The 9 best fitness apps

When choosing an app, think about whether you want human interaction, app‑based nudges only, or almost no external pressure. According to our tester, the videos are “amazing and super easy to follow,” and fresh workouts are added every day. It’s truly a fantastic resource for anyone looking to elevate their training ecosystem.

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Calisthenics training, developed by sports scientists and optimized by smart algorithms – for your best workout.

Some athletes may not love this extra step, though, especially if you’re operating on a time crunch. However, it’s the only way to truly provide some progressive overload to your training. Accountability needs vary a lot depending on lifestyle and personality. If you struggle to stay consistent, you may want coaching, check‑ins, leaderboards, or reminders that nudge you to show up. If you’re already in a routine, simple streak tracking, calendar views, or progress charts might be enough.

Demystifying Your Muscle-Building Journey: Key Factors for Success

Although we rate it as the best workout app for most people, it is primarily focused on strength training, with some cardio and yoga on the side. If you want more mobility or yoga workouts, you might be better off with an app like Fiit, which offers access to all group classes for free. So, if you want to add more exercise into your routine, and develop a mindfulness habit, the app can help with that.

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  • A runner is going to want something totally different from someone primarily looking for an app that will help them strength train.
  • Built on scientifically validated principles, it offers a structured approach to training by emphasizing key factors like volume, frequency, and progressive overload.
  • Beginners, people returning from injury, or anyone unsure about form usually benefit from detailed demonstrations, step‑by‑step videos, and clear modifications.
  • The app is also loaded with detailed charts and graphs to help you understand where your progress is showing and what can be improved with each new training session.
  • MTNTOUGH is tailor-made for hunters and outdoor enthusiasts to help them get the most from the days they spend in the backcountry.
  • The app’s personalized mesocycles ensure that users follow a targeted and evidence-based path to muscle growth, making it a valuable tool for dedicated athletes.

Review Performance Data for Muscle Hypertrophy

An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she’s not pounding the pavements, you’ll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy. If you’re not into weights or the fast tempo of BodyPump and Body Attack, there’s plenty of other classes to choose from. The Functional Strength classes are a great way of working on your movement patterns if you’re a complete beginner, and the Pilates, core, and tone classes were all engaging. Trainers include Kayla herself, as well as the likes of Kelsey Wells, Chontel Duncan, Britany Williams, and Stephanie Sanzo.

Goals

There’s no personal coaching involved with this app, plus it’s free, so the discipline really sits on the user’s shoulders. IFIT is ideal for cardio-focused athletes, offering a variety of group and on-demand classes you can do right on your treadmill, bike, step machine, or rower. You can also take your training outdoors with their equipment-free workouts. And while iFIT does come equipped on most NordicTrack and ProForm cardio equipment, you don’t need to buy these brands to use the app. Even on the best treadmill or best exercise bike, doing cardio indoors can feel tedious.

Nike Training Club

compare workout apps for muscle gain

“I do appreciate the step-by-step guidance for exercises, too, although some may still seem too elevated for entry-level athletes,” adds workout apps for men our tester, who scored the in-app instructions at 4 out of 5. Workout apps can be very effective when you use them consistently and choose plans that match your fitness level and goals. They provide structure, reminders, and progression, but results still depend on your effort, recovery, and nutrition outside the app.

The Best Online Workout Programs of 2026, Tried and Expert-Tested

compare workout apps for muscle gain

For each of the apps, we tried multiple workouts and looked at how easy the workouts were to follow, the range of workouts on offer, and how often new workouts were added to the app. Compared to some of the other apps on this list, this app is also pretty affordable. You can sign up for a free trial to see whether it’s for you, and after that, there are two different membership options to choose from. The Les Mills+ base membership gives you a stripped-back version of the app and starts from $4.99 per month. The full membership, Les Mills+ premium, gives you access to all classes and starts at $9.99 per month.

What’s in the Strength Training app

And if that’s not enough, Gymverse offers calorie tracking when paired with a wearable, which is a nice addition and helps you get a better view of your overall fitness. As a general fitness tracker, the metrics aren’t super comprehensive; it tracks PRs/PBs and workout length. PUSH isn’t your best choice if you want to track more cardio fitness-type metrics like HR, or if consistent strength training just isn’t a priority for you.

Best Online Workout Program for Live Classes: Peloton

Instead, you now have the option to filter workouts by muscle group — abs and core, arms and shoulders, or glutes and legs, workout focus — endurance, mobility, strength, and yoga, and by equipment. There is also the option to filter by duration, level, and intensity. Structured training plans, detailed video instruction, and easy progress tracking make TrainHeroic the best personal training app for anyone serious about making gains in the gym. It walks you through a series of questions about your strength training experience, which muscle groups you’d like to focus on, and more.

Join millions of followers

Evlo Fitness is a strength training app with classes that include elements of Pilates, barre, yoga, and light cardio created and exclusively taught by physical therapists. Evlo is about what it calls “gentle consistency,” which means you’ll be doing efficient, targeted movements to build strength while avoiding exercises that leave you overly sore or burned out. That’s because PUSH uses AI to generate a strength training program for you, based on the science of progressive overload. You can also manually create a program yourself, but the app isn’t intended to record one-off workouts; it’s geared towards moving you through a program of weight-bearing exercises. You’ll need a range of different exercise modalities … or, at least, a roster of exercises that can keep each session new and exciting. Choosing an online workout program with a vast library of available programs and exercises can help you stay motivated with your training while also offering alternatives if certain routines aren’t what you desire.

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