Best 5 Weight Loss App 2026

Lindsay loves competing with friends and has done multiple half marathons, CrossFit competitions, and more. And there you have it, friends – our journey through the top 10 fitness apps for beginners. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to mix things up, there’s an app out there with your name on it. Remember, the best app is the one that gets you excited to move, eat well, and keep pushing forward. As technology advances, fitness apps will become even more intuitive, making it easier for everyone to enjoy getting fit.

Best running app for treadmill runners

GGR product tester and endurance athlete Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1 says if she didn’t have so much data already stored on Strava, she’d totally switch to MapMyFitness. Let’s take a closer look to find the perfect fit for your fitness journey. 4.6/5 – Great for anyone looking to make fitness a flexible, integral part of their daily routine. 4.8/5 – A favorite for beginners and seasoned fitness enthusiasts alike.

Q1. Is there a 100% free workout app?

Furthermore, some apps reward badges for hitting new personal records which, just like a follow on social media, can feel very rewarding. If you are on the hunt for a free workout tracker, Hevy enables users to create routines, monitor progress with exercise charts and personal records, make exercise-specific notes, and connect with other users. If you’re looking for guided workouts, ClassPass can be used in two ways.

Although the library of exercises is expansive, just be aware that the functionality is limited in the free version. Kate explains, “I entered all the movements for a weightlifting workout, but the app ordered them alphabetically instead of in the order I wanted. To move them, I would have had to upgrade to the Elite plan.” She also found it easier to navigate through the desktop version for workout plans, and then locate them on the app afterwards. If you’re looking for a free workout app that’s focused on strength training, Boostcamp is your best option. Boostcamp provides over 1,000 workout plans through the Boostcamp app.

Another call-out is the included reformer box, which adds height and range of motion to moves in the seated and lying position. It’s especially helpful for those with muscle tightness workout personalization or need to modify moves involving the knees. The AeroPilates Reformer 287 is the most affordable option we’ve come across.

Suggested Reads about Health & Fitness

The app assumes you already know what you’re doing, and if you’re a beginner, this may not be the case. You will also face a paywall if you want a more in-depth progress report since the free version only measures distance, time, and elevation. It’s a handy app, especially if your fitness plans involve running or hiking. Not every workout app can be the best, but some can still be great and worth your time.

Don’t let the fear of not knowing the moves (or breaking your phone) stop you. Equip yourself with the right app, slap a protective case on your device, and just start moving. Building a healthy habit is easier than you think once you take that first step. This means you can slap your phone directly onto a squat rack or gym machine. It keeps your phone off the dirty floor and puts your workout app right at eye level so you can check your form or timer hands-free.

There are several versions of this watch, and as we mentioned before you can even get a solar-powered version of the Fenix 8 that helps extend the battery life. The Fenix 8 also provides 50% more solar power than its predecessor, lasting up to 30 days in smartwatch mode. One of our other product testers owns the Fenix 6 Pro Solar, and he gave the battery life a perfect score of 5 out of 5, too. Although the Whoop 5.0 technically doesn’t cost any money, you must purchase a membership to take advantage of its features. There are three plans available (WHOOP One, WHOOP Peak, and WHOOP Life) that cost between $199 to $359 per year.

Find your coach

After her first daughter was born six years ago, she became especially passionate about prenatal and postnatal fitness, teaching stroller bootcamp classes and working with expecting moms as clients. Post-journalism school, Nicole worked in print media as a magazine editor for eight years, then went freelance for a while, writing for fitness websites and manufacturers in the industry. Now, as director of content at GGR, she brings her expertise in fitness to writing and editing honest reviews on everything you might need for your home gym. It offers yoga, HIIT, and strength training with world-class trainers, and the production quality is top-tier. It feels like a premium service, but the barrier to entry is incredibly low.

Exercise and Weight Loss

The app offers structured diet phases (cut, bulk, maintain, reverse diet) with check-ins that adjust targets as your body changes. FatSecret is one of the few macro tracking apps that remains genuinely free with no premium tier at all. It includes calorie and macro tracking, a large food database, barcode scanner, and basic image recognition for food logging. Tracking macros — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — is the single most effective strategy for body composition change, whether you’re cutting fat, building muscle, or maintaining.

If you love outdoor exercise stats like pace and power, a Garmin watch may be the best match. If you want broad exercise and health data, plus all the latest apps, a smartwatch from Apple or Google is a better fit. New to the Pixel Watch 4 is satellite SOS emergency assistance (on the LTE version), multi-band GPS (which should lead to more accurate GPS data), improved battery life and too much else to list here. The watch has up to 18 hours of battery life, according to the brand — that’s less than most competitors. It does charge quickly, though, getting nearly a full charge in just 45 minutes.

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On the other hand, if you want to up your golf game, pick a watch from the Approach models. And if you need something that’ll suit your training and everyday life, be on the lookout for which smartwatch features are supported. One of the most crucial aspects of choosing a Garmin watch is thinking about what you’ll use it for. The same applies if you do outdoor adventures where you need GPS navigation, as that’s a power-hungry feature. There’s the Lily 2 Active that we’ve included here, the Lily 2 Classic (without side buttons, HRV sensors, GPS and only a five-day battery life) and the Lily 2 (same as the Classic, but without Garmin Pay).

Beginner-Friendly Features of the Caliber App for Strength Training

• It’s perfect for busy individuals looking for an effective, flexible workout option that fits into their lifestyle, not the other way around.
• Each day targets one or several areas, from the chest and triceps on day one to the shoulders on day four.
• There’s an extra ab workout session that you can do daily after each workout.
• The Garmin Forerunner 265 solidifies the brand’s strong reputation by offering a comprehensive suite of features tailored to runners.
• It comes with multiple video lessons and tips to help you achieve your fitness goal.
• It also includes an extensive exercise library to fall back on if you’re struggling.

Seeing your friends log miles creates a positive peer pressure loop that encourages you to get out the door. It’s perfect for absolute novices because it prevents the “too much, too soon” burnout. If you want to hit the pavement but don’t know how to start, these apps are your audio companions. (If you prefer wheels, check out the 5 best cycling apps to keep you connected).

Take Your Workout to the Next Level

Some compatible apps will offer workout suggestions, tips for success, and plans you can use to reach your goals. If you’re looking for a smart watch on a budget, the Amazfit Bip U series might be one worth checking out. It tracks heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep quality, stress levels, breathing, women’s health, plus all your workouts.

User-Friendly, But Some Post-Workout Data Lacks Detail

Overall, our testers give Caliber a 4-out-of-5-star rating for equipment demands. The app also integrates with other fitness apps and devices, providing a holistic view of your health. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a healthy lifestyle, MyFitnessPal offers the tools and community support to help you achieve your goals. It’s an essential app for anyone serious about taking control of their health. It’s not just about workouts; this app helps you monitor your diet, water intake, and exercise, making it a holistic companion on your fitness journey. Ideal for beginners, MyFitnessPal offers a user-friendly platform to set and achieve health goals, track progress, and learn about nutrition, all while staying motivated.

M1 Finance stands out for its unique investment approach — it helps investors visualize their portfolios as a pie, with “slices” made up of different securities. The mix of automation and manual investing will appeal to beginner investors who want to grow their skills and long-term investors who want help maintaining their portfolio allocation. SoFi Active Investing’s $0 trading commission, fractional shares and $0 account minimum are attractive to new investors. More advanced investors will appreciate the company’s wide mutual fund selection and IPO access. SoFi doesn’t offer practice trading, but it is one of the few brokers we review that offers investors a meeting with a financial advisor.

Simple Formula, Easy Mixing, and Daily Use

What can help with your overall fat loss is a healthy amount of cardiovascular exercise (and when I say healthy amount I don’t mean hours upon hours!). However, I do agree it’s important to meet the American Heart Association’s exercise guidelines of at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week. As a personal trainer, I cannot in good conscience tell you there is a certain exercise that will help you lose belly fat.

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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. For example, some trackers provided a more in-depth look at my sleeping habits, including personalized tips on how to get better rest the next night and how my quality of rest affected my ability to recover. To measure how easy each tracker was to use, I started by timing how long the initial unboxing and setup took, taking note of any roadblocks. If I had gotten the hang of things by the time I was wearing it at the gym—and didn’t need to look up how to sift through different activity options and start, stop and pause my workout—I deemed it easy to use. Compared with true fitness watches like Garmin’s, the Galaxy Watch 8 has a couple of limitations.

If you run without a watch, then Strava is a reliable app for tracking your running speed, distance, heart rate, and more. If you own a NordicTrack or ProForm treadmill, or if you use those treadmills at a gym, you know that iFit programs are awake on the screens when you sign on. IFit also has an app with cross-training options, such as yoga, and you can also use the app on your TV.

