Written by Garett Reid | NSCA, CSCS, CISSN, M.S.E.S.S
Fact checked by Tyler DiGiovanni, BSBM
FACT CHECKED
If we had written this article a decade or so ago, it would have been pretty short. At the time, fitness apps were relatively new, and the list of good ones was even smaller. However, things have changed dramatically over the years. Many fitness apps have hit the market – it seems everyone has a fitness app you can use. However, rather than being positive, this abundance of choices can confuse things! It's the classic choice overload situation! That's why we went through and picked out the best fitness apps that are actually worth using (note, we didn't actually research all of the available apps due to the sheer volume, but trust me, we looked through enough).
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Why You Should Use A Fitness App
Fitness apps are another gadget that can either simplify or complicate your training. This has become especially true lately, as there are hundreds of various fitness apps you can choose from to help you reach your goals.
The reality is that they do have value if you choose the right one. They have a variety of benefits, including;
- Keeping you consistent with your workouts
- Allow you to easily track your training
- Offer advice or guidance on exercises and programming
Now, obviously, there are different apps that provide different features. Some are very simple designs that simply allow you to input your training information. On the other hand, some are very advanced, utilizing AI to create your program and then offer guidance moving forward.
Regardless, sometimes the most important benefit is that a fitness app causes you to monitor your training. It's surprising how many people don't track their training, and what's even more surprising is the number who have never tracked their training. This is one of the biggest reasons people don't see progress.
If a fitness app helps you do that, it's worth it.
The Best Fitness Apps That Are Actually Worth Using
The problem with many fitness apps is their programming, which is simply not good. Many fitness programs offer a litany of preprogrammed workouts that are questionable at best.
However, these apps sell by offering very low prices in addition to many advertised features such as a vast array of workouts or 1000 exercises (who needs 1,000 exercises?)
Therefore, in general, you're better off using a free app that works as a simple workout tracker. On the other hand, if you're looking for an app to actually provide you with a program to follow, you're better off using a more expensive app that tracks your progress and adjusts your training.
FitNotes
- Free!
If you swear you don't need a fitness app, we strongly suggest you get FitNotes. FitNotes is essentially an electronic version of pen and paper.
It's a basic workout tracker that keeps things simple yet allows you to track your lifting. As you know, not tracking weights is one of the most common ways lifters commit self-sabotage. You think you'll be able to remember, but then the week rolls by, and you're supposed to hit the bench again. Did you do 225 lbs 5X5? Or was that the week before?
It can be easy to forget what you did so FitNotes solves that by allowing an easy to use tracker. In addition to tracking weight, it makes it easy to write down any important notes, such as a load that feels excessively difficult.
It does provide some basic graphs and metrics, but its usefulness is based on its simplicity.
In the past, FitNotes was only available for Android users. At the time, users claimed they hadn't gotten an iPhone because of this! That should tell you how much they like it. Luckily, they have recently released a version for iOS.
Of all apps, it seems that FitNotes has the largest consumer base with longevity which shows its usefulness.
Step Counter/Activity Tracker
One of the simplest app you can get is a quality step counter or activity tracker. There are many that you can choose from so we'll simply list a few of our favorites that you can check out.
- GoogleFit (Free or $9.99/monthly): Developed with the American Heart Association. It tracks your steps along with a host of other fitness and activity levels. Many people love this app so check it out.
- Pacer (Free, $30/Year): Regarded as the best activity tracker with a constant 4.9+ rating on various platforms. One thing people like is the premium version lets you compare yourself with others which can add a bit of competition which is always good to get moving.
- Apple Health (Free, iOS only): While you need to have Apple to use this app, if you're an owner, you may want to check this out, primarily because it's 100% free. However, as it's Apple, you know it's more than just a simple tracker. Definitely check this out if you own an iPhone.
Now, there are other activity trackers out there that could work really well for you, too; these are just the 3 most often talked about. Again, increasing your steps is one of the most effective ways to lose or maintain your weight. This makes these simple apps one of the most useful fitness apps to have.
StrongLifts
- Free
- Pro (Monthly)- $14.99
- Pro (Annual)- $59.99
- Pro (Lifetime)- $149.99
StrongLifts is a classic strength training app that offers a basic design with one goal; increase your strength. We like StrongLifts as it's simple and works, at least for beginners and "new" intermediates.
