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When looking at the best online workout programs, people often are looking for some level of guidance, and many workout apps vary to what degree of coaching and personal training is involved. Some will only offer daily workouts, while others offer a one-on-one coaching experience. Still, others rely on artificial intelligence to personalize your training program.
For those looking for the added touch of personalization to their training, our team of certified personal trainers, professional athletes, and lifting coaches have researched and tested the best online personal trainers on the market today, looking at features of each app, including:
- Its ease of use
- The level of instruction
- Accountability and interactive features
- The overall value of the app
After testing each app, we’ve compiled our top picks for the best online personal training apps to help you along your fitness journey.
The 8 Best Online Personal Trainers
- Best Online Personal Trainer Overall: Future
- Best Online Personal Trainer for Science-Based Training: Caliber
- Best Online Personal Trainer for Beginners: Aaptiv
- Best Online Personal Trainer for Weight Loss: Trainwell
- Best Online Personal Trainer for Women: Obe Fitness
- Best Online Personal Trainer for Live Online Training: FlexIt
- Best Online Personal Trainer for Yoga: Down Dog
- Best Online Personal Trainer for Strength Training: JuggernautAI
Best Online Personal Trainer Overall: Future
Good for: Those wanting personalized coaching and programming, all in the convenience of a fitness app
Best Overall
Future
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Incredible user interface; very well designed and intuitive
- Choose your own coach based on your personal preferences and goals
- Lots of variety in your workouts
Cons
- $199 per month membership cost
- No real-time coaching from your trainer
Bottom Line
Best Online Personal Trainer for Science-Based Training: Caliber
Good for: Individuals wanting one-on-one coaching from certified personal trainers with research-backed programs
Best for Science-Based Training
Caliber Strength Training
Product Highlights
- Strength training and nutrition app
- Personalized, data-driven workout programs
- Expert habit coaching
- Free and paid versions
- Private 1:1 coaching available
- Weekly lessons, metric tracking, nutrition syncing
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Scientifically-based training plans
- Individualized coaching for both fitness and nutrition with paid subscriptions is reported to be very thorough
- Free version offers a library of curated workout plans
- Reportedly easy-to-use
Cons
- Personalized macronutrient goals only available with paid versions
Bottom Line
Caliber Strength Training is a fitness coaching program grounded in scientific principles designed to increase strength and improve body composition. The app offers both group and individual training plans which are written and modified by a certified coach based on progress.
Best Online Personal Trainer for Beginners: Aaptiv
Good for: Those wanting instruction for starting their own fitness journey
Best for Beginners
Aaptiv
Product Highlights
- Audio-guided workout app
- Over 2,500 workouts
- New workouts each week
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Audio-based classes
- Thousands of workouts
- New classes each week
- Goal-based programs
- Free trial for annual plan
Cons
- Fewer coaches than competitors
- No information on nutrition
- Must sign up for annual plan to get the free trial
Bottom Line
Aaptiv is a great option for people looking for an alternative to video-based workout programs.
Best Online Personal Trainer for Weight Loss: Trainwell
Good for: Fitness lovers who need guidance in creating structured nutrition plans for weight loss and management
Best for Weight Loss
Trainwell Fitness
Product Highlights
- Dedicated fitness coaching, personalized workouts, and nutrition guidance
- Easy ongoing communication with a coach through text, video messages, and live calls
- Fitness plans tailored to your individual goals
- Built-in flexibility for home or gym workouts
- Includes a library of exercise demos
Pros & Cons
Pros
- No contract required
- No equipment needed
- Personalized training plans
- Feedback from coach
Cons
- Expensive
- Reports that the rep tracking is inaccurate
Bottom Line
The trainwell Fitness app (formerly CoPilot) provides dedicated coaching, personalized workouts, and nutrition guidance with one-to-one communication with a coach. There is no free version and it does cost $99 per month so it may not be a great choice for those looking to keep costs down.
Best Online Personal Trainer for Women: Obe Fitness
Good for: Women looking for a personalized experience for their fitness goals and needs
Best for Women
Obe Fitness
Product Highlights
- Fitness platform designed for women
- Features live and on-demand classes and training programs ranging from 5-60 minutes
- Appropriate for any skill level
- Over 20 types of workout options ranging from kid programs and foam rolling to HIIT and sculpt
- Pre-planned progressive video programs covering a variety of areas including dance, yoga, wellness, and BodyComp
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Over 20 live classes daily
- Huge range of workout types and programs
- Designed for all fitness levels
- Many users appreciate the music choice
Cons
- On the pricier side for a fitness app
- Reports that some videos are not easy to follow
Bottom Line
This women-centric fitness platform offers a huge variety of live and on-demand classes and progressive training programs. Although there is a one-month free trial period, this app requires an ongoing subscription and falls on the expensive side.
