25 Best Workout Apps for Beginners to Jumpstart Your Fitness

Best-known for its at-home indoor cycling classes with one of the best exercise bikes in the biz, Peloton is among the most popular home fitness apps right now. And for those who like to keep a close eye on their stats and progress, this is our top pick. In testing, we appreciated the assortment of available on-demand workouts and programs, but admittedly focused on the 171 available yoga flows.

For Beginners

For dedicated internal guidance on progressive overload methods, see our guide to progressive overload for beginners. The key word is “consistently.” Without a log, you cannot confirm you’re applying consistent overload. Strength training for women over 40 is not primarily about aesthetics — it’s a clinical-grade intervention for long-term health.

Have questions or ready to flex your goals? Contact us today!

Paying for a plan is only worth it if it helps you stay more consistent than you would with free content. Free fitness apps are worth trying if you need basic workout ideas, simple activity tracking, or a low-pressure way to build consistency. Many free tiers include bodyweight routines, run tracking, step goals, limited yoga classes, or a small library of strength sessions.

What is an AI workout generator?

The PEAR Sports fitness app connects you with a vast selection of workouts and fitness training exercises spread across various categories. Matt says this app is primarily for people who have high self-motivation. “You can see other community members and invite your friends to do the same program with you,” Matt says. “By default, it’s not really meant for coaching or accountability.” We’ll give it a 2 out of 5 in the accountability category.

🔍 What Are Mobile Personal Training Apps? Features and Benefits Explained

Accessibility and structure are also key reasons to download a personal training app. If you have fewer barriers between you and your workout, and you build time into your day that you know will work for your schedule, you’ll have more success at maintaining your commitment to healthy habits. AI apps are great at setting goals, but it helps to know what’s realistic. Log in your workouts, meals (if the app tracks nutrition), and even how you’re feeling after a session. Try setting reminders so you don’t forget to work out or check your progress. Flex AI is the best all-around automated workout app that will generate a workout plan, provide detailed instructions on how to perform each exercise, and track your progress.

ProForm Crosswalk 390 Treadmill Review ( : Upper- and Lower-Body Workout Machine

PUSH made it intuitive to start a workout and to follow along as the app pushed me through the program it had created for me. Other than that, I enjoyed the classes, instructors, and how seamlessly the metrics flowed between the watch and workout screen. I liked that graphic—I thought it provided competition without feeling overwhelming—but if you don’t, you can hide it from the screen. If you plan to work out at home and only own a pair of ankle weights, make sure you choose an app that doesn’t require a full home gym.

Ideal Features for Women

Many apps use AI algorithms (e.g., Fitbod, Freeletics) to generate personalized workouts based on your goals, fitness level, equipment, and feedback. Others allow human coaches to build fully customized programs tailored to your needs, delivered directly through the app. For personalized coaching and business management, Trainerize is top-tier. For free, high-quality workouts, Nike Training Club and FitOn are excellent. Strength training enthusiasts should check out Fitbod or JuggernautAI for AI-driven programming. For holistic wellness, Centr offers fitness, nutrition, and mindfulness in one package.

Best workout app if you don’t like to work out

You get three free programs upfront and, if you like the experience, the subscription is priced at a modest $14.99 per month. You can get it on the brand’s website or on either the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Finally, we enjoyed the user interface of this app and felt its layout to be rather intuitive after the first few workouts.

Look for an app that matches your class variety and personalization needs. Budget is another crucial factor, with some apps offering free versions or trials. Lastly, ensure the app has robust community features to keep you motivated and engaged.

The Best Workout Apps to Kickstart Your Health Goals in 2026

Advanced AI analyzes your fitness goals, available equipment, and schedule to generate optimal workout plans. Delivers customized exercises that match your specific needs and preferences. There are even online workout programs that allow you to interact one-on-one with a personal trainer from your own home. Whether you’re taking a strength, sculpt, cardio burn, or recovery class, every movement feels intentional—and the platform also offers a variety of workouts for pre- and postnatal. It walks you through a series of questions about your strength training experience, which muscle groups you’d like to focus on, and more.

• Look for apps that provide clear training plans, allow you to track progress, and offer options to customize your workouts based on your fitness level and goals.
• When it comes to the workouts, we score the available instructions at 5 out of 5, too.
• Caliber also allows equipment selection during setup, and its programs adjust accordingly.
• Virtuagym offers access to a database of over 9 million food items, a barcode scanner for easy tracking, and science-backed meal templates.
• Deeply interested in the intersection of fitness, technology, and growth, Kinshuk brings a hands-on understanding of the challenges faced by modern trainers.
• Similarly, FitBudd offers flexible pricing with free and paid options to suit different needs.

There is a student discount of $40 per year and a family plan for up to 4 accounts at $140 a year. The good news is that Strava offers a free 30-day trial to those who want to try out its upgraded features before committing. If you opt for the all-access membership, it costs $50 a month and can be used whether you own the bike, treadmill or rower. Peloton also recently updated its search function, so it’s easier than ever to find your favorite artist, class title and genre. If you’re not a fully converted Peloton junkie, the Peloton app One is a good stepping stone to see what the hype is about and whether you enjoy the classes. If you like to run outdoors, for example, you’ll likely want an app that offers location tracking.

Using a CGM for fitness training allow you to make informed decisions about lifestyle choices like your fitness regime by providing real-time data on blood sugar levels. Before we get into the specifics of each app, here’s a quick look at our favorite fitness apps and what they’re best for. “This is something only a knowledgeable and experienced trainer would likely program,” Amanda says, rating the instruction as a whole a 4 out of 5.

How to choose the best workout app

You’ll also be able to match your circuits to your available equipment, ranging from bodyweight-only workouts to training sessions in full gyms. This flexibility earns TR[Ai]NER a 5 out of 5 for its equipment demands. Unsurprisingly, a lot of the workouts are based on strength and resistance training, with options for equipment-filled gym sessions and more minimal setups at home.

Despite body mass index (BMI) being widely dispelled and not accurate for certain groups of people, BetterMe still uses online fitness coaching reviews it and identified her as “morbidly obese.” Workouts can be viewed on your phone or desktop, or cast to a larger screen using screen mirroring. Workout routines can also be integrated with your own Spotify playlist, or the app’s instrumental upbeat music (that’s actually not bad, according to our testers!). Whether yoga is part of your regular routine or you’re new to the practice, there’s something for you on the Glo app.