To build strength, it offers several basic strength programs, including;
- StrongLifts 5×5
- SL5×5 Intermediate
- Madcow 5×5
All of these programs are based on the classic 5X5 rep scheme with some offering specific concentrations. Further, the basic programs have different templates that allow for different training frequency as well as concentration. In addition, you can personalize and add accessory movements as well.
In addition to providing you with the template, it automatically tracks your progression and tells you what to lift in the next session. This makes it extremely simple for new lifters to follow.
Now, while there is a free version, it offers very little so the app is only worth it if you purchase a pro version. With that in mind, we don't see a need in getting a lifetime subscription as again, it offers just those programs so you'll grow out of it.
However, it could be totally worth using for a year to build your foundation.
RP Hypertrophy
- Monthly- $34.99
- 6 Month- $199.99
- 12 Month- $299.99
RP Hypertrophy comes from the team at Renaissance Periodization, which was made famous by the company's face, Dr. Mike Isratel.
As the name suggests, this app is 100% made for those looking to build muscle mass. If strength is your goal, you'd be happier with another app like Juggernaut AI below.
Further, RP Hypertrophy is not for beginners. One of their primary methods to implement progressive overload is to increase the number of sets, which means a ton of work.
With that out of the way, RP Hypertrophy might be interesting if you're looking to put on mass and have been in the gym for a while. It uses a unique algorithm that monitors your fatigue levels to adapt your training.
It does this by asking you questions about your "pump" and general soreness. We'll say that they do get some slack for this "bro-science," but users swear it works, even if they previously thought it was a questionable tactic.
Another questionable tactic is it increases your weekly volume by concentrating on increasing your sets. This is a relatively controversial decision, but again, the majority of users swear it's helped them pack on pounds of muscle.
It is a more expensive app so spend time and read reviews and decide if you think it's worth it.
Juggernaut AI
- Month- $34.99
- Yearly- $349.99
For athletes looking to build strength, Juggernaut AI may be of interest. As the name suggests, it uses AI technology to create personalized lifting or power-building programs.
One of the standout features that sets it apart from other lifting apps is its daily assessment of your fatigue and readiness. These prompts also check in on factors like soreness, fatigue, or other conditions that might impact your performance, allowing the program to adjust your training based on your current state.
A common complaint is that Juggernaut AI is too easy; longtime users say this only occurs during the first few weeks as the AI system learns your level and training ability. After this, they report that it gets brutal in a good way.
Understand that this app is for serious strength athletes. It was created specifically by world-class coaches to improve strength performance. So, while beginners can definitely use it, it's obviously not going to give you direct feedback like a coach will. Further, a beginner must ensure their form is on point as they will be lifting heavy weights. Therefore, keep this in mind. If you're new to strength training, you should probably stick to StrongLifts for a year.
Best Nutrition Apps
A good training app is only as good as your nutrition. Therefore, we'll now review some of the best nutrition apps to help track your calories.
We will say that all of these look awesome and would work to help you lose weight. In fact, when reading reviews, it really seems like it comes down to preference.
MyFitnessPal
- Free version
- Monthly- $19.99
- Yearly- $79.99
MyFitnessPal (MFP) is one of the first major fitness apps that came onto the market in 2005. Thus, it's been around for over two decades.
Its original design can be explained by mixing Wikipedia with the calories and macros of different foods. This means that anyone can insert the calories, macronutrients, and various other nutritional information for different foods.
This has allowed it to build one of the largest food databases, with over 14 million additions! However, these entries were made by normal people and aren't always totally accurate.
Still, while this seems like it would be an issue, you rarely see anyone mention it. On the contrary, most people love it and find it an intricate part of their success.
MFP comes with a bunch of functions, such as:
- Calorie tracker
- Macro tracker
- Vitamin and mineral tracker
- Water tracker
- Food and bar code scan
Now, MFP does have a free version and a paid version. Unfortunately, they have moved many features, most notably the scanning option, to the premium version. Therefore, you may want to look elsewhere if this is a major issue. However, many people report that this doesn't make much of a difference, so they're still happy with MFP.
