10 Best Workout Apps of 2026, Tested by Personal Trainers

Navigating to features on the watch like the post-workout summary can be a bit confusing, even after using the watch consistently. But for weightlifting, the software matters more than the hardware. The watch screen should be a glanceable companion, not the primary way you interact with your workout data. Cora creates AI-powered workout plans that adapt to your recovery, tracks your progress across every metric, and coaches you in real time. MyFitnessPal has one of the largest food databases available, making it easy to log meals quickly.

Can Apple Watch track strength training?

We update our lineup of fitness trackers seasonally, so you can expect up-to-date information that takes into account the latest fitness tracker releases. As for the Garmin Instinct 3, Miller pointed to the “sharp and bright” AMOLED screen and the way Garmin “jammed a lot of stats” onto the home screen without making the layout feel overwhelming. Its powerful GPS and dependable tracking keep things steady during long runs, hikes, or sessions that move in and out of remote environments. Plus, Garmin offers readiness insights that Apple can only offer if you sync with the Training Today app. Plus, it comes with a useful flashlight for those late night runs. Apple integrates with everything that fills the rest of your day.

In addition to its outwardly masculine look and durable design, the technology here is super simple to navigate, which can’t be said for all fitness trackers. Though there’s no touchscreen, Miller had the five buttons figured out within just a few minutes of receiving the product. And while you can track up to 30 different workout types, Miller praises the display for the easy-to-digest layout outside of workout mode.

The app also allows users to track their heart rate, monitor their nutrition, and sync their workouts with other fitness apps. The best Apple Watch fitness apps for 2026 combine workout tracking, recovery monitoring, and health insights in one place. Cora (rated 4.8/5 on the App Store) stands out because it connects training, recovery, nutrition, and AI coaching through Apple Health data instead of treating each metric as a separate dashboard. Built by PurplePill AI (Y Combinator W24), Cora uses recovery, training, and nutrition context together when it adjusts daily guidance. It also supports Garmin, Whoop, Oura, and Fitbit alongside Apple Watch, starting at $9.99/month. This guide reviews each app, compares features side by side, and recommends the right combination for your goals.

Make sure you end your workout after you finish training

We’d opt for the Apple Watch Series 11 for the smoothest daily experience. But if you don’t care to have every app on your phone on your wrist, the Garmin Venu 4 is a great choice too. Further, decide whether you want a minimalist design, like that of the Whoop or the Oura. “A lot of my clients don’t like things on their wrist,” says Honore, who works with dancers who don’t want to be distracted by a screen. You may prefer having a screen so that you can glance down during a workout and check your progress.

• From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech.
• According to AED Leader, there are several reasons why bodybuilders are prone to heart attacks, such as their extreme muscle mass, performance-enhancing drugs, and lack of medical supervision.
• After noticing mid-workout that my watch was down to less than 5% in battery, the power-saving mode helped it hold on for not only the rest of my workout but three more hours after that.
• During that time, I’ve tested countless wearables, from the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to the Apollo Wearable and more.
• You don’t need to spend more than $100 on a fitness tracker that gets the job done.
• Ultra 3 also includes Apple’s safety calling tools with everyday features, which creates a watch that performs during long sessions but still handles a full day packed with calls, notifications, and navigation.

Customizable Routines

To test each watch’s health tracking, I wore each tracker to sleep, to the gym and during every activity or rest period in between. This gave me a comprehensive view of each tracker’s capabilities and accuracy. When analyzing health tracking, I examined the types of insights each tracker provided about my sleep, cycle and stress levels, and the specificity of each.

Best Fitness Tracker For Apple Users

As a nice plus, the app is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. One of the top reasons to use an Apple Watch is the wide variety of fitness and exercise benefits the wearable device offers thanks to its built-in sensors and ease of use. At the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, our registered dietitians rigorously evaluate and review dozens of nutrition, wellness, and health apps throughout the year. Samsung runs on the Samsung Health app, and the ring pairs seamlessly with this. Sure, you can pair it with another Android phone, especially if you’re a Pixel user like I have been lately. But to get the most out of it, you’ll want to set it up with your Samsung device.

Apple Health

Now in 2026, we’re more dialed into the state of fitness trackers than ever before as nearly all our editors are wearing some sort of device on a daily basis. Some fitness trackers work better for specific types of activities, whereas others are more of an all-purpose wearable. Or do you want one that can keep up with you at the gym and the activities in between? If you have special health concerns or if you’re trying to conceive or are currently pregnant, you’ll want to find a more advanced tracker. For activity tracking, I looked at how many activity or sport modes were available and how well each watch tracked my movement during those workouts and activities.

What To Consider In A Fitness Tracker

Often, I wore a minimum of two rings simultaneously to cross-examine and get a better sense of how each ring recorded my health stats. I would check these stats throughout the day to see how each stacked up. For each contender, I also took a deep dive into the features below. Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men’s Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He’s logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men’s Health, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.

Track & Plan Workouts

Nike Training Club is free and includes a huge library of workouts led by Nike trainers. Quality is generally high, variety is strong, and it’s basically impossible to beat the price. Apple Watch integration is solid for heart rate and workout tracking. Strong allows users to track strength workouts and analyze performance trends. Fitbod generates personalized strength workouts based on performance data and available equipment. Apple Fitness+ is Apple’s own subscription-based fitness service designed specifically for Apple Watch users.

Easy to track changes when you train to failure

You can also choose to see workouts that target a certain body part. So it’s best to use an Apple Watch strength training app that allows you to design your workout with the appropriate load and customize your inter-set recovery or rest time. Start your weightlifting or strength training session and let it run through your sets and rest periods. You do not need to create a different workout for each strength exercise.

The Pros and Cons of Free vs. Premium Apps

It’s a dedicated workout tracker that is unimeal legit does an exceptional job of logging workouts, records, and measurements for advanced lifters. Though it offers little instruction, its ability to save workout templates and highlight personal records provides an element of convenience and motivation. Caliber offers varied levels of coaching, making it an ideal place for a new lifter to kick off their strength training journey.

These should offer introductory guides, basic strength training routines, and easy-to-follow instructions. Fitness journeys are often more successful with support and motivation from like-minded individuals. The best lifting app fosters community engagement, allowing users to connect, share experiences, and compete. Whether it’s a free weightlifting app or a premium version, features like community challenges, leaderboards, and social sharing can significantly enhance the workout experience. This aspect is especially important in apps like the best weightlifting app for women or beginners, where a supportive community can be a key factor in maintaining motivation and consistency. The app provides a vast exercise library with clear directions and instructional videos, earning Caliber’s 5 out of 5 rating.

Your Apple Watch running watchOS 6 and below shows many different workout types on its workout menu, such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, and even Yoga. When using watchOS 7 and above, only choose Other when you can’t find a matching workout type in the Workout app’s main menu or Add Workout submenu. In addition, aside from being able to download Gymaholic for free on the App Store for your iPhone and Apple Watch, it’s also compatible with your iPad and Apple TV. If you want to enjoy the full breadth of its features, you may want to consider an annual subscription for $31.99. When it comes to building strength, how you fuel your body can mean all the difference.

Setgraph: Gym Workout Tracker

However, since MyFitnessPal relies on information supplied to it by volunteers, there is a chance that the ingredients for the same dishes across restaurants, brands, or countries may differ. In addition, unless you carry an actual scale with you at all times, you may not always get the portion sizes correctly. Weight Lifting Calories on Apple Watch however are highly variable. Since the pre-built apps can only function with heart rate they make it much harder to estimate accurately. In addition, the need to continuously monitor heart rate is also limiting for some lifts where safety requires the removal of a wrist worn tracker. SmartGym is another in the sets, reps, weights tracking, but has a significant benefit in that it also extends to a desktop option.

