The best workout apps are the ones that work best for your personal fitness and health goals. Someone who is training for an ultra-marathon would likely not benefit from the same app as someone planning to strength train in the gym. Knowing your “why” is the very first step to choosing a workout app.

Performance, Muscle Growth, and Training Output

• For sleep specifically, it proved to be precise with metrics like time spent in bed and minutes spent awake.
• Two testers — a relative fitness newbie and a personal trainer — personally tested 20-plus platforms, exploring various workout styles and formats from each.
• I tried a beginner session first and found the instruction clear enough to follow without rewinding, which is my usual benchmark for whether an app is genuinely beginner-friendly or just claims to be.
• Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional prior to beginning any diet or exercise program or taking any dietary supplement.
• 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.
• Most other apps — including None to Run, Runkeeper, and Runna — offer free trials so you can try before you commit.

The pacing is deliberate, giving you time to actually find your balance. We also touch on 4 ways your phone case can amplify-your-workout, because if your tech is annoying to use, you won’t use it. Whether you want to lift heavy, run your first mile, or just undo the damage of sitting at a desk all day, the right software is the difference between quitting in week two and building a habit that sticks.

The Garmin Venu has become something of a personal coach to me after training with it for four months. I found the recovery time predictions useful for planning my daily movement after working out, including how many walks to take and when to go to bed. I was also able to create my workouts within the Garmin Connect app and load them onto the watch, down to the sets, reps and exact exercises. Most importantly, I’ve seen improved results in the gym, like PRs (personal records) during lifting and greater endurance after following the watch’s post-workout recovery advice and sleep tips. “Online workout programs are fitness routines that are delivered through digital platforms,” says Michael Masi, Doctor of Physical Therapy and personal trainer.

Fitness Database

As a BodyPump fan, I would watch the classes on my TV, and send my heart rate soaring without leaving my living room. These classes do require you to have a decent amount of equipment at home, however. I don’t have an exercise bar, but I used a set of the best adjustable dumbbells and still got a great workout. If you’ve ever done a BodyPump class in your local gym, you’ll have been introduced to the world of Les Mills. It’s a series of tempo-based classes, set to music, designed to get you fitter and stronger.

To test each watch’s health tracking, I wore each tracker to sleep, to the gym and during every activity or rest period in between. This gave me a comprehensive view of each tracker’s capabilities and accuracy. When analyzing health tracking, I examined the types of insights each tracker provided about my sleep, cycle and stress levels, and the specificity of each. I tested a total of 16 top-rated fitness trackers for this story (and our tech editor tested several more); below are the models that didn’t make the cut. I included my rating for each unit (out of 10), based on evaluating each one’s ease of use, accuracy, battery life, fit, design, and variety of health and activity tracking options.

Jump Rope Training

The app excels in mapping your routes, recording detailed statistics about your workouts, and providing a platform to compete and share your achievements. Strava’s segment feature adds a competitive edge, allowing you to compare your times against others who have completed the same routes. C25K not only prepares you for a 5K but also instills a love for running, making it a sustainable part of your fitness routine. It’s ideal for anyone looking to take their first steps into running in a guided, supportive, and effective way. The app is designed to gradually increase the running intervals, allowing your body to adapt without getting overwhelmed. With voice prompts to guide you through each workout, you can focus on your run without constantly checking your phone.

Community: Will You Have Support?

Instead of handing every user the same cookie-cutter plan, the best AI fitness apps now generate personalized routines based on your goals, equipment, schedule, and training history. Load Muscle is an AI-powered workout planner and tracker built for people who want personalized programming without hiring a coach. You answer a few questions about your goals, experience level, available equipment, and schedule, and the AI generates a complete training plan drawn from a library of 4,000+ exercises.

Best workout app for personal training

While Netflix doesn’t specialize in yoga, platforms like Yogaia and Alo Moves offer dedicated yoga content. Train with certified instructors from across the globe—whether they’re in Bali or Brooklyn—without leaving your home. Online classes remove the barrier to access, giving you a world-class experience from anywhere in the world. With so many great options to choose from—both free and paid—I found it hard to pick a class that truly suited my lifestyle. Some were too slow-paced for me, while others lacked proper guidance on form, making it hard to know if I was doing the poses right.

Home & Bodyweight (No Equipment)

Fitbod’s free tier offers 3 AI-generated workouts — enough to experience the quality of its adaptive programming engine. The AI accounts for your equipment, recent training volume, and muscle group fatigue to generate each session. It’s the most sophisticated workout generation of any app on this list. The free tier is genuinely limited (3 workouts total, not per week), but worth trying to evaluate if the subscription is right for you. Jake is a certified personal trainer who has evaluated workout apps since 2018.

Slow, gentle stretching is important to warm up muscles and prepare for more vigorous exercise. A person can increase the intensity — referring to the rate and repetitions — of any cardio exercise to convert them into advanced movements. Intermediate exercises increase the intensity of the workout to get the heart pumping and the body moving.

But, regarding progressive overload, Aaptiv earns a 3-out-of-5-star rating. The principles of progressive overload are present in the app’s training plans. Most programs are just four to six weeks, so not enough time to see big results for most folks, but would work for a beginner,” she says. Starting and sticking to a new workout routine can be challenging. The early days of any fitness journey often come with uncertainty, discomfort, and even a little embarrassment. Fitness apps can ease this transition by providing structure, guidance, and motivation.

Planet Fitness Workout App: Bringing the Gym Home

With zero equipment and minimal instructions, you can focus on progressive overload through reps, time under tension, and a little more challenging each round. Maybe working out at home or in the gym isn’t your thing, or you prefer to explore the great outdoors. If so, the AllTrails app is our best app for outdoor running, cycling, biking, and hiking.

The 7 Best Workout Apps You Can Use in the Gym and at Home

A three-day weekly workout goal can be beneficial for beginners, especially if you have limited time. The app also features unimeal review a 30-day healthy meal plan and a shopping list feature. MyFitnessPal is your all-in-one tracker for a healthier lifestyle.

Beginner-Friendly Features of the Caliber App for Strength Training

The app is not just about logging workouts; it’s about making you a smarter athlete. Whether you’re at home or in the gym, Jefit provides the tools you need to achieve your strength training goals, offering instructional videos and detailed exercise routines for all levels. Imagine having a personal trainer in your pocket, ready to motivate you anytime, anywhere – that’s FitOn. This app brings professional workouts to your home, making it easy for beginners to get started. With FitOn, you can explore a variety of workouts, from yoga to high-intensity interval training (HIIT), all tailored to fit your schedule.