Regardless, here are some of the features you only get with the paid version;
- Detail macro tracking
- No ads
- Intermittent fasting
- Guided meal plans
- Step counter
Lose It
- Free
- Premium (Annual): $39.99
- Lifetime (With a Premium membership): $149.99
- Lifetime Without a Premium membership): $189.99
Lose It is one of the newer nutrition apps designed specifically for weight loss, as the name implies. Obviously, all the other apps are its competition, but MFP is generally the one it's usually compared with.
When looking at all of its features, it offers the usual;
- Calorie tracker
- Macro tracker
- Vitamin and mineral tracker
- Water tracker
- Food and barcode scan
One thing that makes it stand out from MFP is that the food scan and barcode options are part of the free version. This is actually really cool and solves one of the biggest issues people have with tracking calories—looking up nutrition information. Now, it does seem like Lose It is testing having it behind a paywall, so this may not be the case in the future.
One weird thing is that water tracking is part of the paid version. This seems like a useful yet basic feature, so it's odd they'd make you pay for it.
Apart from its usefulness in tracking calories, users report it has the best user interface which can make a huge difference. No one wants to use an app that's clunky and annoying.
Keeping all that in mind, the amount of features it allows with the free version really makes Lose It worth checking out.
Cronometer
- Free
- Gold (1 Year): $49.99
- Professional (Month): $32.99 (Includes 10 clients)
Many consider Cronometer the real "o’l G" in the world of nutrition apps, especially in serious tracking. While MFP has been around forever as well, Cronometer is known for the amount of detail it goes into when tracking your diet – it will track 82 micronutrients and let you know what you're deficient in.
This can be very useful, especially when you first start. Most people who are deficient in a micronutrient have no idea and probably haven't even considered it. Cronometer will illuminate this for you and get you back on track.
In our opinion, this is crucial as many people don't think about their micros often. However, deficiencies in these nutrients are responsible for many of the day-to-day issues people experience, such as fatigue or brain fog.
Other features it provides to free users are;
- Barcode scanner
- Basic biometrics
- Basic exercise and activity tracking
- 7-day nutrition report
The Gold subscription does seem to offer a lot of features that some may find useful, such as;
- Oracle (This suggests foods to include in your diet to target deficiencies)
- Extended charts (Glucose, GKI, etc.)
- More advanced biometrics
- Fasting feature
Review reviews seem to be a bit of a mixed bag concerning the free vs. paid version. We mean that some people were happy with their free version while others were happy with their paid version. Also, we didn't see anyone say they regretted either one.
One thing people really like when compared to MFP and Lose It, is that they feel the nutritional information is much more accurate. In fact, we know that high-level education nutrition courses teach using Cronometer to track calories and nutrients, demonstrating its quality.
MacroFactor
- 7-Day Free Trial: Free
- 1-Month Trial: $5.99
- Monthly: $11.99
- 6-month $47.99
- Yearly $71.99
MacroFactor is generally thought to be the most advanced and customizable nutrition app. It uses a unique algorithm that considers various measurements, such as your weight, height, and age, to build a customized calorie and macro plan.
What really makes it stand out is it adapts as you progress. As you log your food intake and weight over time, MacroFactor takes your data and adjusts your calorie recommendations to adapt your metabolism.
Ultimately, this makes it like a nutrition coach.
For this reason, there is no free version. They believe their app is for serious users and have developed an app that works as a nutrition coach for much cheaper. By offering a free version, they would have to offer a subpar experience.
Now, they have a 7-day weekly trial or a one-month option for $5.99. We believe $70.00 for a year is worth it if you feel it delivers.
If you are new to nutrition and tracking calories, we strongly suggest you check out MacroFactor. Its design actually tells you what to eat and what you need to adjust as you progress.
Prepare to lose some pounds with our exclusive 12-week fat loss training program. Choose between a 4 or 5 day training split and torch that stubborn fat, all while retaining, or even gaining muscle...
Final Verdict On Fitness Apps
These days, fitness apps are a dime-a-dozen, while legitimate fitness apps are few and far between. The truth is that providing a program and the proper follow-up is a technical process that takes years of experience and knowledge. This quality requires money, just like in the real world.
Therefore, in our opinion you should either use a workout tracker with a program you know works or spend money to get a more personalized training app. Add a nutrition tracker and activity tracker and you're all set!
Garett Reid
Author