The Apple Watch Series 9 gives you the option to compete weekly with friends to see who can crush their move goals. It adds a level of fun and competition that fitness doesn’t always have. With a fitness tracker, you’ll be able to see your daily step count, active minutes, calories burned, and more.

Other Fitness Trackers And Watches I Tested

• I’ve been testing fitness trackers for years — I try new models constantly, comparing them against previous versions and similar competitors.
• I’ve done plenty of testing and research to eliminate the hassle for you.
• For one, during a workout, you’ll be able to tell how much you’re exerting yourself, and even base your workout off of heart rate zones, which can be an effective way to improve your fitness level.
• Our product tester rated the Oura Ring Gen 4 a 2 out of 5, noting that it’s pretty limited.
• Pick your distance goal when choosing your plan (from run your first 5K to ultramarathons), and find a community of runners taking part in upcoming events.
• Consider the following two points about the type of instruction and tracking progress.

“I have zero real challenges since the watch and app are incredibly easy to use,” she says. Even if you have a complicated training schedule like Bojana, you don’t have to stress about figuring out how to utilize the Apex 2. Unfortunately, one of the downsides with a ring vs. a smartwatch is the connectivity (or lack thereof). Our product tester rated the Oura Ring Gen 4 a 2 out of 5, noting that it’s pretty limited. Your Activity Score works the same way, but measures how well you’re balancing recovery and training. “As someone who used to wear an Apple Watch, I love the ability to wear this whenever I want since it blends in pretty easily compared to a bulky tracker on your wrist,” she explains.

Intermediate exercises

You should know the type of training you should do to best achieve those goals. While many fitness apps have diverse options of daily workouts—HIIT, strength training, cardio, and barre—some apps may specialize in only one or two modes of training. FitOn offers a huge library of free, at-home exercise videos for all fitness levels. Depending on your interests, they have a variety of programs to suit you, including yoga, pilates, HIIT, dance, barre, cardio, meditation, and weighted or bodyweight exercises.

It also supports music storage, Bluetooth calls, and Garmin Pay for contactless payments, integrating lifestyle convenience with serious training tools. I am a huge fan of the daily wrap ups that you get at night and of the morning reports. I have a tendency to overdo it when it comes to training, and Garmin likes to let me know. When it tells me to “slow it down a bit or you’re going to burn out” (paraphrasing here), I tend to do so. Another one for treadmill runners, the Apple Fitness Plus personalized workout app subscription has a number of treadmill workouts to keep you busy.

What to Look for in a Macro Tracking App

If you click on a run, you’ll be able to see your time, distance, and calories, as well as more in-depth data on your pace, speed, timing, heart rate, stamina, and more. Compared to Fitbit and Apple, Garmin Connect gives you a huge amount of data, without asking you to pay an additional monthly fee. While the instructors in the class use the Les Mills Smartbar, you can actually use any weight you have to hand to do the workout. The focus is on lots of repetitions using light weights, so you’ll definitely feel yourself getting stronger. I also enjoy the Pilates classes, which use similar moves in each session and have plans for progression, so I found myself actually improving in a very short space of time. If you’re an owner of any Apple device, whether that be an iPhone, iPad, or laptop, you can take advantage of everything Apple Fitness+ has to offer – and there’s so much.

You Can Eat Like a Champ with the Best Bodybuilding Meal Delivery (

As big fans of the Whoop 4.0, we were excited to test out the latest version of the athlete-focused fitness tracker. To no surprise, the fifth-generation version earned high marks in several key categories, further cementing Whoop as one of our favorite fitness trackers since it measures sleep, recovery, and overall strain. This fitness tracker is best for the serious athlete who wants a deep dive into the data that will help them train optimally. Looking for a free 21 day calisthenics workout plan you can do at home with no equipment? This free 21 day program uses simple bodyweight workouts to build full body strength, endurance, and consistency. Most fitness watches offer some kind of sleep tracking, which records your blood oxygen level, movement, and heart rate at rest to assess the quality of your sleep.

Daily Yoga

Jefit tracks your progress, showing you how much you’ve lifted over time and where you’re improving. Its rest timer ensures you’re getting adequate recovery between sets, making your workouts more efficient. If you don’t feel the need for an online support system, there are still ways to stay on top of your workouts. Some apps will add calendar reminders or push notifications to help remind you of your workout schedule for the week. It can help you keep all of your workout records in one place, without having to scour notebooks or fitness logs to check for your one-rep-max deadlift.

What is the best free app to track weight lifting?

Download the app for free today to kick-start your progress and achieve your health goals this year. We’re fans of their group features, which let you share your personal records with friends. Their Strength Score is a neat feature, too, which tracks your strength progress compared to your potential. The Sweat App was designed by women for women and offers access to a large women-only fitness community to stay connected and motivated. Their “sweaty selfie” feature is a unique way for members to share and stay engaged with friends.

How AI Can Help You Master Your Habit Building in 2025

Whether you’re an adventure enthusiast or someone who values being prepared, Survival Fitness Plan offers a distinctive fitness experience that empowers you physically and mentally. 4.7/5 – A powerhouse app for anyone looking to get serious about strength training. The app excels in mapping your routes, recording detailed statistics about your workouts, and providing a platform to compete and share your achievements.

With the DIE RINGE App, it’s easy to make training a habit – thanks to encouraging features and structured workout planning. Like most Garmin watches, the Forerunner 265 has excellent battery life — I averaged about 10 days between charges. The standout is build quality — this does not look or feel like a $100 fitness tracker. It has a medium-sized, bright screen surrounded by a stainless steel case that looks sleek and classy (much more so than the Fitbit Charge 6 or Garmin Vivoactive 6).

Whether you are team Apple or Android, using one of the best magnetic cases for iPhone or Galaxy ensures your phone stays where you need it. When you’re logging lifts, you need your phone accessible but safe—pairing these with the best phone case for the gym is a smart move. It’s perfect for building the habit of movement when you feel like you have zero time. We’ll cover what to look for, the categorized list of the top 25 apps, and how to keep your phone from getting smashed at the gym. MyFitnessPal stands out for its food and nutrition tracking capabilities to help you nail your eating habits.

DIE RINGE – Calisthenics Workout

Don’t take our word for it, read the 1,000’s of 5-star reviews and try a workout for yourself. It is the fastest path from “I just ate” to “my macros are logged.” Download Nutrify free on iOS and start tracking today. Notably, FatSecret’s food database powers several other apps including Carbon Diet Coach, which speaks to its reliability. MacroFactor, developed by the team at Stronger by Science, uses an adaptive algorithm that learns your actual metabolic rate from weekly weight trends rather than relying on generic formulas. After two to three weeks of consistent logging, the app adjusts your calorie and macro targets based on how your body actually responds.

• Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and maintain physical, mental, and emotional health.
• An early checkup can detect any health problems or conditions that could put you at risk for an injury during exercise.
• Although we rate it as the best workout app for most people, it is primarily focused on strength training, with some cardio and yoga on the side.
• We test the best Garmin watch models by strapping them to our wrists and wearing them during the day and overnight for several weeks.
• Athletes use it to track their oxygen levels during training and their quality of sleep so they can fine tune their training and diet to achieve their ideal health levels.
• Similarly, some apps offer richer and more varied route planning options than a watch can like the Footpath app.

Tracking Progress: Does the App Help You Monitor Your Gains?

She’s also a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Nicolette studied journalism and health sociology at Rutgers University. She has written for NJ.com, VICE, Rolling Stone, NBC News Select, and U.S. This makes Seven one of the best organisation apps on our list as well.

The best Garmin watch for battery life

If those don’t do it for you, we have more free workout apps to choose from on our best free workout app roundup. With practically too many apps to choose from and nearly one in every five2 smartphone users downloading fitness apps to their device it can be hard to sort the good from the not-so-good. The workout tracker is basic but deep, allowing you to create your own workouts. If there is a workout that you frequent, you can create it as a workout routine to simplify logging it in.

That way, you can have a reliable metric to see your training progress. Staying fit doesn’t always require a gym membership — especially when you’ve got a Meta Quest 3. With the right VR apps, you can burn calories, stay active and build strength without spending a single cent. Whether you want rhythm workouts, boxing routines or full-body movement games, the Meta Quest Store offers plenty of completely free options that turn exercise into something fun.

No-Gym Boxing MMA Workout

Depending on your tracker, it’ll give you deeper insights, such as your body battery (based on your sleep data) and your fitness age. There are also challenges and in-depth sleep reports for you to keep an eye on. The Venu X1 also offers very accurate heart rate monitoring, but it does lack multi-band GPS, which can reduce its accuracy when running in tricky GPS areas like city centers in my experience.

