13 Best Fitness and Workout Apps for 2026, Tested & Reviewed

While this prevents rust and corrosion from sweat and sports drinks, it also makes the Echelon EX-5s heavy at 56.5 kg/124 lb. It would be remiss of me not to mention the assembly and setup of the Echelon EX-5s. As I mentioned, the 60kg mass takes some shifting, and putting the bike together requires a reasonable amount of effort and shouldn’t be underestimated. Setting it up, ready to ride, is relatively simple in comparison, though most adjustments are tool-free, making swapping between riders nice and easy too. The EX-5s from Echelon truly goes toe-to-toe with Peloton experaince when nothing else in comes close.

Domyos Basic Exercise Bike 100

“My coach had me weigh in and take progress photos weekly, which I didn’t love,” our tester said. This may not be appropriate for athletes but that being said, it may be helpful for some. We did give the accountability a 3 out of 5, though, as our tester wasn’t able to really find a defined community in the app. One drawback our testing revealed about TR[Ai]NER is the lack of detailed warm-ups and cool-downs. “Regardless, it is a very useful workout app and it does make sense as long as the goals are set to an honest and logical intent,” they add.

EXPERIENCE

  • The nutrition features complement the training programs, with meal planning tools, macro tracking, and the ability to share recipes.
  • 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 lifting to bring you the apps worth downloading.
  • This is fine if that’s what you’re looking for, but many competitors, like Peloton, now offer a variety of workout modalities, and we wish Zwift would expand its offerings.
  • The free version provides solid functionality including calorie tracking, basic fasting features, and access to many recipes.
  • 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.
  • Unlike a lot of other mobility apps, Mobility Manual feels like everything you do is helping you achieve better performance in the gym or within sports.

Basically, we wanted evidence that the programs weren’t just random kitchen-sink workouts, which throw a random assortment of exercises at you each day, with no overarching plan or system in place. This doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll lift heavier weights or run longer distances—a program with progressive overload can challenge you by way of variation via load, reps, rest time, volume, or range of motion. In fact, research shows1 that adding either weight or reps can work well to increase muscular adaptations to training. Ladder costs a little bit less than the average workout app, while providing a fantastic workout experience. However, it’s one major flaw is the fact that it’s only available on iOS, so Android users can’t use the service. Prior to 2020, the Nike Training Club app had both free and premium versions, but since the pandemic, Nike has made the entire workout library free to use.

Is there a free workout app?

top fitness apps for exercise planning

The monthly plan costs $9.99, although users can sign up for a year for $99. 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. FitBudd has revolutionized how personal trainers deliver coaching by providing a complete white-label solution for building a professional online fitness business.

What You Get With Daily Burn

You can create a routine to provide quick access to your commonly used exercises and assign exercises to a particular day within the routine. FitNotes is an excellent app for getting started with workout logging due to its user-friendly interface and ease of use. For strength exercises, aim to work all your major muscle groups twice to three times each week, leaving 48 hours between each workout for recovery. If you choose to split your workouts to target a specific muscle group (for example, “leg day”), that will require more frequent workouts. Just make sure you’re leaving 48 hours of rest before you rework a major muscle. Sure, there are a hundred fancy new devices from which someone can track their fitness.

Jefit: Strength Training and Bodybuilding

You can read all of our thoughts on this app in our Strava fitness app review. If you’re a cyclist, or any endurance athlete, a great app for tracking your bike routes is Strava. Not only is the GPS tracking pretty accurate, but there is a social element that separates it from most other free cycling apps. This depends on your goals and how consistent you are with a workout routine. Workout apps make it easier to work out anywhere, with or without equipment, and they take out the guesswork for you.

Developed for more than a decade, the Wattbike air resistance system is well-renowned among high-level athletes and fitness coaches. The Wattbike Pro and Trainer Air set the benchmark for those looking to incorporate high-intensity intervals into their training plans. The recently launched Wattbike Air aims to bring this technology into the homes of cyclists and fitness enthusiasts. The basic set-up (and membership) includes daily live-streamed classes, as well as 24-hour access to the virtual studio for an entire household.

Week Workout Plan for People Over 50 (with Free PDF)

top fitness apps for exercise planning

And for those who like to keep a close eye on their stats and progress, this is our top pick. 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.

Signup 30 days risk-free,and get results!

For example, the Wall Pilates course starts at $15 monthly which I rate at 3.5 out of 5 — average in comparison to other platforms, but not an absolute bargain. In late 2022, Netflix added a range of Nike Training Club workouts to its library. You could access these for free (so long as you have a Netflix subscription) and do the 10 or 20-minute sessions wherever you are. 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, is mad muscles legit and the Pilates, core, and tone classes were all engaging. Strava is one of the best running apps on the market, with a free and a paid subscription to allow runners, cyclists, and walkers to keep track of their progress.

Best Home Workout App: Ladder

If you need a good assortment of instructor-led workouts and don’t mind taking your sessions in a “choose your own adventure” aesthetic, this can be an excellent pick. The workouts are built around your available equipment, which our testers found convenient. Our testers note that the workouts are easy to comprehend and feature simple, clear information for each session, rating the clarity at 4 out of 5 for the workout app. We love how tailored Future is to your specific needs — our testers gave their overall experience a 5 out of 5.

She reports working with her coach and using the app is easy, and she appreciates the fact that there are demonstration videos for every exercise assigned to your program. While Caliber’s main offering is online personal training, we appreciate that the free version of the Caliber app is ad-free and features the full exercise library of over 500 movements. Each exercise features a demonstration video, step-by-step written instructions, and the ability to log your weights and reps (and access your history at any point). The wide variety of premium workouts and challenges makes it a great option for anyone looking to share the app with a friend or partner. Plus, there are new programs added every month, so you’ll never get bored. 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.

To be clear, there are no instructors or live workout classes in the Zwift app, but you’ll be able to join virtual races with other users. You can deviate from the workout plan given by BetterMe, though, as there is an entire workout library. That said, Nicole notes that you may have to dig around to find what you need. “Once you get used to it, it’s easy enough; things are clearly labeled,” she adds. It has a nutrition function where you can track calories or gather healthy meal ideas. As a fitness coach and competitive athlete, I found it to be a very useful workout app.

Is there a 100% free workout app?

If there’s one thing you don’t want to sweat out, it’s a last-minute holiday gift. And if you’re a procrastinator in every sense of the word, make this year the exception — especially if your friends and family are comprised of routine-oriented gym rats. The items below are selected from a mix of hand-tested devices, longstanding popularity, and viral trends seen on social media. Our recommended fitness gifts fill a variety of niches, are available at a wide range of price points, and are fantastic for virtually any level fitness enthusiast.