Stellar Heart Rate Tracking

You can see the workout plan and specific routines while logging your progress on each exercise. There are specific instructions if you haven’t done the lift before. The Samsung Galaxy Ring i s the first of its kind from Samsung, and that’s what makes it a unique entry into the smart ring field. The rest of the smart ring picks were built for both iOS and Android users, but the Samsung Galaxy Ring has features that were designed expressly for Samsung users.

Stronglifts 5×5 Workout

A smarter, more intuitive evolution of the classic food journal, today’s apps go far beyond simple calorie counting. Many now use AI to recognize meals from photos, highlight nutrition gaps, and uncover patterns in users’ eating habits that impact energy, workouts, and sleep. The software takes a couple weeks to learn your body’s average metrics, so don’t panic when you don’t see in-depth, detailed data straightaway. Once it does, though, you can get real-time heart rate tracking, body temp readings and more built specifically to your body’s trends. Those who enjoy tinkering with health insights will appreciate the deep dives into the Oura Labs feature, but those looking for simple health tracker may feel overwhelmed.

• Gymaholic is one of many apps out there that all essentially do the same thing.
• If you like the no frills appearance, the Whoop 5.0 can definitely accomplish most of your tracking needs.
• Even though there is a built in workout app for Apple Fitness, for a defined wight lifting plan the tracked stats are not sufficient.
• If you’re obsessed with data, but don’t want to buy a WHOOP, then this app is for you.
• Strong Workout Tracker is the go-to app for serious strength training.
• Set it up with your Samsung phone and turn the double pinch feature on in the Galaxy Wearable app, and you can “double pinch” to snap photos and selfies.

Accuracy Can Be Inconsistent But Didn’t Skew Overall Data

Another widespread debate around strength training is the use of Caffeine before training. Some users like to have a cup of black coffee before starting their workout. This app, available for your iPhone and your Apple Watch, provides excellent options to manage your strength training regimen.

Key Features to Look For in a Weightlifting App

It comes it at a subscription fee of just $3.99/month and less than $35/year, which makes it less expensive for a year than many single workout classes are for an hour. Thanks to Siri support, you can start a workout with just a voice command. And past lifters, personal trainers can even use the app to manage their students. With barcode scanners and AI photo tools, tracking what you eat is easier than ever. Despite its strong initial performance, our long-term testing revealed battery issues, with the device failing after only a few months of daily wear. Based on my testing and research, including interviewing Girish N. Nadkarni, MD, MPH, Director of the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health, the best smart ring you can get right now is the Oura Ring 4.

Comfortable And Sleek Design, Though Some Colors Show Wear And Tear Over Time

If you’re familiar with the strength training world and want some new, fresh workout unimeal review ideas, then BodyFit is the app for you. This app fully admits to being more advanced, so if you’re a newcomer, consider one of our other options. Overall, it’s one of the better weightlifting apps for the Apple Watch out there right now and will afford you a lot of variety, flexibility, and freedom. We love how this app runs, and we think it’s one of the best weightlifting apps for the Apple Watch on the market right now. Fitbod will genuinely do all the work for you – down to calculating the sets and reps of each exercise and how long you should rest between exercises.

Your Training, Decoded

Priced at $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year, it provides a comprehensive range of tracking options to cater to your fitness goals. Strong is an easy to use app that tracks your sets, reps and exercises over time, but perhaps its best feature is that it can be controlled entirely from your wrist without the need for a smart phone. But if you’re a beginner at the gym, the premium subscription is not tailored for you. We made sure to make everything a beginner needs 100% free, to help you along your fitness journey. And yes, that includes lots and lots of free workouts and training programs, unlimited workout logging, the ability to build your own training programs, support through , and much more. Ryse takes more of a Strava like approach for weight lifting, focusing on the social aspects of sharing workouts.

Best Fitness Apps That Work With Apple Watch in 2026

When tracking a workout, tap once on a set to mark it as complete. Tap the screen multiple times to choose another number of reps. The exercise can also be edited on the watch screen. Depending on your results, you can also create rules to automatically adjust the weight, making it easier to see even more results.

More of the Best Fitness Tech

With a smartwatch on your wrist, you have even more options for keeping your fitness goals on track. So if you’re looking for some Apple Watch-enabled apps to help you stay focused when pumping iron, here are a few you may want to consider downloading. While there are some great Apple Watch apps designed for a fit lifestyle, you may be looking for the right apps to be companions to your weightlifting journey in particular. After all, different sports have varying training needs, and you may want to stick to a few apps that really fit your requirements.

Navigating to features on the watch like the post-workout summary can be a bit confusing, even after using the watch consistently. But for weightlifting, the software matters more than the hardware. The watch screen should be a glanceable companion, not the primary way you interact with your workout data. Cora creates AI-powered workout plans that adapt to your recovery, tracks your progress across every metric, and coaches you in real time. MyFitnessPal has one of the largest food databases available, making it easy to log meals quickly.

Can Apple Watch track strength training?

We update our lineup of fitness trackers seasonally, so you can expect up-to-date information that takes into account the latest fitness tracker releases. As for the Garmin Instinct 3, Miller pointed to the “sharp and bright” AMOLED screen and the way Garmin “jammed a lot of stats” onto the home screen without making the layout feel overwhelming. Its powerful GPS and dependable tracking keep things steady during long runs, hikes, or sessions that move in and out of remote environments. Plus, Garmin offers readiness insights that Apple can only offer if you sync with the Training Today app. Plus, it comes with a useful flashlight for those late night runs. Apple integrates with everything that fills the rest of your day.

In addition to its outwardly masculine look and durable design, the technology here is super simple to navigate, which can’t be said for all fitness trackers. Though there’s no touchscreen, Miller had the five buttons figured out within just a few minutes of receiving the product. And while you can track up to 30 different workout types, Miller praises the display for the easy-to-digest layout outside of workout mode.

The app also allows users to track their heart rate, monitor their nutrition, and sync their workouts with other fitness apps. The best Apple Watch fitness apps for 2026 combine workout tracking, recovery monitoring, and health insights in one place. Cora (rated 4.8/5 on the App Store) stands out because it connects training, recovery, nutrition, and AI coaching through Apple Health data instead of treating each metric as a separate dashboard. Built by PurplePill AI (Y Combinator W24), Cora uses recovery, training, and nutrition context together when it adjusts daily guidance. It also supports Garmin, Whoop, Oura, and Fitbit alongside Apple Watch, starting at $9.99/month. This guide reviews each app, compares features side by side, and recommends the right combination for your goals.

Make sure you end your workout after you finish training

We’d opt for the Apple Watch Series 11 for the smoothest daily experience. But if you don’t care to have every app on your phone on your wrist, the Garmin Venu 4 is a great choice too. Further, decide whether you want a minimalist design, like that of the Whoop or the Oura. “A lot of my clients don’t like things on their wrist,” says Honore, who works with dancers who don’t want to be distracted by a screen. You may prefer having a screen so that you can glance down during a workout and check your progress.

• From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech.
• According to AED Leader, there are several reasons why bodybuilders are prone to heart attacks, such as their extreme muscle mass, performance-enhancing drugs, and lack of medical supervision.
• After noticing mid-workout that my watch was down to less than 5% in battery, the power-saving mode helped it hold on for not only the rest of my workout but three more hours after that.
• During that time, I’ve tested countless wearables, from the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to the Apollo Wearable and more.
• You don’t need to spend more than $100 on a fitness tracker that gets the job done.
• Ultra 3 also includes Apple’s safety calling tools with everyday features, which creates a watch that performs during long sessions but still handles a full day packed with calls, notifications, and navigation.

Customizable Routines

To test each watch’s health tracking, I wore each tracker to sleep, to the gym and during every activity or rest period in between. This gave me a comprehensive view of each tracker’s capabilities and accuracy. When analyzing health tracking, I examined the types of insights each tracker provided about my sleep, cycle and stress levels, and the specificity of each.

