Finding the perfect workout routine can feel like searching for a unicorn. Everyone’s different, with unique schedules, fitness levels, and goals. Thankfully, technology offers a powerful solution: workout apps. These apps allow you to create personalized plans that adapt to your lifestyle, making fitness more achievable and enjoyable. Let’s explore some of the top contenders in 2025.
Why Choose a Workout App?
Before diving into specific apps, let’s consider the advantages of using a workout app to design your fitness plan:
- Personalization: Tailor workouts to your fitness level, goals (weight loss, muscle gain, endurance), and available equipment.
- Flexibility: Workout anytime, anywhere, fitting exercises into your busy schedule.
- Variety: Access a wide range of exercises and routines to prevent boredom and target different muscle groups.
- Tracking: Monitor your progress, track your workouts, and stay motivated by seeing how far you’ve come.
- Guidance: Many apps provide exercise demonstrations, form tips, and even virtual coaching.
- Affordability: Often more cost-effective than a personal trainer or gym membership.
- Community: Some apps offer social features to connect with other users for support and motivation.
Top Workout Apps to Design Your Perfect Plan in 2025
Here’s a rundown of some of the best workout apps available in 2025, each with its unique strengths:
1. SHRED App: The All-Around Champion
- Best For: Those wanting a comprehensive workout experience with lots of program choices.
- Features: SHRED contains high-quality strength training programs and acts as a virtual personal trainer at a fraction of the cost. After entering some basic information about your height, weight, fitness history and goals, and training style, the app allows you to select from dozens of programs designed and led by world-class athletes.
- Pros: Suitable for both home and commercial gyms.
- Cons: May require a subscription for full access.
2. Nike Training Club: The Best Free Option
- Best For: People on a budget who still want access to a variety of workouts and guided programs.
- Features: Offers a vast library of free, on-demand workouts led by certified instructors, including strength training, HIIT, yoga, and Pilates.
- Pros: Completely free, suitable for beginners, wide variety of workouts.
- Cons: Lacks personalized fitness assessments and in-depth progress tracking in the free version.
3. BetterMe Health Coaching App: Perfect for Beginners
- Best For: Newcomers to fitness who need guidance and a structured approach.
- Features: Offers personalized workout and nutrition plans, with support from certified coaches. It begins with a quiz on your fitness goals, mobility issues, sleep schedule, and more.
- Pros: Combines fitness and nutrition, provides coaching support, user-friendly.
- Cons: Requires a subscription, coaching quality may vary.
4. Caliber Strength Training: The Science-Based Approach
- Best For: Those who want a structured strength training program with options for coaching.
- Features: Provides evidence-based workout programs, exercise tracking, and options for group or one-on-one coaching.
- Pros: Robust free version, access to expert coaches, focuses on progressive overload.
- Cons: Personal training is expensive.
5. Fitbod: The AI-Powered Workout Creator
- Best For: Gym-goers who want AI to generate personalized strength training plans.
- Features: Uses AI to create personalized workout plans based on your fitness level, available equipment, and goals.
- Pros: Takes the guesswork out of planning workouts, keeps routines fresh, integrates with other fitness apps.
- Cons: Requires a subscription for full features.
6. Future: The Premium Personal Training Experience
- Best For: Individuals seeking a highly personalized training experience with a dedicated coach.
- Features: Matches you with a personal trainer who creates custom workout plans, provides feedback, and offers support through messaging and video calls.
- Pros: Highly personalized, access to expert coaches, flexible and adjustable plans.
- Cons: Most expensive option, relies heavily on coach-client relationship.
7. Jefit: The Weightlifting Tracker
- Best For: People who are focused on weight lifting and strength training.
- Features: Jefit (available on Android, iOS, and the web) is a suitable workout app if you want to log and track your strength training, including how much weight you lift, how many reps you do, and so on. This app doesn’t limit you to weight training, however, as you can design and track other kinds of workouts.
- Pros: The app comes with routines you can do and a bank of exercises you can explore and add to a workout plan. You can search for exercises based on which muscle groups they target.
- Cons: Elite membership needed to remove ads and unlock advanced features.
8. Centr, by Chris Hemsworth: Train Body and Mind
- Best For: Those looking for an all-around app.
- Features: Centr, the workout app designed by actor Chris Hemsworth, combines accessible beginner-friendly strength workouts, advanced training, yoga classes, and meditations for a comprehensive companion for training your body and mind.
- Pros: Beginner-friendly workouts.
- Cons: Worried that an app designed by Chris Hemsworth would be all about bulking up.
9. Aaptiv: Audio-Based Fitness
- Best For: Users who prefer audio instructions over video.
- Features: Offers a wide variety of audio-guided workouts, including running, strength training, and yoga.
- Pros: Great for screenless workouts, lots of variety.
- Cons: Lacks visual demonstrations, may not suit all learning styles.
10. Strava: The Social Fitness Tracker
- Best For: Runners, cyclists, and active individuals who enjoy tracking their workouts and connecting with a community.
- Features: Tracks a wide range of activities, provides detailed performance insights, and allows you to share your workouts and connect with friends.
- Pros: Versatile tracking, social features, detailed analytics.
- Cons: Focuses primarily on cardio activities, some features require a subscription.
11. Gymshark Training: Visually Stunning Workouts
- Best For: Those seeking visually engaging and free workout programs.
- Features: Offers a sleek, user-friendly design with high-quality guided workouts and pre-made routines.
- Pros: Visually appealing, user-friendly, free access to many workouts.
- Cons: Limited progress tracking metrics.
12. Hevy: Strength Training Made Simple
- Best For: People who want to create their own workout plans as well as sort workouts by location and equipment.
- Features: Helps you overcome those barriers and stick to a routine with just one feature: the ability to sort workouts by location and equipment. During testing, I loved that I could choose between workouts designed for the gym vs. my home—and even select from a range of equipment-free, bodyweight-only exercises.
- Pros: The app supports freestyling your workout too, which is a nice touch.
- Cons: Not specified.
Essential Features to Look For
Regardless of the app you choose, consider these essential features:
- Exercise Library: A comprehensive database of exercises with clear instructions and videos.
- Workout Planning: Tools to create custom workouts and structured programs.
- Progress Tracking: Features to log your workouts, track your progress, and visualize your results.
- Goal Setting: Options to set fitness goals and monitor your progress toward them.
- Integration: Compatibility with other fitness apps, wearable devices, and health platforms.
- User-Friendliness: An intuitive interface that’s easy to navigate and use.
- Motivation: Features like rewards, challenges, and social connectivity to keep you engaged.
Making the Right Choice
The best workout app is the one that you’ll actually use. Consider your individual needs, preferences, and budget when making your decision. Many apps offer free trials, so take advantage of these to explore different options and find the perfect fit for your lifestyle. Remember to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new workout routine.