How we chose the best workout apps

We took our real-life experience and in-depth testing methodology to score 10 different categories on a 1-to-5-star rating. We went through the download process, app setup, payment, and of course we tried a variety of workouts (or long-term programs if applicable). Peloton is a popular home workout app—and for good reason—offering variety, high-quality instruction, and live workouts with ultra-peppy trainers.

Benefits of Workout Apps for Beginners and Tips to Maximize Them

You’ll throw punches and kicks in supercharged sequences as you follow along with the ebullient Billy Blanks. Here’s a free workout video inspired by Queen Bey’s excellent moves. Learn some awesome choreography (while working up a sweat) to “Who Run the World (Girls),” one of the singer’s best girl-power anthems. Former ballet dancer and Ballet Beautiful founder Mary Helen Bowers has serious fitness cred thanks to training Natalie Portman for her role in Black Swan.

Best FREE VR Workout & Fitness Apps for Meta Quest 3 (2025 Guide)

Overall, Amanda rates Nike Training Club a 5-out-of-5-star rating for both getting started and ease of use. We know that a subscription fee of $199 per month is nothing to sneeze at, however, we also know that most personal trainers charge anywhere between $50 to $150 per hour depending on your area. Much like Caliber’s Premium coaching option, with Future you can send your coach a video of yourself lifting directly through the app for each specific movement so your coach can check your form. Our team is a group of experienced lifters, and everyone who tested the Future app has been blown away by the level of coaching, ease of use, and overall value. You can read all the details of our experience in our Future app review. Although it costs about $200 a month, Future features a user-friendly interface, customizable programming, and excellent support from your personal coach.

Best Fitness Tracker For Women

While this sleep data is not as accurate as a sleep study would be, it does provide a framework for you when you’re thinking about your quantity and quality fitness progress tracking of sleep—an important pillar in your overall health. “One big feature of Apple is you have countless band options to choose from, and most are adjustable,” Matt says of the band. In addition to its functionality, the Coros Apex 2 stands out for its excellent battery life of about 40 hours. This wasn’t a surprise to Bojana, who previously used the Coros Pace for years and was incredibly impressed with its battery life. The Withings ScanWatch Light is a hybrid smartwatch that looks like your traditional timepiece, except it comes with tech capabilities not found on any Pateks or Rolexes. Anthony O’Reilly, who frequently uses analog watches, is frankly obsessed with the all-black version he picked out.

Quick Full-Body at Home Workout

A few months ago, I wanted to begin increasing my strength and build muscle to reach goals I set for myself. I used a few other workout apps but this is the only one I’ve enjoyed and seen good results with it. I’d recommend if you’re new to weight lifting or took a long break from it, try out one of the beginner 12 week programs. This has helped me get into working out in addition to the running/ cardio I do outside of weight lifting. WH editors and our trusted Strength In Diversity (SID) trainers are constantly testing and trying new fitness apps throughout the year, so we polled them about their most-used and most-loved platforms.

Fitness tracker rings are exactly what they sound like—fitness trackers worn around your finger, instead of the wrist. You wouldn’t want to go for this if you lift weights or use your hands a lot, but they’re comfortable and our expert product testers said they sometimes forgot they were wearing them. The Apple Watch Series 10 is the latest version of the classic smartwatch and fitness tracker, and in our opinion it’s their best one yet.

Lindsay loves competing with friends and has done multiple half marathons, CrossFit competitions, and more. And there you have it, friends – our journey through the top 10 fitness apps for beginners. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to mix things up, there’s an app out there with your name on it. Remember, the best app is the one that gets you excited to move, eat well, and keep pushing forward. As technology advances, fitness apps will become even more intuitive, making it easier for everyone to enjoy getting fit.

Best running app for treadmill runners

GGR product tester and endurance athlete Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1 says if she didn’t have so much data already stored on Strava, she’d totally switch to MapMyFitness. Let’s take a closer look to find the perfect fit for your fitness journey. 4.6/5 – Great for anyone looking to make fitness a flexible, integral part of their daily routine. 4.8/5 – A favorite for beginners and seasoned fitness enthusiasts alike.

Q1. Is there a 100% free workout app?

Furthermore, some apps reward badges for hitting new personal records which, just like a follow on social media, can feel very rewarding. If you are on the hunt for a free workout tracker, Hevy enables users to create routines, monitor progress with exercise charts and personal records, make exercise-specific notes, and connect with other users. If you’re looking for guided workouts, ClassPass can be used in two ways.

Although the library of exercises is expansive, just be aware that the functionality is limited in the free version. Kate explains, “I entered all the movements for a weightlifting workout, but the app ordered them alphabetically instead of in the order I wanted. To move them, I would have had to upgrade to the Elite plan.” She also found it easier to navigate through the desktop version for workout plans, and then locate them on the app afterwards. If you’re looking for a free workout app that’s focused on strength training, Boostcamp is your best option. Boostcamp provides over 1,000 workout plans through the Boostcamp app.

Another call-out is the included reformer box, which adds height and range of motion to moves in the seated and lying position. It’s especially helpful for those with muscle tightness workout personalization or need to modify moves involving the knees. The AeroPilates Reformer 287 is the most affordable option we’ve come across.

Suggested Reads about Health & Fitness

The app assumes you already know what you’re doing, and if you’re a beginner, this may not be the case. You will also face a paywall if you want a more in-depth progress report since the free version only measures distance, time, and elevation. It’s a handy app, especially if your fitness plans involve running or hiking. Not every workout app can be the best, but some can still be great and worth your time.

Don’t let the fear of not knowing the moves (or breaking your phone) stop you. Equip yourself with the right app, slap a protective case on your device, and just start moving. Building a healthy habit is easier than you think once you take that first step. This means you can slap your phone directly onto a squat rack or gym machine. It keeps your phone off the dirty floor and puts your workout app right at eye level so you can check your form or timer hands-free.

There are several versions of this watch, and as we mentioned before you can even get a solar-powered version of the Fenix 8 that helps extend the battery life. The Fenix 8 also provides 50% more solar power than its predecessor, lasting up to 30 days in smartwatch mode. One of our other product testers owns the Fenix 6 Pro Solar, and he gave the battery life a perfect score of 5 out of 5, too. Although the Whoop 5.0 technically doesn’t cost any money, you must purchase a membership to take advantage of its features. There are three plans available (WHOOP One, WHOOP Peak, and WHOOP Life) that cost between $199 to $359 per year.

Find your coach

After her first daughter was born six years ago, she became especially passionate about prenatal and postnatal fitness, teaching stroller bootcamp classes and working with expecting moms as clients. Post-journalism school, Nicole worked in print media as a magazine editor for eight years, then went freelance for a while, writing for fitness websites and manufacturers in the industry. Now, as director of content at GGR, she brings her expertise in fitness to writing and editing honest reviews on everything you might need for your home gym. It offers yoga, HIIT, and strength training with world-class trainers, and the production quality is top-tier. It feels like a premium service, but the barrier to entry is incredibly low.

Exercise and Weight Loss

The app offers structured diet phases (cut, bulk, maintain, reverse diet) with check-ins that adjust targets as your body changes. FatSecret is one of the few macro tracking apps that remains genuinely free with no premium tier at all. It includes calorie and macro tracking, a large food database, barcode scanner, and basic image recognition for food logging. Tracking macros — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — is the single most effective strategy for body composition change, whether you’re cutting fat, building muscle, or maintaining.

If you love outdoor exercise stats like pace and power, a Garmin watch may be the best match. If you want broad exercise and health data, plus all the latest apps, a smartwatch from Apple or Google is a better fit. New to the Pixel Watch 4 is satellite SOS emergency assistance (on the LTE version), multi-band GPS (which should lead to more accurate GPS data), improved battery life and too much else to list here. The watch has up to 18 hours of battery life, according to the brand — that’s less than most competitors. It does charge quickly, though, getting nearly a full charge in just 45 minutes.

How do you start investing?

On the other hand, if you want to up your golf game, pick a watch from the Approach models. And if you need something that’ll suit your training and everyday life, be on the lookout for which smartwatch features are supported. One of the most crucial aspects of choosing a Garmin watch is thinking about what you’ll use it for. The same applies if you do outdoor adventures where you need GPS navigation, as that’s a power-hungry feature. There’s the Lily 2 Active that we’ve included here, the Lily 2 Classic (without side buttons, HRV sensors, GPS and only a five-day battery life) and the Lily 2 (same as the Classic, but without Garmin Pay).