Best Fitness Tracker For Apple Users

As a nice plus, the app is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. One of the top reasons to use an Apple Watch is the wide variety of fitness and exercise benefits the wearable device offers thanks to its built-in sensors and ease of use. At the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, our registered dietitians rigorously evaluate and review dozens of nutrition, wellness, and health apps throughout the year. Samsung runs on the Samsung Health app, and the ring pairs seamlessly with this. Sure, you can pair it with another Android phone, especially if you’re a Pixel user like I have been lately. But to get the most out of it, you’ll want to set it up with your Samsung device.

Apple Health

Now in 2026, we’re more dialed into the state of fitness trackers than ever before as nearly all our editors are wearing some sort of device on a daily basis. Some fitness trackers work better for specific types of activities, whereas others are more of an all-purpose wearable. Or do you want one that can keep up with you at the gym and the activities in between? If you have special health concerns or if you’re trying to conceive or are currently pregnant, you’ll want to find a more advanced tracker. For activity tracking, I looked at how many activity or sport modes were available and how well each watch tracked my movement during those workouts and activities.

What To Consider In A Fitness Tracker

Often, I wore a minimum of two rings simultaneously to cross-examine and get a better sense of how each ring recorded my health stats. I would check these stats throughout the day to see how each stacked up. For each contender, I also took a deep dive into the features below. Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men’s Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He’s logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men’s Health, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.

Track & Plan Workouts

Nike Training Club is free and includes a huge library of workouts led by Nike trainers. Quality is generally high, variety is strong, and it’s basically impossible to beat the price. Apple Watch integration is solid for heart rate and workout tracking. Strong allows users to track strength workouts and analyze performance trends. Fitbod generates personalized strength workouts based on performance data and available equipment. Apple Fitness+ is Apple’s own subscription-based fitness service designed specifically for Apple Watch users.

Easy to track changes when you train to failure

You can also choose to see workouts that target a certain body part. So it’s best to use an Apple Watch strength training app that allows you to design your workout with the appropriate load and customize your inter-set recovery or rest time. Start your weightlifting or strength training session and let it run through your sets and rest periods. You do not need to create a different workout for each strength exercise.

The Pros and Cons of Free vs. Premium Apps

It’s a dedicated workout tracker that is unimeal legit does an exceptional job of logging workouts, records, and measurements for advanced lifters. Though it offers little instruction, its ability to save workout templates and highlight personal records provides an element of convenience and motivation. Caliber offers varied levels of coaching, making it an ideal place for a new lifter to kick off their strength training journey.

These should offer introductory guides, basic strength training routines, and easy-to-follow instructions. Fitness journeys are often more successful with support and motivation from like-minded individuals. The best lifting app fosters community engagement, allowing users to connect, share experiences, and compete. Whether it’s a free weightlifting app or a premium version, features like community challenges, leaderboards, and social sharing can significantly enhance the workout experience. This aspect is especially important in apps like the best weightlifting app for women or beginners, where a supportive community can be a key factor in maintaining motivation and consistency. The app provides a vast exercise library with clear directions and instructional videos, earning Caliber’s 5 out of 5 rating.

Closing Activity Rings and tracking progress can motivate users to stay active. The basic plan is free but still offers a comprehensive list of perks. You can also choose the elite yearly for a considerable discount of only $5.83 per month. If you don’t want your third-party app from counting towards your activity rings and showing up in the Fitness app, then don’t connect that app to Apple Health.

Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS 41mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum …

Hevy adds a social feed where you can follow friends, share workouts, and leave comments. The free tier is generous, and the pro plan ($9.99/month) adds advanced analytics and custom routines. Strong is a clean, focused strength training app with an Apple Watch companion that lets you log sets, reps, and weight directly from your wrist. The exercise library is large, and the app tracks progressive overload clearly over time. The free version limits you to a certain number of routines, while the pro subscription removes those limits. Devices like the Apple Watch allow users to monitor heart rate, calories burned, activity levels, and workout intensity in real time, providing valuable insights that help improve training efficiency.

Apple Watch Series 11 and what it means for fitness apps

To save a workout done on your watch, you’ll also need to use the app on your phone. If you’re obsessed with data, but don’t want to buy a WHOOP, then this app is for you. Jefit is compatible not only with Apple Watch, but also with Android smartwatches.

Apple Health

Here are the best Apple Watch weightlifting apps, and you can also try checking out some games from Spin Ace Casino when you’re done lifting. To get you fitter, faster and stronger, better than their competitor. It truly is a minefield out there, littered with influencer-tied apps and fad diet-eating routines. But, and trust us here, whatever your pursuit there is an app out there for you.

The King Of Smart Rings Continues Its Reign

It’s simple to change the exercise directly from the watch during the session. Gymaholic also tracks your heart rate during their strength training workouts. Gymaholic is helpful if you use the app to track your lifts, sets, and reps instead of just calories and heart rate. JeFit is one of the most heavily reviewed workout apps in the app store, and is built as a workout planner for gym rats. This ensures that JeFit has workouts that match most of the latest trends, as well as plenty of standard pre-built plans. In addition it offers the ability to plan and build your own workouts, then use a smart watch to follow along while at the gym.

Slim, Versatile And Easy To Follow

Samsung’s Wear OS 3 Galaxy Watches and Fitbit’s Sense series or Versa series also offer ways to track individual exercises and repetitions–you even get on-screen instructions on proper form and counting your reps. The user base of Ryse is much smaller than the others, but it still does a good job of offering a stable workout tracker. If your core friends use the app, or you can encourage them to, it certainly makes the social aspect more appealing. The Watch app also offers sample visuals of the lift, as well unimeal app reviews as a summary of the exercise and workout. This makes it easy to manage throughout a gym session and ensures you can keep your phone in your pocket (or in a bag streaming music to some bluetooth headphones.

All fitness trackers are made to take a beating, but some are better designed than others. Look at case construction, screen construction, and for smart rings, material. The most advanced fitness trackers (smart rings included) are typically made with stainless steel, titanium, or another type of quality metal. For screens, sapphire glass is a premium spec to look for thanks to its high scratch resistance and strength.

• In my experience, silicone and nylon are usually the most comfortable and the easiest to adjust.
• On the watch screen, you can view a full 3D avatar to get a better idea of how to correctly do the weightlifting exercise.
• Sleep tracking is having a moment and the Suunto Race S can track your sleep duration, timing, deep sleep, light sleep, heart rate, REM and HRV from sleep.
• Beyond tracking just sets, weights, and reps, there are times when it makes sense to monitor time intervals of training.
• Here’s an honest rundown of the best Apple Watch workout apps in 2026, with real strengths and weaknesses for each.
• BodyFit lets users carry their gym in their pockets, with easy access to an extensive exercise library and a reliable workout tracker.

Hevy – Workout Tracker Gym Log

The Ultra 3 helps extend the stretch between charges (without constant GPS usage, you may be able to last as long as 42 hours). Williams did note that the charging is quite fast though, with his watch charging 18 percent in just 15 minutes. Lastly, keep in mind the different types of materials for watch bands. In my experience, silicone and nylon are usually the most comfortable and the easiest to adjust.

HealthKit Integration

However, the amount of insights they give to weightlifters through their online dashboard and the Apple Watch is amazing. One rested for a minute between power sets (SHORT), and the other rested for 3 minutes. Once you complete your workout from your Apple Watch, refresh the Sweat app on your device by force closing and reopening.

One of Gymaholic’s unique features is its augmented reality (AR)-enabled virtual trainer, which you can view straight on your Apple Watch. By having a human-like figure simulate the movement, you can better understand what muscle groups are activated for each activity. Aside from this being a good way to build mind-body connections, it’s also useful in creating a sustainable training plan. Not to mention, it’s a great way to view your progress over time, especially when you’re trying to hit PRs.

JEFIT Workout Plan Gym Tracker

The apps that get this right — that combine voice input with a lightweight watch experience — are the ones that lifters will actually keep using. Because the best app is the one that gets out of your way and lets you train. When you’re resting between sets, you want to see your last set at a glance — not navigate to it. The current set, weight, and reps should be visible without any interaction. If the watch app is just a remote control that still requires the phone to be open and running nearby, it defeats the purpose. A true companion app should work independently — you start the workout on the watch and your phone stays in your locker.

