Expert-Tested: The Best Workout Apps 2026
These brands make some of the best cardio machines for home fitness, and the iFIT integration allows you to stream your favorite mid-workout sessions seamlessly. This integration also allows you to take advantage of iFIT’s AutoAdjust feature, which is available on several machines. AutoAdjust automatically adjusts your machine’s resistance to the trainers’ recommendations during classes or the terrain during scenic rides. It’s an impressive feature, but making the most of iFIT may mean shelling out a chunk of change for a compatible machine in addition to the $39 monthly subscription. The interface is clean and easy to navigate, leading Amanda to rate the setup and ease of use a 5 out of 5.
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You can find exercise routines based on how much time you have, the level of intensity you want, or the type of workout you prefer, including abs, butt and thighs, stretching, yoga, and so forth. If you wear a connected heart rate monitor while working out, you can see your heart rate on the screen as you move. There’s also a leaderboard for competing with other members or a group of friends. EvolveYouIf you’re someone who likes to mix up your workouts, alternating between cardio or weights, Pilates or HIIT, the gym, or workouts in your living room, EvolveYou is a workout app worth considering. Designed for women by personal trainer Krissy Cela, the app has six different trainers on board, all of whom have several different workout plans to choose from. 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.
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Overall, Amanda gives Nike Training Club a 3.5-star rating for accountability. Zwift scored highly in most categories, but as it’s more of a racing app than a platform that provides instruction, we only gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars for accountability and instruction. The app will not reward progress until you have logged your previous sessions, which allows for both accountability and progressive overload. While the pricing varies, the highest tier of Caliber starts at $200 per month, which is significantly more expensive than the average app. However, it offsets this with affordable group coaching and a free forever plan. “Not only are there video demos for every movement in the Caliber app (which are really well-done), but you can even send form videos to your coach,” Amanda explains.
Future is an excellent tool for personalized training, and pairs seamlessly to an Apple Watch (and other fitness trackers), according to Meier. There’s no real-time feedback from your coach during exercise, meaning you’ll need to record your movement and then send it to your trainer for any corrective guidance. Our testers had no real complaints about this format, but it may be too lagging of a structure for athletes wanting immediate feedback mid-set. Either with an online coach or a fitness community, many workout apps provide access to online support. Some use social media to encourage and support other athletes, while other apps will connect you with a coach who will help keep you on track for your program.
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You get paired with a real human coach who builds your weekly workouts and messages you daily. Founded with Chris Hemsworth’s training team, Centr blends physical training with nutrition and mindfulness. You can select from strength training and HIIT — a popular choice among men, as it saves time while effectively burning calories. Also, you can choose between yoga, boxing and pilates programs tailored to your skill level and objectives.
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Sworkit keeps things flexible with over 500 workouts and 900 exercises you can adapt to your schedule, equipment and goals. Whether you want to lose weight, build muscle or improve flexibility, the app generates routines that fit your needs in minutes. Shred is a hybrid between a personal trainer and a smart performance tracker. Its adaptive AI recommends weights, rest times and tempo adjustments so you never stall or waste effort. You choose your equipment — from dumbbells to bodyweight only — and the app instantly rebuilds your plan. Peloton stands out as a leading app for its cycling gear, offering a vast library of training resources.
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NTC is a home workout app that is suitable for beginners and those who want to stay in shape without a gym membership. It offers short minute workouts, cardio, yoga, strength training, and special series from Nike trainers. MadMuscles app stands out among all tested platforms for its thoughtfulness and ease of use. It is not just a set of exercises, but a complete fitness app system designed for men who want to see real progress without complicated settings and unnecessary explanations.
Alo Moves: Specialized Flexibility Workouts with Limited Accountability Features
- Now, Amanda brings her expertise in fitness to the GGR team by testing equipment and writing authentic, honest reviews on everything you might need to stock your home gym.
- CoPilot connects you with a remote trainer and uses motion tracking via wearables to verify you’re doing the exercises.
- It’s still a smartwatch that requires daily charging, though it reliably delivers around hours of real-world use.
- CNET experts tested some of the most popular workout apps to see which ones actually offer great workouts.
- For example, a running app won’t offer much training variety and doesn’t require equipment (aside from your best running shoes, of course).
- Others help you to track your activity and diet, giving you new insight to your nutrition.
Whether you train at home, in the gym, or while traveling, the right app adapts to your context and evolves with your goals. Many traditional workout apps emphasize aesthetics or strength, sidelining joint mobility and movement quality. Yet poor mobility is one of the leading causes of stalled progress and injury in male trainees. An advanced fitness app for men should include regular movement assessments, mobility drills, and dynamic warm-ups that prepare joints for heavy lifting or explosive movements.
Caliber Strength Training
Not only is the GPS tracking pretty accurate, but a social element separates it from most other free cycling apps. “I think the social network-esque aspect of it is what really differentiates it from other free cycling GPS apps,” our tester and long-time Strava user Amanda Capritto says. “You can follow people on Strava just like on Instagram or Twitter.” Strava also encourages group challenges and interaction with other athletes through clubs.
Aaptiv: Limited Interactive Features and Support for Novice Athletes
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. IFIT’s cheaper tier is more affordable than the average workout app, but the app’s self-guided nature might not be a fit for everyone’s training style. While our tester didn’t find it too detrimental to the overall experience, she did specifically mention that the app might not be great for people who need an extra nudge to stay on track. It has a nutrition function where you can track calories or gather healthy meal ideas.
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Once you’ve chosen your program, you check in once a month to keep track of your progress. Fiit’s group classes are completely free to join, and you only need a membership to tackle standalone sessions. There are plenty of training styles, from yoga and treadmill workouts, to spin classes and strength training routines. The app also has a ton of built-in training programs to tailor your workouts to what you hope to achieve when you actually take your bike out on the road or mountain. There are gravel-specific plans, plans for crushing a 100-mile mountain bike race, or keeping up with your crew at the local criterium.
HIIT will likely be one of the weight loss exercises you’ll find on the best workout apps for men that require no equipment. The Nike Training Club is our pick for the best overall workout app because it’s free and offers a variety of classes, like HIIT, strength training, mobility and yoga. You can even follow a program over the course of a month and decide how is mad muscles legit often you’re looking to work out.
