As someone who has done strength training for the best part of two decades, I am well-versed in strength training at home with dumbbells and body weight classes. I was excited to try the 3 Perfect Weeks of Strength programme, but I was apprehensive it might be a bit too targeted to beginners and I would breeze through it. Workout apps can be very effective when you use them consistently and choose plans that match your fitness level and goals.
Goals
I would also love to see improvements in the warm-ups and cool-downs in the actual sessions themselves. I have separate videos for these, which works as the videos can be stacked together to immediately follow one another, but if you jump straight into a workout, the warm-up is often no longer than a few minutes. Knowing how important these warming up and cooling down segments are to avoid injury and sore muscles, it’s something I’m particularly conscious of. One of my favourite features of Apple Fitness+ is that it tells me what to do every day – with a little help, of course. It’s as simple as selecting a day you know you will be exercising, the type of exercise(s) you want to do, and voilà – you have a week’s worth of exercises ready and waiting for you to do on those days. Being Apple, access to the world’s biggest stars comes with the territory.
Best For Group Fitness Lovers: LES MILLS+
It can help you keep all of your workout records in one place, without having to scour notebooks or fitness logs to check for your one-rep-max deadlift. Also, the app can allow you to train wherever—either at-home workouts or while traveling—cutting down on commutes to a commercial gym. There are notifications for accountability, but they’re all focused on the social media aspect, getting likes or follows. Because there’s no real way to remind you to workout, I scored the accountability a 1 out of 5.
In my three-week programme, the movements changed as the programme progressed. Week one, for example, is all about progressive overload (gradually increasing the weight used to challenge the muscles). This is where the platform could use a little help – if you’re a seasoned lifter, this concept will make perfect sense to you but if you’re a newcomer, you might need to do a quick Google to get the jist.
Home Workout: Fitness No Tools
Some of these moves involve dumbbells or resistance bands, and some use just your body weight. Select hellopeter a handful of the following exercises and perform them before your workout for 30 seconds to 1 minute each. Before you start your workout, you want to prepare your muscles, ligaments, and joints for the work ahead. You may also benefit from a 5–10 minute cardio warmup, such as walking, cycling, or a gentle jog. I find Freeletics more targeted for getting lean and resistance but once that goal is achieved I was at a point of no progression as I needed more variety and more demanding exercises. Doing 200 burpees is not what I needed for that in my opinion.
- The only option to overcome my limitations is to train all muscles and gain more strength so I was told by my Fysio and lung doctor.
- So even if you don’t have serious goals but just want to find a way to stay more fit and find some encouraging workout friends, there is an app for that.
- Consider the workouts you enjoy or want to check out, whether that’s yoga, strength training, cardio, or HIIT.
- These may include virtual personal trainers, live classes, or AI-driven feedback to ensure proper form and progress tracking.
- Let’s take a closer look at the 10 best home workout apps and discover what they have to offer.
- WH executive editor Abby Cuffey and executive health and fitness director Jacqueline Andriakos have been using Ladder for years for the kettlebell workouts in the Body and Bell program (created by Kanski) in the app.
What to Look for in Free Workout Apps
Another good workout tracker is Hevy, which has a robust community of support where you can share your workouts and view, like and comment on others’ workouts. The app features a variety of workouts—hundreds in different formats, from written workouts to perform at your own pace, to on-demand and live fitness classes with excellent instruction that Amanda rates a 4 out of 5. Workouts cover different modalities, from strength training, HIIT, and cardio, to yoga, pilates, and mobility exercises.
Best Workout App Overall: BetterMe
You can track everything by just tracking your workouts as well. If you need help training for a race, look no further than the Nike Run Club app. This free app has plans for all distances, from total beginners looking to run their first 5K to marathoners. You can engage with other Ladder users to help spur you on to greater PRs and loftier goals without trying to make awkward small talk at your gym.
It takes the planning out of exercise
Each item that makes the list may have a premium version, but there is a free version that is robust and easy enough to use to be added onto this list. The free version of AllTrails gives you access to hundreds of thousands of saved trails worldwide, making this a great tool for those who get the itch to travel. You can also save your favorite trails to an easy-to-access list, as well as create your own routes and trails. One thing to note is that you’ll have to make a free account to get full access to the free version—otherwise, your experience on the app and web version will be limited. When I think of an app for a beginner, I would want value, ease of use, and good instruction.
The Upper / Lower Split – Complete Workout Program Guide
The way these classes are structured makes them accessible to all. If you have experience with lifting weights, you can easily choose a resistance and a range of motion that challenges you. And if you are a total beginner, there is always someone in the class demoing a scaled-back option, which isn’t something many other strength training apps offer. The trainers also offer advice on techniques to help make things a little easier with each new movement.
Version History
Workout apps come with various pricing options, from free versions with basic features to premium subscriptions or one-time purchases. Assess your budget and compare the value offered by each app, such as workout variety, coaching options, and additional perks like meal planning or community access. Every app we’ve tested offers a free trial, which you can use to help you decide before committing. Start by identifying your fitness goals, as they will guide your app selection. Whether you’re aiming to lose weight, gain muscle, improve flexibility, or train for a specific event, choose an app that specializes in the type of workouts and progress tracking aligned with your objectives.
I skipped the additional dumbbells
The app is more than just workouts — there’s a bunch of useful information for new moms, or moms who don’t know where to start with postpartum exercise. From insights into how to babywear safely, to advice on sleep, mental health, your physical recovery, and nutrition — I wish I’d had this from day one, where I spent sleepless nights googling everything. As trainer Vern Hill explained, the idea of adding a set of dumbbells to the workout is that you’ll be able to lift more than just your baby, and get stronger as your little one grows. As my son is already a pretty heavy weight, and a wriggly one at that, I decided to forgo the extra dumbbells and just focus on moving with good form with him strapped to my chest. It’s important to know the type of person you are when looking for an ideal workout app for you. Furthermore, some apps reward badges for hitting new personal records which, just like a follow on social media, can feel very rewarding.