After using this tracker for four months, I still enjoy the Fitbit’s simple interface and uncomplicated design. I’ve found, however, that the accuracy of the heart rate tracking can be inconsistent. During a few lifting sessions, the heart rate tracking got a slow start and was off for a few sets compared with my control device before catching up by the middle or end of my workout. This was somewhat annoying, although it didn’t seem to skew my overall post-workout summary data, which was usually still in line with my control for metrics like estimated calories burned and average heart rate. The Charge 6 also features a more advanced heart rate monitor than its predecessors, which paid off in its level of accuracy during my testing. It kept up with my heart rate during high-intensity workouts, which is typically where I find most trackers fail in their ability to measure my varying heart rate accurately.

Best blood pressure monitors to use with Apple’s Health app

It’s a free app that helps you plan your weightlifting routines, log your workouts, and track your exercise progress with precision. With Hevy, you can create custom exercises, analyze your workout sessions, and even sync your Apple Watch for real-time tracking. It’s a must-try for any Apple Watch user passionate about weightlifting. When paired with the right fitness apps, the Apple Watch becomes more than just a tracker — it turns into a complete personal fitness assistant. Many apps now sync seamlessly with Apple Watch, enabling users to follow workouts, track strength training sessions, monitor recovery, and analyze performance data. The app’s standout feature is its extensive list of over 100 workout plans, catering to different goals and providing a clear path for strength training.

Your Apple Watch running watchOS 6 and below shows many different workout types on its workout menu, such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, and even Yoga. When using watchOS 7 and above, only choose Other when you can’t find a matching workout type in the Workout app’s main menu or Add Workout submenu. In addition, aside from being able to download Gymaholic for free on the App Store for your iPhone and Apple Watch, it’s also compatible with your iPad and Apple TV. If you want to enjoy the full breadth of its features, you may want to consider an annual subscription for $31.99. When it comes to building strength, how you fuel your body can mean all the difference.

Setgraph: Gym Workout Tracker

However, since MyFitnessPal relies on information supplied to it by volunteers, there is a chance that the ingredients for the same dishes across restaurants, brands, or countries may differ. In addition, unless you carry an actual scale with you at all times, you may not always get the portion sizes correctly. Weight Lifting Calories on Apple Watch however are highly variable. Since the pre-built apps can only function with heart rate they make it much harder to estimate accurately. In addition, the need to continuously monitor heart rate is also limiting for some lifts where safety requires the removal of a wrist worn tracker. SmartGym is another in the sets, reps, weights tracking, but has a significant benefit in that it also extends to a desktop option.

Stellar Heart Rate Tracking

You can see the workout plan and specific routines while logging your progress on each exercise. There are specific instructions if you haven’t done the lift before. The Samsung Galaxy Ring i s the first of its kind from Samsung, and that’s what makes it a unique entry into the smart ring field. The rest of the smart ring picks were built for both iOS and Android users, but the Samsung Galaxy Ring has features that were designed expressly for Samsung users.

Stronglifts 5×5 Workout

A smarter, more intuitive evolution of the classic food journal, today’s apps go far beyond simple calorie counting. Many now use AI to recognize meals from photos, highlight nutrition gaps, and uncover patterns in users’ eating habits that impact energy, workouts, and sleep. The software takes a couple weeks to learn your body’s average metrics, so don’t panic when you don’t see in-depth, detailed data straightaway. Once it does, though, you can get real-time heart rate tracking, body temp readings and more built specifically to your body’s trends. Those who enjoy tinkering with health insights will appreciate the deep dives into the Oura Labs feature, but those looking for simple health tracker may feel overwhelmed.

• Gymaholic is one of many apps out there that all essentially do the same thing.
• If you like the no frills appearance, the Whoop 5.0 can definitely accomplish most of your tracking needs.
• Even though there is a built in workout app for Apple Fitness, for a defined wight lifting plan the tracked stats are not sufficient.
• If you’re obsessed with data, but don’t want to buy a WHOOP, then this app is for you.
• Strong Workout Tracker is the go-to app for serious strength training.
• Set it up with your Samsung phone and turn the double pinch feature on in the Galaxy Wearable app, and you can “double pinch” to snap photos and selfies.

Accuracy Can Be Inconsistent But Didn’t Skew Overall Data

Another widespread debate around strength training is the use of Caffeine before training. Some users like to have a cup of black coffee before starting their workout. This app, available for your iPhone and your Apple Watch, provides excellent options to manage your strength training regimen.

Key Features to Look For in a Weightlifting App

It comes it at a subscription fee of just $3.99/month and less than $35/year, which makes it less expensive for a year than many single workout classes are for an hour. Thanks to Siri support, you can start a workout with just a voice command. And past lifters, personal trainers can even use the app to manage their students. With barcode scanners and AI photo tools, tracking what you eat is easier than ever. Despite its strong initial performance, our long-term testing revealed battery issues, with the device failing after only a few months of daily wear. Based on my testing and research, including interviewing Girish N. Nadkarni, MD, MPH, Director of the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health, the best smart ring you can get right now is the Oura Ring 4.

Comfortable And Sleek Design, Though Some Colors Show Wear And Tear Over Time

If you’re familiar with the strength training world and want some new, fresh workout unimeal review ideas, then BodyFit is the app for you. This app fully admits to being more advanced, so if you’re a newcomer, consider one of our other options. Overall, it’s one of the better weightlifting apps for the Apple Watch out there right now and will afford you a lot of variety, flexibility, and freedom. We love how this app runs, and we think it’s one of the best weightlifting apps for the Apple Watch on the market right now. Fitbod will genuinely do all the work for you – down to calculating the sets and reps of each exercise and how long you should rest between exercises.

Your Training, Decoded

Priced at $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year, it provides a comprehensive range of tracking options to cater to your fitness goals. Strong is an easy to use app that tracks your sets, reps and exercises over time, but perhaps its best feature is that it can be controlled entirely from your wrist without the need for a smart phone. But if you’re a beginner at the gym, the premium subscription is not tailored for you. We made sure to make everything a beginner needs 100% free, to help you along your fitness journey. And yes, that includes lots and lots of free workouts and training programs, unlimited workout logging, the ability to build your own training programs, support through , and much more. Ryse takes more of a Strava like approach for weight lifting, focusing on the social aspects of sharing workouts.

Best Fitness Apps That Work With Apple Watch in 2026

When tracking a workout, tap once on a set to mark it as complete. Tap the screen multiple times to choose another number of reps. The exercise can also be edited on the watch screen. Depending on your results, you can also create rules to automatically adjust the weight, making it easier to see even more results.

More of the Best Fitness Tech

With a smartwatch on your wrist, you have even more options for keeping your fitness goals on track. So if you’re looking for some Apple Watch-enabled apps to help you stay focused when pumping iron, here are a few you may want to consider downloading. While there are some great Apple Watch apps designed for a fit lifestyle, you may be looking for the right apps to be companions to your weightlifting journey in particular. After all, different sports have varying training needs, and you may want to stick to a few apps that really fit your requirements.

Closing Activity Rings and tracking progress can motivate users to stay active. The basic plan is free but still offers a comprehensive list of perks. You can also choose the elite yearly for a considerable discount of only $5.83 per month. If you don’t want your third-party app from counting towards your activity rings and showing up in the Fitness app, then don’t connect that app to Apple Health.

Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS 41mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum …

Hevy adds a social feed where you can follow friends, share workouts, and leave comments. The free tier is generous, and the pro plan ($9.99/month) adds advanced analytics and custom routines. Strong is a clean, focused strength training app with an Apple Watch companion that lets you log sets, reps, and weight directly from your wrist. The exercise library is large, and the app tracks progressive overload clearly over time. The free version limits you to a certain number of routines, while the pro subscription removes those limits. Devices like the Apple Watch allow users to monitor heart rate, calories burned, activity levels, and workout intensity in real time, providing valuable insights that help improve training efficiency.

