These days, many people struggle to stick to a fitness plan. Some trainees do not have the time, whereas others need help to stay motivated long enough to make a change.
Still, we all know how important it is to stay consistent and how struggling to do that would always lead to poor results.
The good news is that tracking our workouts and staying consistent has become easier than ever, thanks to the rise of fitness apps. Let's see why that is.
The Different Types of Fitness Apps
There are three primary types of fitness apps. The main difference between them is the way they store and process the fitness data you add:
- Workout Apps
- Activity Tracking Apps
- Nutrition Tracking Apps
Of course, some apps can do more than one thing, offering a combination of two or even all three functions. However, most apps usually fall into one of these types, each specializing in something unique.
In this article, we are focusing on the best Workout Apps. We added a second-level structure and introduced the Workout App Categories to help you find your best matching app.
These categories are:
- Workout Tracker: replaces your pen and paper and logs your exercises in the simplest way possible.
- Workout Planner: uses technology, like artificial intelligence (AI), to build personalized workouts that help you achieve your goals.
- Weightlifting: focus on muscle-building, optimizing routines to help maximize gains and get fit using resistance training.
- Online Classes: access to online courses spanning from cardio to strength training to meditation and everything in between.
- Bodyweight: a type of training where you use your body weight for resistance, often combined with High-Intensity Training (HIT) principles.
Maximizing Gains with Workout Apps
Workout Tracker
Replaces your pen and paper and logs your exercises in the simplest way possible.
Hevy is one of the most straightforward and intuitive workout trackers. It allows you to track your weight training sessions easily and even use a smartwatch to log your workouts.
Thanks to its clean interface, Hevy is a fantastic option for seamlessly tracking your training without wasting precious time. However, the little things make Hevy a genuinely great and one-of-a-kind app. Read our opinion on Hevy and claim your 10% discount on the app.
The Strong App is another workout tracker we have been fans of for a long time. It shares many features similar to Hevy and does a great job of helping trainees track their workouts.
It also has a clean interface and works well on a phone or smartwatch. In addition, the app provides some good features that elevate the training experience. You can learn more about it here.
An underdog among workout trackers is Liftin', which claims to be the easiest way to keep track of your gym sessions.
The app adjusts the weight automatically depending on your previous results and supports RPE/RIR, statistics, and exercise history. Unfortunately, the app is only available for Apple iPhone and Apple Watch. You can check out Liftin'.
Workout Planner
Uses technology, like artificial intelligence (AI), to build personalized workouts that help you achieve your goals.
Fitbod is another excellent choice, particularly for those who travel frequently. The app builds workouts from scratch based on your available equipment and similar details.
Telling the app your goals, the available equipment, and how frequently you want to train allows it to generate customized plans in seconds.
Fitbod stands out with its machine-learning capabilities, making it a great travel companion. The app also provides options for in-room and (hotel) gym workouts. Thanks to our partnership with Fitbod, you can get the app with a 25% discount. Read our full Fitbod app review here if you want to learn more.
Weightlifting
Focus on muscle-building, optimizing routines to help maximize gains and get fit using resistance training.
Alpha Progression is probably the best muscle-building app. It offers a clean and simple interface that helps you put together great workouts, track your progress, and much more.
The pro version of the app also comes with built-in deload recommendations, a plan generator, and suggestions for pushing yourself to improve. Unlike some apps on the market, Alpha Progression also offers custom charts that show how your performance changes over time.
The best part is that you can export your data should you stop using the app. Check out our full, in-depth review of Alpha Progression and secure a 20% discount on your subscription.
Online Classes
Access to online courses spanning from cardio to strength training to meditation and everything in between.
Apple Fitness+ is a subscription-based app providing access to thousands of pre-recorded workouts. The classes support different fitness levels and are designed for typical home workouts, with minimal requirements on equipment (in most cases).
The app includes high-intensity interval training (HIIT) classes, indoor cycling, treadmill running, yoga, strength, and pilates.
