up in the Olympics for no reason. The videos are short and useful for drilling in the right way to do a particular exercise or use a piece of equipment.

Less than $15 per month

However, you also get a lot more from the app than most other competitors, leading GGR’s head of content and certified personal trainer Kate Meier to rate the value a 4 out of 5. Workout programs from Caliber focus on strength training, and can be customized for the gym equipment you have access to, leading Amanda to rate the equipment needs a 5 out of 5 as well. For the man looking for full-body workouts geared toward building muscle, Caliber can be a great option. Our product tester and certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto gives the value for the Premium plan a 5 out of 5.

Discover Your Cognitive Strengths and Weaknesses

But, when it comes to progressive overload, Aaptiv earns a 3-out-of-5-star rating. The principles of progressive overload are present in the app’s training plans, but Amanda notes, “The app offers basic progression. Most programs are just four to six weeks, so not really enough time to see big results for most folks, but would absolutely work for a beginner,” she says. If you were to sign up for Caliber Premium’s customized coaching, you’ll not only have high-quality videos to refer to, you can also record videos of yourself performing a certain exercise and send them to your coach. You likely won’t get real-time feedback, but our product tester Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1, tested the Premium version and reports coaches respond ASAP.

Best Workout App for Pilates: Reverse Health

The interface is polished, intuitive, and easy to navigate, allowing users to filter workouts by muscle group, equipment, or duration. While it tracks completed workouts, it lacks the detailed progression analytics and weight tracking features found in more specialized strength training apps. Zing Coach distinguishes itself as one of the best workout apps for muscle gain by leveraging AI for deeply personalized training. Unlike static programs, Zing’s plans are dynamic, adapting sets, reps, and intensity based on your daily check-ins, available equipment, and recovery status.

What is the best gym workout app for men?

Yes, a full library of workout splits based on experience, goals, available equipment, and preferred training frequency. Even if it’s just making this kind of exercising a habit/fun and extending it from there (I definitely don’t see this as the silver bullet). Upgrade to a FitOn PRO subscription ($29.99 per year) to receive personalized meal plans, exclusive recipes, unlimited downloads, and premium music selections. The app also offers articles and guides that cover healthy eating, meal planning, sleep, meditation, and more.

big fitness apps – which work and which don’t

  • (1) Thankfully, Caliber offers three tiers of subscriptions that cater to a variety of budgets.
  • Workout apps come with various pricing options, from free versions with basic features to premium subscriptions or one-time purchases.
  • Jefit uses the freemium model, and the paid version includes some great features that make it easier to customize a workout and learn proper techniques with video guidance.
  • You’ll also have the opportunity to filter and find personal trainers by coaching style, coaching expertise, or sport-specific training.
  • The best online workout programs can deliver the coaching, tips, motivation, and (of course) daily workouts you need directly to your trusted smartphone or tablet.
  • Although there are plenty of sessions that can help you build substantial muscle, we were impressed at the variety available through Centr.

“While these one-off workouts (and warm-ups and cool-downs) are great, my favorite aspect of the app is the Challenge section. Over the years, I’ve done the Begin Again, Alive & Thrive, and New Beginnings challenges to keep me on track with easy-to-follow weekly breakdowns. Hevy earns its spot as one of the best workout apps for muscle gain by combining a powerful, clean workout logger with a motivating social community.

Peloton

Unlike many other apps, each course contains anywhere from four to 64 videos, giving you more control over how much time you’d like to invest. Find exactly what you’re looking for in the catalog of over 100 workouts, including bodyweight routines, strength training with weights, HIIT, yoga, meditation, dance cardio, and barre. Advanced lifters looking for an app made for pushing real weight will love the Juggernaut AI. Its in-depth insights and workout plans are great for maximizing your strength training and reaching new goals.