Beginner-Friendly Features of the Caliber App for Strength Training

• It’s perfect for busy individuals looking for an effective, flexible workout option that fits into their lifestyle, not the other way around.
• Each day targets one or several areas, from the chest and triceps on day one to the shoulders on day four.
• There’s an extra ab workout session that you can do daily after each workout.
• The Garmin Forerunner 265 solidifies the brand’s strong reputation by offering a comprehensive suite of features tailored to runners.
• It comes with multiple video lessons and tips to help you achieve your fitness goal.
• It also includes an extensive exercise library to fall back on if you’re struggling.

Seeing your friends log miles creates a positive peer pressure loop that encourages you to get out the door. It’s perfect for absolute novices because it prevents the “too much, too soon” burnout. If you want to hit the pavement but don’t know how to start, these apps are your audio companions. (If you prefer wheels, check out the 5 best cycling apps to keep you connected).

Take Your Workout to the Next Level

Some compatible apps will offer workout suggestions, tips for success, and plans you can use to reach your goals. If you’re looking for a smart watch on a budget, the Amazfit Bip U series might be one worth checking out. It tracks heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep quality, stress levels, breathing, women’s health, plus all your workouts.

User-Friendly, But Some Post-Workout Data Lacks Detail

Overall, our testers give Caliber a 4-out-of-5-star rating for equipment demands. The app also integrates with other fitness apps and devices, providing a holistic view of your health. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a healthy lifestyle, MyFitnessPal offers the tools and community support to help you achieve your goals. It’s an essential app for anyone serious about taking control of their health. It’s not just about workouts; this app helps you monitor your diet, water intake, and exercise, making it a holistic companion on your fitness journey. Ideal for beginners, MyFitnessPal offers a user-friendly platform to set and achieve health goals, track progress, and learn about nutrition, all while staying motivated.

M1 Finance stands out for its unique investment approach — it helps investors visualize their portfolios as a pie, with “slices” made up of different securities. The mix of automation and manual investing will appeal to beginner investors who want to grow their skills and long-term investors who want help maintaining their portfolio allocation. SoFi Active Investing’s $0 trading commission, fractional shares and $0 account minimum are attractive to new investors. More advanced investors will appreciate the company’s wide mutual fund selection and IPO access. SoFi doesn’t offer practice trading, but it is one of the few brokers we review that offers investors a meeting with a financial advisor.

Simple Formula, Easy Mixing, and Daily Use

What can help with your overall fat loss is a healthy amount of cardiovascular exercise (and when I say healthy amount I don’t mean hours upon hours!). However, I do agree it’s important to meet the American Heart Association’s exercise guidelines of at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week. As a personal trainer, I cannot in good conscience tell you there is a certain exercise that will help you lose belly fat.

Search code, repositories, users, issues, pull requests…

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. For example, some trackers provided a more in-depth look at my sleeping habits, including personalized tips on how to get better rest the next night and how my quality of rest affected my ability to recover. To measure how easy each tracker was to use, I started by timing how long the initial unboxing and setup took, taking note of any roadblocks. If I had gotten the hang of things by the time I was wearing it at the gym—and didn’t need to look up how to sift through different activity options and start, stop and pause my workout—I deemed it easy to use. Compared with true fitness watches like Garmin’s, the Galaxy Watch 8 has a couple of limitations.

If you run without a watch, then Strava is a reliable app for tracking your running speed, distance, heart rate, and more. If you own a NordicTrack or ProForm treadmill, or if you use those treadmills at a gym, you know that iFit programs are awake on the screens when you sign on. IFit also has an app with cross-training options, such as yoga, and you can also use the app on your TV.

The Apple Watch Series 9 gives you the option to compete weekly with friends to see who can crush their move goals. It adds a level of fun and competition that fitness doesn’t always have. With a fitness tracker, you’ll be able to see your daily step count, active minutes, calories burned, and more.

Other Fitness Trackers And Watches I Tested

• I’ve been testing fitness trackers for years — I try new models constantly, comparing them against previous versions and similar competitors.
• I’ve done plenty of testing and research to eliminate the hassle for you.
• For one, during a workout, you’ll be able to tell how much you’re exerting yourself, and even base your workout off of heart rate zones, which can be an effective way to improve your fitness level.
• Our product tester rated the Oura Ring Gen 4 a 2 out of 5, noting that it’s pretty limited.
• Pick your distance goal when choosing your plan (from run your first 5K to ultramarathons), and find a community of runners taking part in upcoming events.
• Consider the following two points about the type of instruction and tracking progress.

“I have zero real challenges since the watch and app are incredibly easy to use,” she says. Even if you have a complicated training schedule like Bojana, you don’t have to stress about figuring out how to utilize the Apex 2. Unfortunately, one of the downsides with a ring vs. a smartwatch is the connectivity (or lack thereof). Our product tester rated the Oura Ring Gen 4 a 2 out of 5, noting that it’s pretty limited. Your Activity Score works the same way, but measures how well you’re balancing recovery and training. “As someone who used to wear an Apple Watch, I love the ability to wear this whenever I want since it blends in pretty easily compared to a bulky tracker on your wrist,” she explains.

Intermediate exercises

You should know the type of training you should do to best achieve those goals. While many fitness apps have diverse options of daily workouts—HIIT, strength training, cardio, and barre—some apps may specialize in only one or two modes of training. FitOn offers a huge library of free, at-home exercise videos for all fitness levels. Depending on your interests, they have a variety of programs to suit you, including yoga, pilates, HIIT, dance, barre, cardio, meditation, and weighted or bodyweight exercises.

It also supports music storage, Bluetooth calls, and Garmin Pay for contactless payments, integrating lifestyle convenience with serious training tools. I am a huge fan of the daily wrap ups that you get at night and of the morning reports. I have a tendency to overdo it when it comes to training, and Garmin likes to let me know. When it tells me to “slow it down a bit or you’re going to burn out” (paraphrasing here), I tend to do so. Another one for treadmill runners, the Apple Fitness Plus personalized workout app subscription has a number of treadmill workouts to keep you busy.

What to Look for in a Macro Tracking App

If you click on a run, you’ll be able to see your time, distance, and calories, as well as more in-depth data on your pace, speed, timing, heart rate, stamina, and more. Compared to Fitbit and Apple, Garmin Connect gives you a huge amount of data, without asking you to pay an additional monthly fee. While the instructors in the class use the Les Mills Smartbar, you can actually use any weight you have to hand to do the workout. The focus is on lots of repetitions using light weights, so you’ll definitely feel yourself getting stronger. I also enjoy the Pilates classes, which use similar moves in each session and have plans for progression, so I found myself actually improving in a very short space of time. If you’re an owner of any Apple device, whether that be an iPhone, iPad, or laptop, you can take advantage of everything Apple Fitness+ has to offer – and there’s so much.

You Can Eat Like a Champ with the Best Bodybuilding Meal Delivery (

As big fans of the Whoop 4.0, we were excited to test out the latest version of the athlete-focused fitness tracker. To no surprise, the fifth-generation version earned high marks in several key categories, further cementing Whoop as one of our favorite fitness trackers since it measures sleep, recovery, and overall strain. This fitness tracker is best for the serious athlete who wants a deep dive into the data that will help them train optimally. Looking for a free 21 day calisthenics workout plan you can do at home with no equipment? This free 21 day program uses simple bodyweight workouts to build full body strength, endurance, and consistency. Most fitness watches offer some kind of sleep tracking, which records your blood oxygen level, movement, and heart rate at rest to assess the quality of your sleep.

Daily Yoga

Jefit tracks your progress, showing you how much you’ve lifted over time and where you’re improving. Its rest timer ensures you’re getting adequate recovery between sets, making your workouts more efficient. If you don’t feel the need for an online support system, there are still ways to stay on top of your workouts. Some apps will add calendar reminders or push notifications to help remind you of your workout schedule for the week. It can help you keep all of your workout records in one place, without having to scour notebooks or fitness logs to check for your one-rep-max deadlift.

What is the best free app to track weight lifting?

Download the app for free today to kick-start your progress and achieve your health goals this year. We’re fans of their group features, which let you share your personal records with friends. Their Strength Score is a neat feature, too, which tracks your strength progress compared to your potential. The Sweat App was designed by women for women and offers access to a large women-only fitness community to stay connected and motivated. Their “sweaty selfie” feature is a unique way for members to share and stay engaged with friends.

How AI Can Help You Master Your Habit Building in 2025

Whether you’re an adventure enthusiast or someone who values being prepared, Survival Fitness Plan offers a distinctive fitness experience that empowers you physically and mentally. 4.7/5 – A powerhouse app for anyone looking to get serious about strength training. The app excels in mapping your routes, recording detailed statistics about your workouts, and providing a platform to compete and share your achievements.