Unfortunately, this great fitness app is for Apple devices only; you also need an Apple Watch to get the most out of it.Check out our Apple Fitness+ review to learn more about this app.
FitOn is an excellent alternative. It is a fantastic workout app that offers exercise videos and other helpful resources.
The digital platform provides access to various workout videos in different categories and with varying timing or intensity levels. Unlike Apple Fitness+, FitOn is available on all major platforms and devices.
Another difference is that FitOn streaming workouts are 100% free. However, you can upgrade to FitOn Pro and gain access to customized diet plans, recipes, streaming music playlists, and integration with your favorite fitness wearables. You can read our full FitOn app review.
Motosumo is an exceptional indoor cycling app that stands out as an excellent travel companion. The app allows fitness enthusiasts to stay committed to their routines with any stationary bike, anywhere.
The community within Motosumo is vibrant and supportive, enhancing the workout experience by making each session feel like a shared fitness journey.
Motosumo is generous in its offerings, providing a feature-rich free version that enables users to explore and utilize various functionalities without any financial commitment. For those looking to elevate their experience further, Motosumo offers a PRO Version. Read our opinion on Motosumo and claim your 50% discount on the app.
Bodyweight
A type of training where you use your body weight for resistance, often combined with High-Intensity Training (HIT) principles.
Freeletics creates customized training sessions you can do anytime, anywhere, with or without equipment. The training system combines high-intensity training (HIT) and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) methods that generally take around 30 minutes to complete.
In some ways, Freeletics is similar to Fitbod. For instance, it is excellent for tracking your performance, asking questions, and generating customized training plans. In addition, the app's clean interface makes the entire experience pleasant.
You can learn more about the app in our full review and secure a 30% discount for Freeletics using our code.
A Good App Will Keep You Accountable And Motivated
While it may sound a bit superficial, it is not. Tracking your performance and training consistently are two of the best ways to keep yourself accountable. Not training consistently and not seeing progress is important and tells you that you need to get serious.
On the other hand, training hard and being consistent brings results, creating a positive feedback loop. You see results, keep pushing yourself, and see even more progress.
Plus, thanks to social features like the ones Hevy and Fitbod offer, you receive even more accountability and encouragement from others.
When you are done with a workout, you can share it with your followers and hear what they have to say. The extra layer of accountability can be a fantastic way to stay motivated and achieve your goals.
How to Get Started
Getting started is incredibly simple. All you have to do is download an app and set it up. The process takes no more than ten minutes, and you are ready to go.
Typically, the app will ask some personal questions like:
- What are your fitness goals?
- How often can you train, and for how long?
- What kind of equipment do you have access to (if any)?
Then, let the app create a workout plan or add yours to your profile. A significant difference compared to paper is that your phone is with you in 99% of cases. You can input your data anytime and change your training with just a few clicks. Input:
- Sets, reps, and weights
- Exercises you have done
- How your performance is changing
- How recovered you are
Simply put, if you want to simplify your fitness, manage your workouts, and track your progress effectively, you need an app.
Which Fitness App to Choose?
Okay. You understand the benefits of using a workout app and are on board to download one and set it up. The question is, which app should you pick?
All fitness apps share similar features, and each can help you train effectively and make the most of your gym workouts. You will go right with all of them, but some nuances make certain apps more beneficial than others.
Let us dive into this:
Hevy is the cheapest of this selection of apps, with a monthly subscription cost of only $2.99. The app has slightly different features from Alpha Progression and Fitbod, but its simple interface makes it a joy to use.
Fitbod, Freeletics, and Alpha Progression are more complex and useful for people who need to learn how to put together effective routines or prefer someone else do it for them.
Apple Fitness+, FitOn, and Motosumo enhance the community aspect of fitness by offering live classes at specific times, as well as the flexibility to revisit and re-watch full classes at your convenience.