Apple Watch Series 11 and what it means for fitness apps

To save a workout done on your watch, you’ll also need to use the app on your phone. If you’re obsessed with data, but don’t want to buy a WHOOP, then this app is for you. Jefit is compatible not only with Apple Watch, but also with Android smartwatches.

Apple Health

Here are the best Apple Watch weightlifting apps, and you can also try checking out some games from Spin Ace Casino when you’re done lifting. To get you fitter, faster and stronger, better than their competitor. It truly is a minefield out there, littered with influencer-tied apps and fad diet-eating routines. But, and trust us here, whatever your pursuit there is an app out there for you.

The King Of Smart Rings Continues Its Reign

It’s simple to change the exercise directly from the watch during the session. Gymaholic also tracks your heart rate during their strength training workouts. Gymaholic is helpful if you use the app to track your lifts, sets, and reps instead of just calories and heart rate. JeFit is one of the most heavily reviewed workout apps in the app store, and is built as a workout planner for gym rats. This ensures that JeFit has workouts that match most of the latest trends, as well as plenty of standard pre-built plans. In addition it offers the ability to plan and build your own workouts, then use a smart watch to follow along while at the gym.

Slim, Versatile And Easy To Follow

Samsung’s Wear OS 3 Galaxy Watches and Fitbit’s Sense series or Versa series also offer ways to track individual exercises and repetitions–you even get on-screen instructions on proper form and counting your reps. The user base of Ryse is much smaller than the others, but it still does a good job of offering a stable workout tracker. If your core friends use the app, or you can encourage them to, it certainly makes the social aspect more appealing. The Watch app also offers sample visuals of the lift, as well unimeal app reviews as a summary of the exercise and workout. This makes it easy to manage throughout a gym session and ensures you can keep your phone in your pocket (or in a bag streaming music to some bluetooth headphones.

All fitness trackers are made to take a beating, but some are better designed than others. Look at case construction, screen construction, and for smart rings, material. The most advanced fitness trackers (smart rings included) are typically made with stainless steel, titanium, or another type of quality metal. For screens, sapphire glass is a premium spec to look for thanks to its high scratch resistance and strength.

• In my experience, silicone and nylon are usually the most comfortable and the easiest to adjust.
• On the watch screen, you can view a full 3D avatar to get a better idea of how to correctly do the weightlifting exercise.
• Sleep tracking is having a moment and the Suunto Race S can track your sleep duration, timing, deep sleep, light sleep, heart rate, REM and HRV from sleep.
• Beyond tracking just sets, weights, and reps, there are times when it makes sense to monitor time intervals of training.
• Here’s an honest rundown of the best Apple Watch workout apps in 2026, with real strengths and weaknesses for each.
• BodyFit lets users carry their gym in their pockets, with easy access to an extensive exercise library and a reliable workout tracker.

Hevy – Workout Tracker Gym Log

The Ultra 3 helps extend the stretch between charges (without constant GPS usage, you may be able to last as long as 42 hours). Williams did note that the charging is quite fast though, with his watch charging 18 percent in just 15 minutes. Lastly, keep in mind the different types of materials for watch bands. In my experience, silicone and nylon are usually the most comfortable and the easiest to adjust.

HealthKit Integration

However, the amount of insights they give to weightlifters through their online dashboard and the Apple Watch is amazing. One rested for a minute between power sets (SHORT), and the other rested for 3 minutes. Once you complete your workout from your Apple Watch, refresh the Sweat app on your device by force closing and reopening.

One of Gymaholic’s unique features is its augmented reality (AR)-enabled virtual trainer, which you can view straight on your Apple Watch. By having a human-like figure simulate the movement, you can better understand what muscle groups are activated for each activity. Aside from this being a good way to build mind-body connections, it’s also useful in creating a sustainable training plan. Not to mention, it’s a great way to view your progress over time, especially when you’re trying to hit PRs.

JEFIT Workout Plan Gym Tracker

The apps that get this right — that combine voice input with a lightweight watch experience — are the ones that lifters will actually keep using. Because the best app is the one that gets out of your way and lets you train. When you’re resting between sets, you want to see your last set at a glance — not navigate to it. The current set, weight, and reps should be visible without any interaction. If the watch app is just a remote control that still requires the phone to be open and running nearby, it defeats the purpose. A true companion app should work independently — you start the workout on the watch and your phone stays in your locker.

After using this tracker for four months, I still enjoy the Fitbit’s simple interface and uncomplicated design. I’ve found, however, that the accuracy of the heart rate tracking can be inconsistent. During a few lifting sessions, the heart rate tracking got a slow start and was off for a few sets compared with my control device before catching up by the middle or end of my workout. This was somewhat annoying, although it didn’t seem to skew my overall post-workout summary data, which was usually still in line with my control for metrics like estimated calories burned and average heart rate. The Charge 6 also features a more advanced heart rate monitor than its predecessors, which paid off in its level of accuracy during my testing. It kept up with my heart rate during high-intensity workouts, which is typically where I find most trackers fail in their ability to measure my varying heart rate accurately.

Best blood pressure monitors to use with Apple’s Health app

It’s a free app that helps you plan your weightlifting routines, log your workouts, and track your exercise progress with precision. With Hevy, you can create custom exercises, analyze your workout sessions, and even sync your Apple Watch for real-time tracking. It’s a must-try for any Apple Watch user passionate about weightlifting. When paired with the right fitness apps, the Apple Watch becomes more than just a tracker — it turns into a complete personal fitness assistant. Many apps now sync seamlessly with Apple Watch, enabling users to follow workouts, track strength training sessions, monitor recovery, and analyze performance data. The app’s standout feature is its extensive list of over 100 workout plans, catering to different goals and providing a clear path for strength training.

Navigating to features on the watch like the post-workout summary can be a bit confusing, even after using the watch consistently. But for weightlifting, the software matters more than the hardware. The watch screen should be a glanceable companion, not the primary way you interact with your workout data. Cora creates AI-powered workout plans that adapt to your recovery, tracks your progress across every metric, and coaches you in real time. MyFitnessPal has one of the largest food databases available, making it easy to log meals quickly.

Can Apple Watch track strength training?

We update our lineup of fitness trackers seasonally, so you can expect up-to-date information that takes into account the latest fitness tracker releases. As for the Garmin Instinct 3, Miller pointed to the “sharp and bright” AMOLED screen and the way Garmin “jammed a lot of stats” onto the home screen without making the layout feel overwhelming. Its powerful GPS and dependable tracking keep things steady during long runs, hikes, or sessions that move in and out of remote environments. Plus, Garmin offers readiness insights that Apple can only offer if you sync with the Training Today app. Plus, it comes with a useful flashlight for those late night runs. Apple integrates with everything that fills the rest of your day.

In addition to its outwardly masculine look and durable design, the technology here is super simple to navigate, which can’t be said for all fitness trackers. Though there’s no touchscreen, Miller had the five buttons figured out within just a few minutes of receiving the product. And while you can track up to 30 different workout types, Miller praises the display for the easy-to-digest layout outside of workout mode.

The app also allows users to track their heart rate, monitor their nutrition, and sync their workouts with other fitness apps. The best Apple Watch fitness apps for 2026 combine workout tracking, recovery monitoring, and health insights in one place. Cora (rated 4.8/5 on the App Store) stands out because it connects training, recovery, nutrition, and AI coaching through Apple Health data instead of treating each metric as a separate dashboard. Built by PurplePill AI (Y Combinator W24), Cora uses recovery, training, and nutrition context together when it adjusts daily guidance. It also supports Garmin, Whoop, Oura, and Fitbit alongside Apple Watch, starting at $9.99/month. This guide reviews each app, compares features side by side, and recommends the right combination for your goals.