With the DIE RINGE App, it’s easy to make training a habit – thanks to encouraging features and structured workout planning. Like most Garmin watches, the Forerunner 265 has excellent battery life — I averaged about 10 days between charges. The standout is build quality — this does not look or feel like a $100 fitness tracker. It has a medium-sized, bright screen surrounded by a stainless steel case that looks sleek and classy (much more so than the Fitbit Charge 6 or Garmin Vivoactive 6).

Whether you are team Apple or Android, using one of the best magnetic cases for iPhone or Galaxy ensures your phone stays where you need it. When you’re logging lifts, you need your phone accessible but safe—pairing these with the best phone case for the gym is a smart move. It’s perfect for building the habit of movement when you feel like you have zero time. We’ll cover what to look for, the categorized list of the top 25 apps, and how to keep your phone from getting smashed at the gym. MyFitnessPal stands out for its food and nutrition tracking capabilities to help you nail your eating habits.

DIE RINGE – Calisthenics Workout

Don’t take our word for it, read the 1,000’s of 5-star reviews and try a workout for yourself. It is the fastest path from “I just ate” to “my macros are logged.” Download Nutrify free on iOS and start tracking today. Notably, FatSecret’s food database powers several other apps including Carbon Diet Coach, which speaks to its reliability. MacroFactor, developed by the team at Stronger by Science, uses an adaptive algorithm that learns your actual metabolic rate from weekly weight trends rather than relying on generic formulas. After two to three weeks of consistent logging, the app adjusts your calorie and macro targets based on how your body actually responds.

• Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and maintain physical, mental, and emotional health.
• An early checkup can detect any health problems or conditions that could put you at risk for an injury during exercise.
• Although we rate it as the best workout app for most people, it is primarily focused on strength training, with some cardio and yoga on the side.
• We test the best Garmin watch models by strapping them to our wrists and wearing them during the day and overnight for several weeks.
• Athletes use it to track their oxygen levels during training and their quality of sleep so they can fine tune their training and diet to achieve their ideal health levels.
• Similarly, some apps offer richer and more varied route planning options than a watch can like the Footpath app.

Tracking Progress: Does the App Help You Monitor Your Gains?

She’s also a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Nicolette studied journalism and health sociology at Rutgers University. She has written for NJ.com, VICE, Rolling Stone, NBC News Select, and U.S. This makes Seven one of the best organisation apps on our list as well.

The best Garmin watch for battery life

If those don’t do it for you, we have more free workout apps to choose from on our best free workout app roundup. With practically too many apps to choose from and nearly one in every five2 smartphone users downloading fitness apps to their device it can be hard to sort the good from the not-so-good. The workout tracker is basic but deep, allowing you to create your own workouts. If there is a workout that you frequent, you can create it as a workout routine to simplify logging it in.

That way, you can have a reliable metric to see your training progress. Staying fit doesn’t always require a gym membership — especially when you’ve got a Meta Quest 3. With the right VR apps, you can burn calories, stay active and build strength without spending a single cent. Whether you want rhythm workouts, boxing routines or full-body movement games, the Meta Quest Store offers plenty of completely free options that turn exercise into something fun.

No-Gym Boxing MMA Workout

Depending on your tracker, it’ll give you deeper insights, such as your body battery (based on your sleep data) and your fitness age. There are also challenges and in-depth sleep reports for you to keep an eye on. The Venu X1 also offers very accurate heart rate monitoring, but it does lack multi-band GPS, which can reduce its accuracy when running in tricky GPS areas like city centers in my experience.

How we chose the best workout apps

We took our real-life experience and in-depth testing methodology to score 10 different categories on a 1-to-5-star rating. We went through the download process, app setup, payment, and of course we tried a variety of workouts (or long-term programs if applicable). Peloton is a popular home workout app—and for good reason—offering variety, high-quality instruction, and live workouts with ultra-peppy trainers.

Benefits of Workout Apps for Beginners and Tips to Maximize Them

You’ll throw punches and kicks in supercharged sequences as you follow along with the ebullient Billy Blanks. Here’s a free workout video inspired by Queen Bey’s excellent moves. Learn some awesome choreography (while working up a sweat) to “Who Run the World (Girls),” one of the singer’s best girl-power anthems. Former ballet dancer and Ballet Beautiful founder Mary Helen Bowers has serious fitness cred thanks to training Natalie Portman for her role in Black Swan.

Best FREE VR Workout & Fitness Apps for Meta Quest 3 (2025 Guide)

Overall, Amanda rates Nike Training Club a 5-out-of-5-star rating for both getting started and ease of use. We know that a subscription fee of $199 per month is nothing to sneeze at, however, we also know that most personal trainers charge anywhere between $50 to $150 per hour depending on your area. Much like Caliber’s Premium coaching option, with Future you can send your coach a video of yourself lifting directly through the app for each specific movement so your coach can check your form. Our team is a group of experienced lifters, and everyone who tested the Future app has been blown away by the level of coaching, ease of use, and overall value. You can read all the details of our experience in our Future app review. Although it costs about $200 a month, Future features a user-friendly interface, customizable programming, and excellent support from your personal coach.

Best Fitness Tracker For Women

While this sleep data is not as accurate as a sleep study would be, it does provide a framework for you when you’re thinking about your quantity and quality fitness progress tracking of sleep—an important pillar in your overall health. “One big feature of Apple is you have countless band options to choose from, and most are adjustable,” Matt says of the band. In addition to its functionality, the Coros Apex 2 stands out for its excellent battery life of about 40 hours. This wasn’t a surprise to Bojana, who previously used the Coros Pace for years and was incredibly impressed with its battery life. The Withings ScanWatch Light is a hybrid smartwatch that looks like your traditional timepiece, except it comes with tech capabilities not found on any Pateks or Rolexes. Anthony O’Reilly, who frequently uses analog watches, is frankly obsessed with the all-black version he picked out.

Quick Full-Body at Home Workout

A few months ago, I wanted to begin increasing my strength and build muscle to reach goals I set for myself. I used a few other workout apps but this is the only one I’ve enjoyed and seen good results with it. I’d recommend if you’re new to weight lifting or took a long break from it, try out one of the beginner 12 week programs. This has helped me get into working out in addition to the running/ cardio I do outside of weight lifting. WH editors and our trusted Strength In Diversity (SID) trainers are constantly testing and trying new fitness apps throughout the year, so we polled them about their most-used and most-loved platforms.

Fitness tracker rings are exactly what they sound like—fitness trackers worn around your finger, instead of the wrist. You wouldn’t want to go for this if you lift weights or use your hands a lot, but they’re comfortable and our expert product testers said they sometimes forgot they were wearing them. The Apple Watch Series 10 is the latest version of the classic smartwatch and fitness tracker, and in our opinion it’s their best one yet.

Lindsay loves competing with friends and has done multiple half marathons, CrossFit competitions, and more. And there you have it, friends – our journey through the top 10 fitness apps for beginners. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to mix things up, there’s an app out there with your name on it. Remember, the best app is the one that gets you excited to move, eat well, and keep pushing forward. As technology advances, fitness apps will become even more intuitive, making it easier for everyone to enjoy getting fit.

Best running app for treadmill runners

GGR product tester and endurance athlete Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1 says if she didn’t have so much data already stored on Strava, she’d totally switch to MapMyFitness. Let’s take a closer look to find the perfect fit for your fitness journey. 4.6/5 – Great for anyone looking to make fitness a flexible, integral part of their daily routine. 4.8/5 – A favorite for beginners and seasoned fitness enthusiasts alike.

Q1. Is there a 100% free workout app?

Furthermore, some apps reward badges for hitting new personal records which, just like a follow on social media, can feel very rewarding. If you are on the hunt for a free workout tracker, Hevy enables users to create routines, monitor progress with exercise charts and personal records, make exercise-specific notes, and connect with other users. If you’re looking for guided workouts, ClassPass can be used in two ways.

Although the library of exercises is expansive, just be aware that the functionality is limited in the free version. Kate explains, “I entered all the movements for a weightlifting workout, but the app ordered them alphabetically instead of in the order I wanted. To move them, I would have had to upgrade to the Elite plan.” She also found it easier to navigate through the desktop version for workout plans, and then locate them on the app afterwards. If you’re looking for a free workout app that’s focused on strength training, Boostcamp is your best option. Boostcamp provides over 1,000 workout plans through the Boostcamp app.

Another call-out is the included reformer box, which adds height and range of motion to moves in the seated and lying position. It’s especially helpful for those with muscle tightness workout personalization or need to modify moves involving the knees. The AeroPilates Reformer 287 is the most affordable option we’ve come across.