The great thing about all apps is that they offer a free version or trial, allowing you to dip your toe and see what you like. If any of these apps grabs your attention, you can get the pro version for a month.
What Others Are Saying
Social proof often plays a significant role in determining the effectiveness of fitness apps based on others' success and satisfaction.
Let's dive deeper into our top five fitness apps to understand how they have helped many in their fitness journeys: Alpha Progression, Freeletics, Fitbod, Hevy, and Motosumo.
Let us make a quick on the social proof:
Motosumo (Best Cycling Classes)
Motosumo offers dynamic live and on-demand classes compatible with any stationary bike. With a rating of 4.9/5 on the App Store, it stands out with its free access to online classes.
Its innovative features, such as emojis and games, enhance live interactions, fostering a vibrant fitness community. Performance tracking and universal compatibility make it a versatile travel companion, adaptable to various workout locations like hotel gyms.
While Apple Fitness+ is an excellent app, its price and restriction to Apple devices limit the community. In contrast, Motosumo offers a variety of classes and detailed metrics, providing a customized and engaging indoor cycling experience that stands out in a competitive market.
Hevy (Best Workout Logger)
Hevy is an impressive app that has made a big splash in the fitness world. Despite its simplicity, or perhaps precisely because of it, Hevy has become a fan-favorite with a rating 4.8 out of 5.
One of the app's greatest features is workout logging. Putting together a workout takes only a couple of minutes, and logging your sessions happens in a few taps.
Strong is one alternative to Hevy. Unfortunately, the app does not get updated as frequently as before. After almost a year of silence, the Strong App has received frequent updates since September 2023.
Plus, Strong said they are working on their next version of the app. Version 6 will be a large technical update - so let's see. In contrast to Strong, Hevy and the other apps get updated every two to three weeks, bringing new features to the table and fixing bugs to ensure the best user experience.
Fitbod (Best Workout Generator)
Fitbod is slightly more popular than Strong and has a fantastic review profile. With a rating of 4.8/5 on the App Store, Fitbod has proven significant among people.
The app still needs to catch up on Android, which explains the lower review count on Google Play. Feature parity is a high priority for this year, Fitbod said in a recent podcast.
Many people love the app's sheer versatility. It allows them to set available equipment and other preferences using different gym profiles. This feature is invaluable for those who work out in various locations, such as different hotel gyms.
One thing that sets Fitbod apart from most competitors is the excellent workout generator tool––one of our favorite features, making Fitbod the ideal travel companion.
Freeletics (Best Bodyweight Training App)
Freeletics is the second to last app on our list, and we consider it the best option for bodyweight and cardio-based training.
With an average rating of 4.6 out of 5, Freeletics is a solid choice. The app offers a customized training experience through a user-friendly interface. At the core of Freeletics are detailed descriptions of each exercise and comprehensive instructions for each training journey.
You can check out the training journeys before committing and switch your plan if it does not work well for you. Alternatively, you can repeat a journey once it is done if you enjoy your training the way it is.
Alpha Progression (Best Lifting App)
Last but not least, Alpha Progression has a more humble review profile since it is relatively new. However, the app has maintained a high rating of 4.9/5 since its market entry.
What stands out is the close interaction of the app developer with the community, allowing for quick problem resolution and a positive responsiveness to feature requests.
Many people love the built-in progression, plan generator, and other features that make the training experience more fun and effective. However, these features come with the paid-plan.
Conclusion on Workout Apps
A wide variety of fitness apps are available, each with unique offerings. Our highlighted selections are adaptable, especially when traveling, ensuring your fitness journey remains uninterrupted.
Remember, the best app nurtures and sustains your fitness mindset. If there is another fitness app that resonates with you and supports your fitness goals - that is fantastic! We are always looking to expand our list, so feel free to share any remarkable apps we may have missed.
Also, explore our online fitness app advisor for a curated selection and detailed insights into each app's capabilities and features. Happy training!