Make sure you end your workout after you finish training

We’d opt for the Apple Watch Series 11 for the smoothest daily experience. But if you don’t care to have every app on your phone on your wrist, the Garmin Venu 4 is a great choice too. Further, decide whether you want a minimalist design, like that of the Whoop or the Oura. “A lot of my clients don’t like things on their wrist,” says Honore, who works with dancers who don’t want to be distracted by a screen. You may prefer having a screen so that you can glance down during a workout and check your progress.

• From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech.
• According to AED Leader, there are several reasons why bodybuilders are prone to heart attacks, such as their extreme muscle mass, performance-enhancing drugs, and lack of medical supervision.
• After noticing mid-workout that my watch was down to less than 5% in battery, the power-saving mode helped it hold on for not only the rest of my workout but three more hours after that.
• During that time, I’ve tested countless wearables, from the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to the Apollo Wearable and more.
• You don’t need to spend more than $100 on a fitness tracker that gets the job done.
• Ultra 3 also includes Apple’s safety calling tools with everyday features, which creates a watch that performs during long sessions but still handles a full day packed with calls, notifications, and navigation.

Customizable Routines

To test each watch’s health tracking, I wore each tracker to sleep, to the gym and during every activity or rest period in between. This gave me a comprehensive view of each tracker’s capabilities and accuracy. When analyzing health tracking, I examined the types of insights each tracker provided about my sleep, cycle and stress levels, and the specificity of each.

Best Fitness Tracker For Apple Users

As a nice plus, the app is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. One of the top reasons to use an Apple Watch is the wide variety of fitness and exercise benefits the wearable device offers thanks to its built-in sensors and ease of use. At the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, our registered dietitians rigorously evaluate and review dozens of nutrition, wellness, and health apps throughout the year. Samsung runs on the Samsung Health app, and the ring pairs seamlessly with this. Sure, you can pair it with another Android phone, especially if you’re a Pixel user like I have been lately. But to get the most out of it, you’ll want to set it up with your Samsung device.

Apple Health

Now in 2026, we’re more dialed into the state of fitness trackers than ever before as nearly all our editors are wearing some sort of device on a daily basis. Some fitness trackers work better for specific types of activities, whereas others are more of an all-purpose wearable. Or do you want one that can keep up with you at the gym and the activities in between? If you have special health concerns or if you’re trying to conceive or are currently pregnant, you’ll want to find a more advanced tracker. For activity tracking, I looked at how many activity or sport modes were available and how well each watch tracked my movement during those workouts and activities.

What To Consider In A Fitness Tracker

Often, I wore a minimum of two rings simultaneously to cross-examine and get a better sense of how each ring recorded my health stats. I would check these stats throughout the day to see how each stacked up. For each contender, I also took a deep dive into the features below. Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men’s Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He’s logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men’s Health, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.

Track & Plan Workouts

Nike Training Club is free and includes a huge library of workouts led by Nike trainers. Quality is generally high, variety is strong, and it’s basically impossible to beat the price. Apple Watch integration is solid for heart rate and workout tracking. Strong allows users to track strength workouts and analyze performance trends. Fitbod generates personalized strength workouts based on performance data and available equipment. Apple Fitness+ is Apple’s own subscription-based fitness service designed specifically for Apple Watch users.

Easy to track changes when you train to failure

You can also choose to see workouts that target a certain body part. So it’s best to use an Apple Watch strength training app that allows you to design your workout with the appropriate load and customize your inter-set recovery or rest time. Start your weightlifting or strength training session and let it run through your sets and rest periods. You do not need to create a different workout for each strength exercise.

The Pros and Cons of Free vs. Premium Apps

It’s a dedicated workout tracker that is unimeal legit does an exceptional job of logging workouts, records, and measurements for advanced lifters. Though it offers little instruction, its ability to save workout templates and highlight personal records provides an element of convenience and motivation. Caliber offers varied levels of coaching, making it an ideal place for a new lifter to kick off their strength training journey.

These should offer introductory guides, basic strength training routines, and easy-to-follow instructions. Fitness journeys are often more successful with support and motivation from like-minded individuals. The best lifting app fosters community engagement, allowing users to connect, share experiences, and compete. Whether it’s a free weightlifting app or a premium version, features like community challenges, leaderboards, and social sharing can significantly enhance the workout experience. This aspect is especially important in apps like the best weightlifting app for women or beginners, where a supportive community can be a key factor in maintaining motivation and consistency. The app provides a vast exercise library with clear directions and instructional videos, earning Caliber’s 5 out of 5 rating.

Your Apple Watch running watchOS 6 and below shows many different workout types on its workout menu, such as walking, running, cycling, swimming, and even Yoga. When using watchOS 7 and above, only choose Other when you can’t find a matching workout type in the Workout app’s main menu or Add Workout submenu. In addition, aside from being able to download Gymaholic for free on the App Store for your iPhone and Apple Watch, it’s also compatible with your iPad and Apple TV. If you want to enjoy the full breadth of its features, you may want to consider an annual subscription for $31.99. When it comes to building strength, how you fuel your body can mean all the difference.

Setgraph: Gym Workout Tracker

However, since MyFitnessPal relies on information supplied to it by volunteers, there is a chance that the ingredients for the same dishes across restaurants, brands, or countries may differ. In addition, unless you carry an actual scale with you at all times, you may not always get the portion sizes correctly. Weight Lifting Calories on Apple Watch however are highly variable. Since the pre-built apps can only function with heart rate they make it much harder to estimate accurately. In addition, the need to continuously monitor heart rate is also limiting for some lifts where safety requires the removal of a wrist worn tracker. SmartGym is another in the sets, reps, weights tracking, but has a significant benefit in that it also extends to a desktop option.

Stellar Heart Rate Tracking

You can see the workout plan and specific routines while logging your progress on each exercise. There are specific instructions if you haven’t done the lift before. The Samsung Galaxy Ring i s the first of its kind from Samsung, and that’s what makes it a unique entry into the smart ring field. The rest of the smart ring picks were built for both iOS and Android users, but the Samsung Galaxy Ring has features that were designed expressly for Samsung users.

Stronglifts 5×5 Workout

A smarter, more intuitive evolution of the classic food journal, today’s apps go far beyond simple calorie counting. Many now use AI to recognize meals from photos, highlight nutrition gaps, and uncover patterns in users’ eating habits that impact energy, workouts, and sleep. The software takes a couple weeks to learn your body’s average metrics, so don’t panic when you don’t see in-depth, detailed data straightaway. Once it does, though, you can get real-time heart rate tracking, body temp readings and more built specifically to your body’s trends. Those who enjoy tinkering with health insights will appreciate the deep dives into the Oura Labs feature, but those looking for simple health tracker may feel overwhelmed.

• Gymaholic is one of many apps out there that all essentially do the same thing.
• If you like the no frills appearance, the Whoop 5.0 can definitely accomplish most of your tracking needs.
• Even though there is a built in workout app for Apple Fitness, for a defined wight lifting plan the tracked stats are not sufficient.
• If you’re obsessed with data, but don’t want to buy a WHOOP, then this app is for you.
• Strong Workout Tracker is the go-to app for serious strength training.
• Set it up with your Samsung phone and turn the double pinch feature on in the Galaxy Wearable app, and you can “double pinch” to snap photos and selfies.

Accuracy Can Be Inconsistent But Didn’t Skew Overall Data

Another widespread debate around strength training is the use of Caffeine before training. Some users like to have a cup of black coffee before starting their workout. This app, available for your iPhone and your Apple Watch, provides excellent options to manage your strength training regimen.

Key Features to Look For in a Weightlifting App

It comes it at a subscription fee of just $3.99/month and less than $35/year, which makes it less expensive for a year than many single workout classes are for an hour. Thanks to Siri support, you can start a workout with just a voice command. And past lifters, personal trainers can even use the app to manage their students. With barcode scanners and AI photo tools, tracking what you eat is easier than ever. Despite its strong initial performance, our long-term testing revealed battery issues, with the device failing after only a few months of daily wear. Based on my testing and research, including interviewing Girish N. Nadkarni, MD, MPH, Director of the Hasso Plattner Institute for Digital Health, the best smart ring you can get right now is the Oura Ring 4.