Suggested Reads about Health & Fitness

The app assumes you already know what you’re doing, and if you’re a beginner, this may not be the case. You will also face a paywall if you want a more in-depth progress report since the free version only measures distance, time, and elevation. It’s a handy app, especially if your fitness plans involve running or hiking. Not every workout app can be the best, but some can still be great and worth your time.

Don’t let the fear of not knowing the moves (or breaking your phone) stop you. Equip yourself with the right app, slap a protective case on your device, and just start moving. Building a healthy habit is easier than you think once you take that first step. This means you can slap your phone directly onto a squat rack or gym machine. It keeps your phone off the dirty floor and puts your workout app right at eye level so you can check your form or timer hands-free.

There are several versions of this watch, and as we mentioned before you can even get a solar-powered version of the Fenix 8 that helps extend the battery life. The Fenix 8 also provides 50% more solar power than its predecessor, lasting up to 30 days in smartwatch mode. One of our other product testers owns the Fenix 6 Pro Solar, and he gave the battery life a perfect score of 5 out of 5, too. Although the Whoop 5.0 technically doesn’t cost any money, you must purchase a membership to take advantage of its features. There are three plans available (WHOOP One, WHOOP Peak, and WHOOP Life) that cost between $199 to $359 per year.

Find your coach

After her first daughter was born six years ago, she became especially passionate about prenatal and postnatal fitness, teaching stroller bootcamp classes and working with expecting moms as clients. Post-journalism school, Nicole worked in print media as a magazine editor for eight years, then went freelance for a while, writing for fitness websites and manufacturers in the industry. Now, as director of content at GGR, she brings her expertise in fitness to writing and editing honest reviews on everything you might need for your home gym. It offers yoga, HIIT, and strength training with world-class trainers, and the production quality is top-tier. It feels like a premium service, but the barrier to entry is incredibly low.

Exercise and Weight Loss

The app offers structured diet phases (cut, bulk, maintain, reverse diet) with check-ins that adjust targets as your body changes. FatSecret is one of the few macro tracking apps that remains genuinely free with no premium tier at all. It includes calorie and macro tracking, a large food database, barcode scanner, and basic image recognition for food logging. Tracking macros — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — is the single most effective strategy for body composition change, whether you’re cutting fat, building muscle, or maintaining.

If you love outdoor exercise stats like pace and power, a Garmin watch may be the best match. If you want broad exercise and health data, plus all the latest apps, a smartwatch from Apple or Google is a better fit. New to the Pixel Watch 4 is satellite SOS emergency assistance (on the LTE version), multi-band GPS (which should lead to more accurate GPS data), improved battery life and too much else to list here. The watch has up to 18 hours of battery life, according to the brand — that’s less than most competitors. It does charge quickly, though, getting nearly a full charge in just 45 minutes.

How do you start investing?

On the other hand, if you want to up your golf game, pick a watch from the Approach models. And if you need something that’ll suit your training and everyday life, be on the lookout for which smartwatch features are supported. One of the most crucial aspects of choosing a Garmin watch is thinking about what you’ll use it for. The same applies if you do outdoor adventures where you need GPS navigation, as that’s a power-hungry feature. There’s the Lily 2 Active that we’ve included here, the Lily 2 Classic (without side buttons, HRV sensors, GPS and only a five-day battery life) and the Lily 2 (same as the Classic, but without Garmin Pay).

Beginner-Friendly Features of the Caliber App for Strength Training

• It’s perfect for busy individuals looking for an effective, flexible workout option that fits into their lifestyle, not the other way around.
• Each day targets one or several areas, from the chest and triceps on day one to the shoulders on day four.
• There’s an extra ab workout session that you can do daily after each workout.
• The Garmin Forerunner 265 solidifies the brand’s strong reputation by offering a comprehensive suite of features tailored to runners.
• It comes with multiple video lessons and tips to help you achieve your fitness goal.
• It also includes an extensive exercise library to fall back on if you’re struggling.

Seeing your friends log miles creates a positive peer pressure loop that encourages you to get out the door. It’s perfect for absolute novices because it prevents the “too much, too soon” burnout. If you want to hit the pavement but don’t know how to start, these apps are your audio companions. (If you prefer wheels, check out the 5 best cycling apps to keep you connected).

Take Your Workout to the Next Level

Some compatible apps will offer workout suggestions, tips for success, and plans you can use to reach your goals. If you’re looking for a smart watch on a budget, the Amazfit Bip U series might be one worth checking out. It tracks heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep quality, stress levels, breathing, women’s health, plus all your workouts.

User-Friendly, But Some Post-Workout Data Lacks Detail

Overall, our testers give Caliber a 4-out-of-5-star rating for equipment demands. The app also integrates with other fitness apps and devices, providing a holistic view of your health. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a healthy lifestyle, MyFitnessPal offers the tools and community support to help you achieve your goals. It’s an essential app for anyone serious about taking control of their health. It’s not just about workouts; this app helps you monitor your diet, water intake, and exercise, making it a holistic companion on your fitness journey. Ideal for beginners, MyFitnessPal offers a user-friendly platform to set and achieve health goals, track progress, and learn about nutrition, all while staying motivated.

M1 Finance stands out for its unique investment approach — it helps investors visualize their portfolios as a pie, with “slices” made up of different securities. The mix of automation and manual investing will appeal to beginner investors who want to grow their skills and long-term investors who want help maintaining their portfolio allocation. SoFi Active Investing’s $0 trading commission, fractional shares and $0 account minimum are attractive to new investors. More advanced investors will appreciate the company’s wide mutual fund selection and IPO access. SoFi doesn’t offer practice trading, but it is one of the few brokers we review that offers investors a meeting with a financial advisor.

Simple Formula, Easy Mixing, and Daily Use

What can help with your overall fat loss is a healthy amount of cardiovascular exercise (and when I say healthy amount I don’t mean hours upon hours!). However, I do agree it’s important to meet the American Heart Association’s exercise guidelines of at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week. As a personal trainer, I cannot in good conscience tell you there is a certain exercise that will help you lose belly fat.

Search code, repositories, users, issues, pull requests…

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. For example, some trackers provided a more in-depth look at my sleeping habits, including personalized tips on how to get better rest the next night and how my quality of rest affected my ability to recover. To measure how easy each tracker was to use, I started by timing how long the initial unboxing and setup took, taking note of any roadblocks. If I had gotten the hang of things by the time I was wearing it at the gym—and didn’t need to look up how to sift through different activity options and start, stop and pause my workout—I deemed it easy to use. Compared with true fitness watches like Garmin’s, the Galaxy Watch 8 has a couple of limitations.

If you run without a watch, then Strava is a reliable app for tracking your running speed, distance, heart rate, and more. If you own a NordicTrack or ProForm treadmill, or if you use those treadmills at a gym, you know that iFit programs are awake on the screens when you sign on. IFit also has an app with cross-training options, such as yoga, and you can also use the app on your TV.

The Apple Watch Series 9 gives you the option to compete weekly with friends to see who can crush their move goals. It adds a level of fun and competition that fitness doesn’t always have. With a fitness tracker, you’ll be able to see your daily step count, active minutes, calories burned, and more.

Other Fitness Trackers And Watches I Tested

• I’ve been testing fitness trackers for years — I try new models constantly, comparing them against previous versions and similar competitors.
• I’ve done plenty of testing and research to eliminate the hassle for you.
• For one, during a workout, you’ll be able to tell how much you’re exerting yourself, and even base your workout off of heart rate zones, which can be an effective way to improve your fitness level.
• Our product tester rated the Oura Ring Gen 4 a 2 out of 5, noting that it’s pretty limited.
• Pick your distance goal when choosing your plan (from run your first 5K to ultramarathons), and find a community of runners taking part in upcoming events.
• Consider the following two points about the type of instruction and tracking progress.

“I have zero real challenges since the watch and app are incredibly easy to use,” she says. Even if you have a complicated training schedule like Bojana, you don’t have to stress about figuring out how to utilize the Apex 2. Unfortunately, one of the downsides with a ring vs. a smartwatch is the connectivity (or lack thereof). Our product tester rated the Oura Ring Gen 4 a 2 out of 5, noting that it’s pretty limited. Your Activity Score works the same way, but measures how well you’re balancing recovery and training. “As someone who used to wear an Apple Watch, I love the ability to wear this whenever I want since it blends in pretty easily compared to a bulky tracker on your wrist,” she explains.

Intermediate exercises

You should know the type of training you should do to best achieve those goals. While many fitness apps have diverse options of daily workouts—HIIT, strength training, cardio, and barre—some apps may specialize in only one or two modes of training. FitOn offers a huge library of free, at-home exercise videos for all fitness levels. Depending on your interests, they have a variety of programs to suit you, including yoga, pilates, HIIT, dance, barre, cardio, meditation, and weighted or bodyweight exercises.

