Best Expert-Tested Workout Apps and Services for 2026

Finding the perfect workout app can be a challenge, especially with so many options available today. Yoga Studio has switched to a subscription model, but users can try the app for seven days before subscribing. Ultimately, the right app will blend seamlessly into your lifestyle, enhance your progress, and sustain your motivation. Consider your starting point, fitness goals, and engagement level, and choose a platform that will inspire consistent action.

How to Find the Best Nutrition App for You

To make exercise a regular part of your routine, you need to find sessions that you want to come back to. But https://www.hellopeter.com/mad-muscles the app also has another neat feature designed to recreate the in-person environment. You can invite your friends, family, or workout partners to join any live class and train together, even if they don’t have an account. The trainers don’t just guide you through the session, they motivate you, pick you up when you’re exhausted, and keep your focus on your form.

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. Where applicable, apps were favored if they offered thoughtful training plans that incorporated progressive overload. In practice, this meant built‑in improvement plans that gradually increased weights, sets, reps, distance, or intensity over time, rather than random standalone workouts. Basically, if you’re looking to strength train with a lot of different equipment, you should find a workout tracker that provides a pretty comprehensive list of strength exercises. If you’re working on your running, an app that can track your GPS location will be extremely helpful.

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For example, the Future app combines personal training with the convenience of working out at home, matching users with trainers based on their goals. This “Hybrid Model”, where you use a professional exercise workout app powered by a real trainer, is the most effective way to ensure you never quit your fitness journey again. Choosing the right workout app can be the catalyst that transforms your fitness journey from a fleeting intention into a lasting lifestyle. With so many options available, it’s important to consider your fitness level, goals, and personal preferences when selecting an app. Whether you’re searching for a free workout tracker, a strength training app, or a gym workout companion, there’s a solution out there tailored to your needs.

Best Free Workout App for Cyclists: Strava

It’s the little things, but that sort of interaction can help people through tough days. Strava also integrates and syncs automatically to major fitness tracker brands popular among cyclists and runners—Garmin, Polar, Wahoo, and FitBit, for example. You can connect your Zwift account and indoor bike to Strava as well, so indoor rides populate the app as well.

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Many Centr members have come to us with concerns such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or pre-diabetic, then gone on to receive a clean bill of health from their doctor. So think about what that good health is worth to you – you may find cutting back on takeout coffees or one of multiple streaming services isn’t such a sacrifice. Ultimately, the right app for you is the one that inspires you to open it up and use it—all the apps we tested have free trials, free versions, or are entirely free, so you can try out a few to see what works best for you.

Other Workout Apps We Researched

Max Slater-Robins has been writing about technology for nearly a decade at various outlets, covering the rise of the technology giants, trends in enterprise and SaaS companies, and much more besides. Originally from Suffolk, he currently lives in London and likes a good night out and walks in the countryside. Over the last couple of years Peloton has also leaned into smarter guidance, with structured multi-week programmes, revamped badges, and, more recently, its Peloton IQ system.

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• In 2021, Aaptiv bought Pear, an app that offered heart-rate based workouts—we haven’t tested this, but can only imagine it strengthens Aaptiv’s already-great training programs.
• If you own an iPhone, it’s a no-brainer to sign up for a workout app that is already built into your smartphone and allows you to work out anywhere.
• It provides all the necessary tools for effective activity tracking, including a vast library of exercises and a practical data entry method.
• If you want a plan that’s truly customized to your needs and goals by a human coach, you may want to consider a platform like Future.
• The meal plans in this app are recommended based on users’ fitness goals, tastes, and dietary preferences and contain lists of foods to eat and avoid.
• Individualization ensures that workouts are designed for the individual’s unique physiology and goals.

Strength+ costs $10 per month, but it is free for anyone with an existing App+ or All-Access membership. If you, too, are overstimulated, we’ve rounded up a list of standout apps that cater to all fitness goals. Whether you’re looking for structured workout programs, real-time feedback, or a bit of inspiration for the new year, we’ve done the heavy mad muscles real reviews lifting to bring you the apps worth downloading. FitNotes is an excellent app if you’re just getting started with workout logging due to its user-friendly interface and ease of use. FitNotes, free for Android, is a workout tracker that emphasizes simplicity and a clean design. Its workout log allows you to quickly view daily workouts by swiping through the built-in calendar.

FAQs About the Best Workout Apps

While some strength-focused apps expect you to have access to at least the basics, like an Olympic barbell, dumbbells, and squat rack, Fitbod truly allows you to customize your workouts to any type of equipment access. BetterMe gets a 4 out of 5 in its initial setup, since you begin with a quiz on your fitness goals, mobility issues, sleep schedule, and more. “I like that the quiz will populate a workout plan based on your answers, but the quiz was a bit too long for my taste,” says GGR editorial member Nicole Davis, CPT, PN1-NC, who tested out the fitness app. It has a nutrition function where you can track calories or gather healthy meal ideas. We also considered categories including instruction quality, workout variety, and equipment needed, all of which helped shape our overall score.

The instructors are also consistent about offering modifications for advancing or decreasing the challenge of the workouts, too, so I could level up or down based on the kind of day I was having. Most workouts in the intermediate program I chose—called “Burn” with the trainer Kirsty Godso—were bodyweight-based, had movements that worked in a small space, and were between 25 and 40 minutes long. The time flew by in each video I tried, and I felt well-trained and accomplished for the rest of the day, even if the workout was shorter than ones I usually do. Fitness Online is a comprehensive fitness training app with meal plans, analytics, and animated tutorials at your fingertips.

Programs on a Budget: The 11 Best Free Workout Apps (

Whether you’re looking to build strength, improve mobility, or boost your cardiovascular health, there’s a workout tracker for you. We’re a group of certified personal trainers, gym owners, and Olympic-level athletes with years of experience following, designing, and coaching clients through training programs. We’ve included a variety of workout apps at differing price points above, with a majority of options coming in at under $100 monthly. In the end, though, it’s always wise to go with the app service that fits your budget and fitness desires best. Workout apps are a fantastic tool for guidance, structured routines, and cues to help with form. However, they cannot fully replace the individualized attention and expertise of a personal trainer in a one-on-one session.

For example, a running app won’t offer much training variety and doesn’t require equipment (aside from your best running shoes, of course). If you’re looking for another great app that works on both Android and iOS, with workouts for a variety of goals, we recommend the free Nike Training Club app. At the time of writing, Peloton offers three membership tiers for those who don’t have any Peloton cardio machines, including Peloton App One, Peloton App+, and Peloton Strength, all of which have different features.

Best Visual Workout Tracking Tools: ​GymBook

To compile our list of the best free workout apps, we used the same methodology, except for the caveat that the app had to have a free version. There are workout programs available on FitOn, but they’re shorter ones—about 2 to 4 weeks long. That’s not enough time to make much progress.” Also, the community feed is present and available, but basic, earning just a 3 out of 5. Like many free workout apps, there are limited interactive features and accountability—none, to be exact, earning a 1 out of 5 in both of these aspects. Still, if you’re looking for a fun /reviews/madmuscles.com way to get a quick workout in, SmartWOD provides countless workouts that can be catered to your skillset and equipment available.