Comfortable And Sleek Design, Though Some Colors Show Wear And Tear Over Time

If you’re familiar with the strength training world and want some new, fresh workout unimeal review ideas, then BodyFit is the app for you. This app fully admits to being more advanced, so if you’re a newcomer, consider one of our other options. Overall, it’s one of the better weightlifting apps for the Apple Watch out there right now and will afford you a lot of variety, flexibility, and freedom. We love how this app runs, and we think it’s one of the best weightlifting apps for the Apple Watch on the market right now. Fitbod will genuinely do all the work for you – down to calculating the sets and reps of each exercise and how long you should rest between exercises.

Your Training, Decoded

Priced at $4.99 per month or $29.99 per year, it provides a comprehensive range of tracking options to cater to your fitness goals. Strong is an easy to use app that tracks your sets, reps and exercises over time, but perhaps its best feature is that it can be controlled entirely from your wrist without the need for a smart phone. But if you’re a beginner at the gym, the premium subscription is not tailored for you. We made sure to make everything a beginner needs 100% free, to help you along your fitness journey. And yes, that includes lots and lots of free workouts and training programs, unlimited workout logging, the ability to build your own training programs, support through , and much more. Ryse takes more of a Strava like approach for weight lifting, focusing on the social aspects of sharing workouts.

Best Fitness Apps That Work With Apple Watch in 2026

When tracking a workout, tap once on a set to mark it as complete. Tap the screen multiple times to choose another number of reps. The exercise can also be edited on the watch screen. Depending on your results, you can also create rules to automatically adjust the weight, making it easier to see even more results.

More of the Best Fitness Tech

With a smartwatch on your wrist, you have even more options for keeping your fitness goals on track. So if you’re looking for some Apple Watch-enabled apps to help you stay focused when pumping iron, here are a few you may want to consider downloading. While there are some great Apple Watch apps designed for a fit lifestyle, you may be looking for the right apps to be companions to your weightlifting journey in particular. After all, different sports have varying training needs, and you may want to stick to a few apps that really fit your requirements.

Closing Activity Rings and tracking progress can motivate users to stay active. The basic plan is free but still offers a comprehensive list of perks. You can also choose the elite yearly for a considerable discount of only $5.83 per month. If you don’t want your third-party app from counting towards your activity rings and showing up in the Fitness app, then don’t connect that app to Apple Health.

Apple Watch Series 9 [GPS 41mm] Smartwatch with Midnight Aluminum …

Hevy adds a social feed where you can follow friends, share workouts, and leave comments. The free tier is generous, and the pro plan ($9.99/month) adds advanced analytics and custom routines. Strong is a clean, focused strength training app with an Apple Watch companion that lets you log sets, reps, and weight directly from your wrist. The exercise library is large, and the app tracks progressive overload clearly over time. The free version limits you to a certain number of routines, while the pro subscription removes those limits. Devices like the Apple Watch allow users to monitor heart rate, calories burned, activity levels, and workout intensity in real time, providing valuable insights that help improve training efficiency.

Apple Watch Series 11 and what it means for fitness apps

To save a workout done on your watch, you’ll also need to use the app on your phone. If you’re obsessed with data, but don’t want to buy a WHOOP, then this app is for you. Jefit is compatible not only with Apple Watch, but also with Android smartwatches.

Apple Health

Here are the best Apple Watch weightlifting apps, and you can also try checking out some games from Spin Ace Casino when you’re done lifting. To get you fitter, faster and stronger, better than their competitor. It truly is a minefield out there, littered with influencer-tied apps and fad diet-eating routines. But, and trust us here, whatever your pursuit there is an app out there for you.

The King Of Smart Rings Continues Its Reign

It’s simple to change the exercise directly from the watch during the session. Gymaholic also tracks your heart rate during their strength training workouts. Gymaholic is helpful if you use the app to track your lifts, sets, and reps instead of just calories and heart rate. JeFit is one of the most heavily reviewed workout apps in the app store, and is built as a workout planner for gym rats. This ensures that JeFit has workouts that match most of the latest trends, as well as plenty of standard pre-built plans. In addition it offers the ability to plan and build your own workouts, then use a smart watch to follow along while at the gym.

Slim, Versatile And Easy To Follow

Samsung’s Wear OS 3 Galaxy Watches and Fitbit’s Sense series or Versa series also offer ways to track individual exercises and repetitions–you even get on-screen instructions on proper form and counting your reps. The user base of Ryse is much smaller than the others, but it still does a good job of offering a stable workout tracker. If your core friends use the app, or you can encourage them to, it certainly makes the social aspect more appealing. The Watch app also offers sample visuals of the lift, as well unimeal app reviews as a summary of the exercise and workout. This makes it easy to manage throughout a gym session and ensures you can keep your phone in your pocket (or in a bag streaming music to some bluetooth headphones.

All fitness trackers are made to take a beating, but some are better designed than others. Look at case construction, screen construction, and for smart rings, material. The most advanced fitness trackers (smart rings included) are typically made with stainless steel, titanium, or another type of quality metal. For screens, sapphire glass is a premium spec to look for thanks to its high scratch resistance and strength.

• In my experience, silicone and nylon are usually the most comfortable and the easiest to adjust.
• On the watch screen, you can view a full 3D avatar to get a better idea of how to correctly do the weightlifting exercise.
• Sleep tracking is having a moment and the Suunto Race S can track your sleep duration, timing, deep sleep, light sleep, heart rate, REM and HRV from sleep.
• Beyond tracking just sets, weights, and reps, there are times when it makes sense to monitor time intervals of training.
• Here’s an honest rundown of the best Apple Watch workout apps in 2026, with real strengths and weaknesses for each.
• BodyFit lets users carry their gym in their pockets, with easy access to an extensive exercise library and a reliable workout tracker.

Hevy – Workout Tracker Gym Log

The Ultra 3 helps extend the stretch between charges (without constant GPS usage, you may be able to last as long as 42 hours). Williams did note that the charging is quite fast though, with his watch charging 18 percent in just 15 minutes. Lastly, keep in mind the different types of materials for watch bands. In my experience, silicone and nylon are usually the most comfortable and the easiest to adjust.

HealthKit Integration

However, the amount of insights they give to weightlifters through their online dashboard and the Apple Watch is amazing. One rested for a minute between power sets (SHORT), and the other rested for 3 minutes. Once you complete your workout from your Apple Watch, refresh the Sweat app on your device by force closing and reopening.

One of Gymaholic’s unique features is its augmented reality (AR)-enabled virtual trainer, which you can view straight on your Apple Watch. By having a human-like figure simulate the movement, you can better understand what muscle groups are activated for each activity. Aside from this being a good way to build mind-body connections, it’s also useful in creating a sustainable training plan. Not to mention, it’s a great way to view your progress over time, especially when you’re trying to hit PRs.

JEFIT Workout Plan Gym Tracker

The apps that get this right — that combine voice input with a lightweight watch experience — are the ones that lifters will actually keep using. Because the best app is the one that gets out of your way and lets you train. When you’re resting between sets, you want to see your last set at a glance — not navigate to it. The current set, weight, and reps should be visible without any interaction. If the watch app is just a remote control that still requires the phone to be open and running nearby, it defeats the purpose. A true companion app should work independently — you start the workout on the watch and your phone stays in your locker.