It also supports music storage, Bluetooth calls, and Garmin Pay for contactless payments, integrating lifestyle convenience with serious training tools. I am a huge fan of the daily wrap ups that you get at night and of the morning reports. I have a tendency to overdo it when it comes to training, and Garmin likes to let me know. When it tells me to “slow it down a bit or you’re going to burn out” (paraphrasing here), I tend to do so. Another one for treadmill runners, the Apple Fitness Plus personalized workout app subscription has a number of treadmill workouts to keep you busy.

What to Look for in a Macro Tracking App

If you click on a run, you’ll be able to see your time, distance, and calories, as well as more in-depth data on your pace, speed, timing, heart rate, stamina, and more. Compared to Fitbit and Apple, Garmin Connect gives you a huge amount of data, without asking you to pay an additional monthly fee. While the instructors in the class use the Les Mills Smartbar, you can actually use any weight you have to hand to do the workout. The focus is on lots of repetitions using light weights, so you’ll definitely feel yourself getting stronger. I also enjoy the Pilates classes, which use similar moves in each session and have plans for progression, so I found myself actually improving in a very short space of time. If you’re an owner of any Apple device, whether that be an iPhone, iPad, or laptop, you can take advantage of everything Apple Fitness+ has to offer – and there’s so much.

You Can Eat Like a Champ with the Best Bodybuilding Meal Delivery (

As big fans of the Whoop 4.0, we were excited to test out the latest version of the athlete-focused fitness tracker. To no surprise, the fifth-generation version earned high marks in several key categories, further cementing Whoop as one of our favorite fitness trackers since it measures sleep, recovery, and overall strain. This fitness tracker is best for the serious athlete who wants a deep dive into the data that will help them train optimally. Looking for a free 21 day calisthenics workout plan you can do at home with no equipment? This free 21 day program uses simple bodyweight workouts to build full body strength, endurance, and consistency. Most fitness watches offer some kind of sleep tracking, which records your blood oxygen level, movement, and heart rate at rest to assess the quality of your sleep.

Daily Yoga

Jefit tracks your progress, showing you how much you’ve lifted over time and where you’re improving. Its rest timer ensures you’re getting adequate recovery between sets, making your workouts more efficient. If you don’t feel the need for an online support system, there are still ways to stay on top of your workouts. Some apps will add calendar reminders or push notifications to help remind you of your workout schedule for the week. It can help you keep all of your workout records in one place, without having to scour notebooks or fitness logs to check for your one-rep-max deadlift.

What is the best free app to track weight lifting?

Download the app for free today to kick-start your progress and achieve your health goals this year. We’re fans of their group features, which let you share your personal records with friends. Their Strength Score is a neat feature, too, which tracks your strength progress compared to your potential. The Sweat App was designed by women for women and offers access to a large women-only fitness community to stay connected and motivated. Their “sweaty selfie” feature is a unique way for members to share and stay engaged with friends.

How AI Can Help You Master Your Habit Building in 2025

Whether you’re an adventure enthusiast or someone who values being prepared, Survival Fitness Plan offers a distinctive fitness experience that empowers you physically and mentally. 4.7/5 – A powerhouse app for anyone looking to get serious about strength training. The app excels in mapping your routes, recording detailed statistics about your workouts, and providing a platform to compete and share your achievements.

With the DIE RINGE App, it’s easy to make training a habit – thanks to encouraging features and structured workout planning. Like most Garmin watches, the Forerunner 265 has excellent battery life — I averaged about 10 days between charges. The standout is build quality — this does not look or feel like a $100 fitness tracker. It has a medium-sized, bright screen surrounded by a stainless steel case that looks sleek and classy (much more so than the Fitbit Charge 6 or Garmin Vivoactive 6).

Whether you are team Apple or Android, using one of the best magnetic cases for iPhone or Galaxy ensures your phone stays where you need it. When you’re logging lifts, you need your phone accessible but safe—pairing these with the best phone case for the gym is a smart move. It’s perfect for building the habit of movement when you feel like you have zero time. We’ll cover what to look for, the categorized list of the top 25 apps, and how to keep your phone from getting smashed at the gym. MyFitnessPal stands out for its food and nutrition tracking capabilities to help you nail your eating habits.

DIE RINGE – Calisthenics Workout

Don’t take our word for it, read the 1,000’s of 5-star reviews and try a workout for yourself. It is the fastest path from “I just ate” to “my macros are logged.” Download Nutrify free on iOS and start tracking today. Notably, FatSecret’s food database powers several other apps including Carbon Diet Coach, which speaks to its reliability. MacroFactor, developed by the team at Stronger by Science, uses an adaptive algorithm that learns your actual metabolic rate from weekly weight trends rather than relying on generic formulas. After two to three weeks of consistent logging, the app adjusts your calorie and macro targets based on how your body actually responds.

• Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and maintain physical, mental, and emotional health.
• An early checkup can detect any health problems or conditions that could put you at risk for an injury during exercise.
• Although we rate it as the best workout app for most people, it is primarily focused on strength training, with some cardio and yoga on the side.
• We test the best Garmin watch models by strapping them to our wrists and wearing them during the day and overnight for several weeks.
• Athletes use it to track their oxygen levels during training and their quality of sleep so they can fine tune their training and diet to achieve their ideal health levels.
• Similarly, some apps offer richer and more varied route planning options than a watch can like the Footpath app.

Tracking Progress: Does the App Help You Monitor Your Gains?

She’s also a certified personal trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM). Nicolette studied journalism and health sociology at Rutgers University. She has written for NJ.com, VICE, Rolling Stone, NBC News Select, and U.S. This makes Seven one of the best organisation apps on our list as well.

The best Garmin watch for battery life

If those don’t do it for you, we have more free workout apps to choose from on our best free workout app roundup. With practically too many apps to choose from and nearly one in every five2 smartphone users downloading fitness apps to their device it can be hard to sort the good from the not-so-good. The workout tracker is basic but deep, allowing you to create your own workouts. If there is a workout that you frequent, you can create it as a workout routine to simplify logging it in.

That way, you can have a reliable metric to see your training progress. Staying fit doesn’t always require a gym membership — especially when you’ve got a Meta Quest 3. With the right VR apps, you can burn calories, stay active and build strength without spending a single cent. Whether you want rhythm workouts, boxing routines or full-body movement games, the Meta Quest Store offers plenty of completely free options that turn exercise into something fun.

No-Gym Boxing MMA Workout

Depending on your tracker, it’ll give you deeper insights, such as your body battery (based on your sleep data) and your fitness age. There are also challenges and in-depth sleep reports for you to keep an eye on. The Venu X1 also offers very accurate heart rate monitoring, but it does lack multi-band GPS, which can reduce its accuracy when running in tricky GPS areas like city centers in my experience.

How we chose the best workout apps

We took our real-life experience and in-depth testing methodology to score 10 different categories on a 1-to-5-star rating. We went through the download process, app setup, payment, and of course we tried a variety of workouts (or long-term programs if applicable). Peloton is a popular home workout app—and for good reason—offering variety, high-quality instruction, and live workouts with ultra-peppy trainers.

Benefits of Workout Apps for Beginners and Tips to Maximize Them

You’ll throw punches and kicks in supercharged sequences as you follow along with the ebullient Billy Blanks. Here’s a free workout video inspired by Queen Bey’s excellent moves. Learn some awesome choreography (while working up a sweat) to “Who Run the World (Girls),” one of the singer’s best girl-power anthems. Former ballet dancer and Ballet Beautiful founder Mary Helen Bowers has serious fitness cred thanks to training Natalie Portman for her role in Black Swan.

Best FREE VR Workout & Fitness Apps for Meta Quest 3 (2025 Guide)

Overall, Amanda rates Nike Training Club a 5-out-of-5-star rating for both getting started and ease of use. We know that a subscription fee of $199 per month is nothing to sneeze at, however, we also know that most personal trainers charge anywhere between $50 to $150 per hour depending on your area. Much like Caliber’s Premium coaching option, with Future you can send your coach a video of yourself lifting directly through the app for each specific movement so your coach can check your form. Our team is a group of experienced lifters, and everyone who tested the Future app has been blown away by the level of coaching, ease of use, and overall value. You can read all the details of our experience in our Future app review. Although it costs about $200 a month, Future features a user-friendly interface, customizable programming, and excellent support from your personal coach.

