You can follow your own route or explore Strava’s massive network of roads and trails, built by millions of athletes worldwide. “The mapping tool makes it easier than ever to plan runs and workouts in advance, especially when following a training plan with specific distances and paces,” one runner noted. Metric VBT is so unique that it made its way into the WH 2025 Fitness Awards, so naturally, it deserves a shout-out here, too.
The 7 best strength training apps for women, tested by us in 2025
You can choose from a beginner, intermediate, or advanced program. No matter which you choose, you’ll usually work through a progressive 30-day program that gets more difficult over time. There are week-by-week programs that you can follow along with, too. Start with a 14-day free trial to check it out before you commit. Learn about your fitness level and write down your scores before you start your program. Use the scores as benchmarks against which to measure your progress.
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Although I rate Centr, the platform founded by Chris Hemsworth, as the best workout app overall, there are plenty of options depending on your goals, from high-intensity sessions to mindful movement and yoga. Whether fitness apps “work” is a subjective question, as your results with each platform rely heavily on how dedicated you are to using the services. Fitness apps can provide helpful instruction, engaging workouts, and even personalized coaching, but you need to have some willpower to use the assistance in your personal fitness journey. It’s best to think of fitness apps as tools — they can make the job easier, but you need to do the actual work. The app also offers a unique skill-based library of series that can be great for developing your abilities.
Nike made this app completely free, including all premium content, so users can access a variety of workouts and training programs without having to pay a cent. But if Nike Training Club doesn’t suit your training preferences, we found nine other great fitness apps for you to check out. To determine our top picks, we focused on apps with a wide variety of content, from strength and cardio to yoga and Pilates, ensuring users of all fitness levels can find something that suits their goals. We also prioritized effectiveness, favoring thoughtfully programmed workouts and motivating instructors who provide clear guidance and encourage users to stick with their routines. A seamless, intuitive interface was another key factor, making it easy to navigate classes, track progress, and stay engaged.
Best workout app for muscle gain
“There are even workouts designed for when you’re in a time crunch but still need to get a workout in, ranging anywhere from five to 25 minutes.” Many high-quality free workout apps without subscription deliver expert-led training plans, progress tracking, and workouts tailored to your goals—whether it’s weight loss, muscle gain, or simply staying active. If your goal is to lose weight, 8fit Workouts is the best workout app on our list. And it’s the only app on our list that combines personalized workouts with meal plans tailored to your dietary preferences. After inputting your goals, the app generates weekly meal plans filled with nutritional recipes, and you can use the app to find nutrition tips and guides.
Fitness Point
It’s one of the best free workout apps for beginners at home who want real-time coaching with no pressure. The most effective strength training program is any program that applies progressive overload consistently over 8+ weeks. For beginners, this means any structured three-day-per-week program covering the Big Three compound lifts (squats, deadlifts, bench press) is highly effective.
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Foster your love of reading with our all-new online book club, filled with editor picks, author insights and much more. If you own some sort of Apple device, you can get access to the hundreds of classes available on the Apple Fitness platform. As a certified trainer, she’s constantly brushing up on her knowledge to provide smart training. Once you know your training intent, the decision becomes obvious.
As with many online subscriptions, you can almost always get a better rate if you pay for a year up front. However, we don’t recommend doing that until you complete a free trial and pay for a one-month membership first. Sometimes, you get all the best content right away, and the rest of the workout catalog consists of duds. You’ll know after about five weeks if an app can keep you motivated.
Upgrade to get access to group coaching or one-on-one coaching, keep track of your reps and weights during workouts, and work with a trainer to develop a nutrition plan that will help you meet your goals. When using the app, you can find relevant training plans by goal, such as strength, weight loss or building muscle. You’re also able to track your workouts to monitor your progress. If you want to pack on muscle or shed extra weight, BodyFit won’t disappoint. One of the best strength training apps can help you make the most of this important exercise, whether you’re brand new to lifting weights or you want to create a routine at home. The best strength training app for women over 50 is WeGLOW, a strength and wellness app built specifically for women with guided gym and home-compatible workouts designed with perimenopause hormonal context in mind.
- The free tier covers core logging features; Hevy Pro ($2.99/month or $23.99/year) unlocks unlimited custom exercises, unlimited routine history, and detailed analytics.
- Another staffer said it’s the first platform that’s helped her exercise consistently in years, thanks to a knowledgeable, encouraging trainer.
- Unfortunately, though, this app is solely focused on strength training.
- And doing other forms of cardio can indeed make you a much better runner.
- Getting the category right first makes the individual app choice obvious.
- I also enjoy the Pilates classes, which use similar moves in each session and have plans for progression, so I found myself actually improving in a very short space of time.
Map My Fitness By Under Armour
As a general goal, aim for at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity every day. If you want to lose weight, keep off lost weight or meet specific fitness goals, you may need to exercise more. If you’re interested in more than just apps, such as at-home workout equipment that includes on-demand classes, check out our ultimate fitness tech guide. Just keep in mind that smart exercise equipment often costs a lot up front and requires an additional subscription fee for classes, which can also be steep. For example, the top-rated Tonal 2 will cost several thousand dollars.
That last point is particularly relevant, as Apple Fitness+ is a great option if you’re looking to exercise for happiness. Sure, there might be times you want to work on a specific skill or muscle area, but sometimes you just want to feel good and boost your wellbeing. However, whether you’re just starting to focus on your fitness, have a specific objective in mind, or want to add some structure to your routine, Centr is an excellent option to help you hit your goals. This app costs $25 a month ($135 a year) but lets you test it for free for seven days if you’re a new member.
What is the best workout app?
Alternatively, Nike Training Club is also a great free workout app, but it mostly focuses on bodyweight exercises that you can do at home and there aren’t any live classes either. But the reason I rate this as the best workout app for most madmuscles people is that there’s a lot of variety. There are high-intensity HIIT sessions, yoga and Pilates classes, and even beginner-friendly meditations (some spoken by Hemsworth too).
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Whether it’s to fit exercise into a busy schedule or try something new, workout apps can help boost motivation and help you stay consistent with your workout routine. With prices rising for studios and gyms around the country, it’s clear that one of the best workout apps could be a good alternative – at least some of the time. From walking apps that help you get outside to apps for the gym that take you from beginner to confidence, I’ve got you covered. Between my husband’s iPhone and my Android, I’ve tested the free version of each one of these apps to ensure that their free version holds up to these standards. I also eliminated any app that didn’t have at least four stars in their respective app store.
I’m Maggie, PCMag’s AI-powered product finder, exclusively powered by our deep library of
The app also offers meal plan options if you’re looking for healthy recipe ideas. If you don’t want to pay for a gym membership or a personal trainer but still need guidance, a workout app is a great option that can help you figure out exactly what to do when you exercise. Many of these apps also let you customize your workout based on the space and equipment you have at home, your preferred exercises and your current fitness goals. In today’s fitness realm, it seems there’s an app for every training discipline. 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. The best fitness apps combine that library of information with engaging, easy to use interfaces that work with your fitness goals.
You can also pay $5 for the pro version, which can create random routines using 30 diff exercises. Or you may find that you’re exercising about the right amount to meet your fitness goals. Keeping your muscles strong can help to reduce your risk of heart and circulatory diseases. Try these 10 strength training exercises from exercise expert Jack Heseltine, including squats, bicep curls and wall push ups.
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