After using this tracker for four months, I still enjoy the Fitbit’s simple interface and uncomplicated design. I’ve found, however, that the accuracy of the heart rate tracking can be inconsistent. During a few lifting sessions, the heart rate tracking got a slow start and was off for a few sets compared with my control device before catching up by the middle or end of my workout. This was somewhat annoying, although it didn’t seem to skew my overall post-workout summary data, which was usually still in line with my control for metrics like estimated calories burned and average heart rate. The Charge 6 also features a more advanced heart rate monitor than its predecessors, which paid off in its level of accuracy during my testing. It kept up with my heart rate during high-intensity workouts, which is typically where I find most trackers fail in their ability to measure my varying heart rate accurately.

Best blood pressure monitors to use with Apple’s Health app

It’s a free app that helps you plan your weightlifting routines, log your workouts, and track your exercise progress with precision. With Hevy, you can create custom exercises, analyze your workout sessions, and even sync your Apple Watch for real-time tracking. It’s a must-try for any Apple Watch user passionate about weightlifting. When paired with the right fitness apps, the Apple Watch becomes more than just a tracker — it turns into a complete personal fitness assistant. Many apps now sync seamlessly with Apple Watch, enabling users to follow workouts, track strength training sessions, monitor recovery, and analyze performance data. The app’s standout feature is its extensive list of over 100 workout plans, catering to different goals and providing a clear path for strength training.

Navigating to features on the watch like the post-workout summary can be a bit confusing, even after using the watch consistently. But for weightlifting, the software matters more than the hardware. The watch screen should be a glanceable companion, not the primary way you interact with your workout data. Cora creates AI-powered workout plans that adapt to your recovery, tracks your progress across every metric, and coaches you in real time. MyFitnessPal has one of the largest food databases available, making it easy to log meals quickly.

Can Apple Watch track strength training?

We update our lineup of fitness trackers seasonally, so you can expect up-to-date information that takes into account the latest fitness tracker releases. As for the Garmin Instinct 3, Miller pointed to the “sharp and bright” AMOLED screen and the way Garmin “jammed a lot of stats” onto the home screen without making the layout feel overwhelming. Its powerful GPS and dependable tracking keep things steady during long runs, hikes, or sessions that move in and out of remote environments. Plus, Garmin offers readiness insights that Apple can only offer if you sync with the Training Today app. Plus, it comes with a useful flashlight for those late night runs. Apple integrates with everything that fills the rest of your day.

In addition to its outwardly masculine look and durable design, the technology here is super simple to navigate, which can’t be said for all fitness trackers. Though there’s no touchscreen, Miller had the five buttons figured out within just a few minutes of receiving the product. And while you can track up to 30 different workout types, Miller praises the display for the easy-to-digest layout outside of workout mode.

The app also allows users to track their heart rate, monitor their nutrition, and sync their workouts with other fitness apps. The best Apple Watch fitness apps for 2026 combine workout tracking, recovery monitoring, and health insights in one place. Cora (rated 4.8/5 on the App Store) stands out because it connects training, recovery, nutrition, and AI coaching through Apple Health data instead of treating each metric as a separate dashboard. Built by PurplePill AI (Y Combinator W24), Cora uses recovery, training, and nutrition context together when it adjusts daily guidance. It also supports Garmin, Whoop, Oura, and Fitbit alongside Apple Watch, starting at $9.99/month. This guide reviews each app, compares features side by side, and recommends the right combination for your goals.

Make sure you end your workout after you finish training

We’d opt for the Apple Watch Series 11 for the smoothest daily experience. But if you don’t care to have every app on your phone on your wrist, the Garmin Venu 4 is a great choice too. Further, decide whether you want a minimalist design, like that of the Whoop or the Oura. “A lot of my clients don’t like things on their wrist,” says Honore, who works with dancers who don’t want to be distracted by a screen. You may prefer having a screen so that you can glance down during a workout and check your progress.

• From time to time, I will invite other voices to weigh in on important issues in EdTech.
• According to AED Leader, there are several reasons why bodybuilders are prone to heart attacks, such as their extreme muscle mass, performance-enhancing drugs, and lack of medical supervision.
• After noticing mid-workout that my watch was down to less than 5% in battery, the power-saving mode helped it hold on for not only the rest of my workout but three more hours after that.
• During that time, I’ve tested countless wearables, from the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses to the Apollo Wearable and more.
• You don’t need to spend more than $100 on a fitness tracker that gets the job done.
• Ultra 3 also includes Apple’s safety calling tools with everyday features, which creates a watch that performs during long sessions but still handles a full day packed with calls, notifications, and navigation.

Customizable Routines

To test each watch’s health tracking, I wore each tracker to sleep, to the gym and during every activity or rest period in between. This gave me a comprehensive view of each tracker’s capabilities and accuracy. When analyzing health tracking, I examined the types of insights each tracker provided about my sleep, cycle and stress levels, and the specificity of each.

Best Fitness Tracker For Apple Users

As a nice plus, the app is available on the iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV. One of the top reasons to use an Apple Watch is the wide variety of fitness and exercise benefits the wearable device offers thanks to its built-in sensors and ease of use. At the Good Housekeeping Institute Nutrition Lab, our registered dietitians rigorously evaluate and review dozens of nutrition, wellness, and health apps throughout the year. Samsung runs on the Samsung Health app, and the ring pairs seamlessly with this. Sure, you can pair it with another Android phone, especially if you’re a Pixel user like I have been lately. But to get the most out of it, you’ll want to set it up with your Samsung device.

Apple Health

Now in 2026, we’re more dialed into the state of fitness trackers than ever before as nearly all our editors are wearing some sort of device on a daily basis. Some fitness trackers work better for specific types of activities, whereas others are more of an all-purpose wearable. Or do you want one that can keep up with you at the gym and the activities in between? If you have special health concerns or if you’re trying to conceive or are currently pregnant, you’ll want to find a more advanced tracker. For activity tracking, I looked at how many activity or sport modes were available and how well each watch tracked my movement during those workouts and activities.

What To Consider In A Fitness Tracker

Often, I wore a minimum of two rings simultaneously to cross-examine and get a better sense of how each ring recorded my health stats. I would check these stats throughout the day to see how each stacked up. For each contender, I also took a deep dive into the features below. Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., is the fitness director of Men’s Health and a certified trainer with more than 10 years of training experience. He’s logged training time with NFL athletes and track athletes and his current training regimen includes weight training, HIIT conditioning, and yoga. Before joining Men’s Health, he served as a sports columnist and tech columnist for the New York Daily News.

Track & Plan Workouts

Nike Training Club is free and includes a huge library of workouts led by Nike trainers. Quality is generally high, variety is strong, and it’s basically impossible to beat the price. Apple Watch integration is solid for heart rate and workout tracking. Strong allows users to track strength workouts and analyze performance trends. Fitbod generates personalized strength workouts based on performance data and available equipment. Apple Fitness+ is Apple’s own subscription-based fitness service designed specifically for Apple Watch users.

Easy to track changes when you train to failure

You can also choose to see workouts that target a certain body part. So it’s best to use an Apple Watch strength training app that allows you to design your workout with the appropriate load and customize your inter-set recovery or rest time. Start your weightlifting or strength training session and let it run through your sets and rest periods. You do not need to create a different workout for each strength exercise.

The Pros and Cons of Free vs. Premium Apps

It’s a dedicated workout tracker that is unimeal legit does an exceptional job of logging workouts, records, and measurements for advanced lifters. Though it offers little instruction, its ability to save workout templates and highlight personal records provides an element of convenience and motivation. Caliber offers varied levels of coaching, making it an ideal place for a new lifter to kick off their strength training journey.

These should offer introductory guides, basic strength training routines, and easy-to-follow instructions. Fitness journeys are often more successful with support and motivation from like-minded individuals. The best lifting app fosters community engagement, allowing users to connect, share experiences, and compete. Whether it’s a free weightlifting app or a premium version, features like community challenges, leaderboards, and social sharing can significantly enhance the workout experience. This aspect is especially important in apps like the best weightlifting app for women or beginners, where a supportive community can be a key factor in maintaining motivation and consistency. The app provides a vast exercise library with clear directions and instructional videos, earning Caliber’s 5 out of 5 rating.