Best Fitness Tracker For Women

While this sleep data is not as accurate as a sleep study would be, it does provide a framework for you when you’re thinking about your quantity and quality fitness progress tracking of sleep—an important pillar in your overall health. “One big feature of Apple is you have countless band options to choose from, and most are adjustable,” Matt says of the band. In addition to its functionality, the Coros Apex 2 stands out for its excellent battery life of about 40 hours. This wasn’t a surprise to Bojana, who previously used the Coros Pace for years and was incredibly impressed with its battery life. The Withings ScanWatch Light is a hybrid smartwatch that looks like your traditional timepiece, except it comes with tech capabilities not found on any Pateks or Rolexes. Anthony O’Reilly, who frequently uses analog watches, is frankly obsessed with the all-black version he picked out.

Quick Full-Body at Home Workout

A few months ago, I wanted to begin increasing my strength and build muscle to reach goals I set for myself. I used a few other workout apps but this is the only one I’ve enjoyed and seen good results with it. I’d recommend if you’re new to weight lifting or took a long break from it, try out one of the beginner 12 week programs. This has helped me get into working out in addition to the running/ cardio I do outside of weight lifting. WH editors and our trusted Strength In Diversity (SID) trainers are constantly testing and trying new fitness apps throughout the year, so we polled them about their most-used and most-loved platforms.

Fitness tracker rings are exactly what they sound like—fitness trackers worn around your finger, instead of the wrist. You wouldn’t want to go for this if you lift weights or use your hands a lot, but they’re comfortable and our expert product testers said they sometimes forgot they were wearing them. The Apple Watch Series 10 is the latest version of the classic smartwatch and fitness tracker, and in our opinion it’s their best one yet.

Lindsay loves competing with friends and has done multiple half marathons, CrossFit competitions, and more. And there you have it, friends – our journey through the top 10 fitness apps for beginners. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to mix things up, there’s an app out there with your name on it. Remember, the best app is the one that gets you excited to move, eat well, and keep pushing forward. As technology advances, fitness apps will become even more intuitive, making it easier for everyone to enjoy getting fit.

Best running app for treadmill runners

GGR product tester and endurance athlete Amanda Capritto, CPT, CES, CNC, CF-L1 says if she didn’t have so much data already stored on Strava, she’d totally switch to MapMyFitness. Let’s take a closer look to find the perfect fit for your fitness journey. 4.6/5 – Great for anyone looking to make fitness a flexible, integral part of their daily routine. 4.8/5 – A favorite for beginners and seasoned fitness enthusiasts alike.

Q1. Is there a 100% free workout app?

Furthermore, some apps reward badges for hitting new personal records which, just like a follow on social media, can feel very rewarding. If you are on the hunt for a free workout tracker, Hevy enables users to create routines, monitor progress with exercise charts and personal records, make exercise-specific notes, and connect with other users. If you’re looking for guided workouts, ClassPass can be used in two ways.

Although the library of exercises is expansive, just be aware that the functionality is limited in the free version. Kate explains, “I entered all the movements for a weightlifting workout, but the app ordered them alphabetically instead of in the order I wanted. To move them, I would have had to upgrade to the Elite plan.” She also found it easier to navigate through the desktop version for workout plans, and then locate them on the app afterwards. If you’re looking for a free workout app that’s focused on strength training, Boostcamp is your best option. Boostcamp provides over 1,000 workout plans through the Boostcamp app.

Another call-out is the included reformer box, which adds height and range of motion to moves in the seated and lying position. It’s especially helpful for those with muscle tightness workout personalization or need to modify moves involving the knees. The AeroPilates Reformer 287 is the most affordable option we’ve come across.

Suggested Reads about Health & Fitness

The app assumes you already know what you’re doing, and if you’re a beginner, this may not be the case. You will also face a paywall if you want a more in-depth progress report since the free version only measures distance, time, and elevation. It’s a handy app, especially if your fitness plans involve running or hiking. Not every workout app can be the best, but some can still be great and worth your time.

Don’t let the fear of not knowing the moves (or breaking your phone) stop you. Equip yourself with the right app, slap a protective case on your device, and just start moving. Building a healthy habit is easier than you think once you take that first step. This means you can slap your phone directly onto a squat rack or gym machine. It keeps your phone off the dirty floor and puts your workout app right at eye level so you can check your form or timer hands-free.

There are several versions of this watch, and as we mentioned before you can even get a solar-powered version of the Fenix 8 that helps extend the battery life. The Fenix 8 also provides 50% more solar power than its predecessor, lasting up to 30 days in smartwatch mode. One of our other product testers owns the Fenix 6 Pro Solar, and he gave the battery life a perfect score of 5 out of 5, too. Although the Whoop 5.0 technically doesn’t cost any money, you must purchase a membership to take advantage of its features. There are three plans available (WHOOP One, WHOOP Peak, and WHOOP Life) that cost between $199 to $359 per year.

Find your coach

After her first daughter was born six years ago, she became especially passionate about prenatal and postnatal fitness, teaching stroller bootcamp classes and working with expecting moms as clients. Post-journalism school, Nicole worked in print media as a magazine editor for eight years, then went freelance for a while, writing for fitness websites and manufacturers in the industry. Now, as director of content at GGR, she brings her expertise in fitness to writing and editing honest reviews on everything you might need for your home gym. It offers yoga, HIIT, and strength training with world-class trainers, and the production quality is top-tier. It feels like a premium service, but the barrier to entry is incredibly low.

Exercise and Weight Loss

The app offers structured diet phases (cut, bulk, maintain, reverse diet) with check-ins that adjust targets as your body changes. FatSecret is one of the few macro tracking apps that remains genuinely free with no premium tier at all. It includes calorie and macro tracking, a large food database, barcode scanner, and basic image recognition for food logging. Tracking macros — protein, carbohydrates, and fat — is the single most effective strategy for body composition change, whether you’re cutting fat, building muscle, or maintaining.

If you love outdoor exercise stats like pace and power, a Garmin watch may be the best match. If you want broad exercise and health data, plus all the latest apps, a smartwatch from Apple or Google is a better fit. New to the Pixel Watch 4 is satellite SOS emergency assistance (on the LTE version), multi-band GPS (which should lead to more accurate GPS data), improved battery life and too much else to list here. The watch has up to 18 hours of battery life, according to the brand — that’s less than most competitors. It does charge quickly, though, getting nearly a full charge in just 45 minutes.

How do you start investing?

On the other hand, if you want to up your golf game, pick a watch from the Approach models. And if you need something that’ll suit your training and everyday life, be on the lookout for which smartwatch features are supported. One of the most crucial aspects of choosing a Garmin watch is thinking about what you’ll use it for. The same applies if you do outdoor adventures where you need GPS navigation, as that’s a power-hungry feature. There’s the Lily 2 Active that we’ve included here, the Lily 2 Classic (without side buttons, HRV sensors, GPS and only a five-day battery life) and the Lily 2 (same as the Classic, but without Garmin Pay).

Beginner-Friendly Features of the Caliber App for Strength Training

• It’s perfect for busy individuals looking for an effective, flexible workout option that fits into their lifestyle, not the other way around.
• Each day targets one or several areas, from the chest and triceps on day one to the shoulders on day four.
• There’s an extra ab workout session that you can do daily after each workout.
• The Garmin Forerunner 265 solidifies the brand’s strong reputation by offering a comprehensive suite of features tailored to runners.
• It comes with multiple video lessons and tips to help you achieve your fitness goal.
• It also includes an extensive exercise library to fall back on if you’re struggling.

Seeing your friends log miles creates a positive peer pressure loop that encourages you to get out the door. It’s perfect for absolute novices because it prevents the “too much, too soon” burnout. If you want to hit the pavement but don’t know how to start, these apps are your audio companions. (If you prefer wheels, check out the 5 best cycling apps to keep you connected).

Take Your Workout to the Next Level

Some compatible apps will offer workout suggestions, tips for success, and plans you can use to reach your goals. If you’re looking for a smart watch on a budget, the Amazfit Bip U series might be one worth checking out. It tracks heart rate, blood oxygen levels, sleep quality, stress levels, breathing, women’s health, plus all your workouts.

User-Friendly, But Some Post-Workout Data Lacks Detail

Overall, our testers give Caliber a 4-out-of-5-star rating for equipment demands. The app also integrates with other fitness apps and devices, providing a holistic view of your health. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, gain muscle, or simply maintain a healthy lifestyle, MyFitnessPal offers the tools and community support to help you achieve your goals. It’s an essential app for anyone serious about taking control of their health. It’s not just about workouts; this app helps you monitor your diet, water intake, and exercise, making it a holistic companion on your fitness journey. Ideal for beginners, MyFitnessPal offers a user-friendly platform to set and achieve health goals, track progress, and learn about nutrition, all while staying motivated.