Best Online Personal Trainer for Live Online Training: FlexIt
Good for: Those wanting an online fitness coach to guide them through each session
Best for Live Online Training
FlexIt
Product Highlights
- FlexIt offers live 1-on-1 personal training and nutrition coaching online or via their app
- Take a goals assessment, choose a personal trainer, and customize your training schedule
- Flexible gym access with participating gyms that eliminates memberships and contracts
- Sessions can be purchased via monthly membership or pay-as-you-go plans
- Sessions are available in 30, 45, and 60 minute increments
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Live virtual coaching
- Individualized
- Variety of membership options
- Convenient
- Comprehensive wellness plan
- Mix-and-match trainers
Cons
- Reports that the app is finicky
- Some users felt the initial assessment lacking
Bottom Line
As an alternative to in-person training, FlexIT offers live virtual coaching. Each training plan is fully customizable and sessions are available in 30, 45, and 60 minute increments.
Best Online Personal Trainer for Yoga: Down Dog
Good for: Gym enthusiasts of all fitness levels wanting a personalized yoga routine
Best for Yoga
Down Dog
Product Highlights
- Over 60,000 configurations for a personalized yoga practice
- Beginner-friendly with a Beginner 1 Level in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Restorative
- Multiple practice types, including Vinyasa, Cardio Flow, Hatha, Gentle, Restorative, Yin, Ashtanga, Chair, Yoga Nidra, Hot 26, and Sun Salutation
- Available in multiple languages, including six different English-speaking voices and nine other languages.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Auto-generated workouts so it is a different workout every time
- Fits all experience and fitness levels
- Download classes to use offline
- Configuration of poses and practices is immense
- Clear instructions
Cons
- Some reports of the app freezing
- Music is reported to be mediocre
- Pricing is not listed on their website
Bottom Line
For those who prioritize variety in their yoga practice, Down Dog offers over 60,000 ways to personalize your yoga practice, beginner-friendly options and various practice types. The pricing on their website is unclear.
Best Online Personal Trainer for Strength Training: JuggernautAI
Good for: Lifters wanting personalized programming for their strength training goals
Best for Strength Training
JuggernautAI
Product Highlights
- Use code “GARAGEGYM” for a discount on JuggernautAI training.
- Smart powerlifting and powerbuilding program from Chad Wesley Smith, an accomplished strength athlete and owner of Juggernaut Training Systems.
- Uses information such as your weight, training history, current fitness level and training load, personal records, goals, and ideal training schedule to create strength and hypertrophy blocks to prepare you for powerlifting or bodybuilding meets.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Extremely intuitive app experience
- Super smart and responsive AI
- Offers a two-week free trial to see if you like it
Cons
- Not the same as working with a real coach
- Dashboard is a little confusing at first
- Only for strength training (no cardio workouts)
Bottom Line
JuggernautAI compiles your information to create a personalized powerlifting and powerbuilding workout experience.
Other Online Personal Training Apps We Researched
There are lots of options for personal training apps. Here are a few other apps we researched or tried, but didn’t quite make our top picks.
- Joggo: Made as a running app, the voice-over option and personalized training plan might be great for beginners who have an interest in running their first race. However, at $33 per month, we think that’s the only subset of people who would really get their money’s worth with this app. Read our Joggo review for more information.
- Fitbod: This app acts as a virtual personal trainer or workout tracker, with a quick questionnaire that can help program workouts for you based on your fitness level and workout equipment available. However, the questionnaire doesn’t ask for personal best lifts, so the working weights it prescribed were wildly off for me, making it difficult to understand the stimulus or purpose of each workout at first.
- Trainiac: Although this is a highly recommended online personal training platform, we haven’t tested it yet. Also, it’s exclusive to Gympass members only.
- IFIT: This app is widely used and liked by our GGR testers, but it didn’t make the cut because there are better options for online personal training. Folks who own NordicTrack or ProForm cardio equipment will get the most bang for their buck with trainer-led iFIT workotus. We have more details in our iFIT reviews.
How We Picked and Tested the Best Online Personal Trainers
The team at Garage Gym Reviews did our due diligence in testing out top fitness apps and training programs, using our fitness experience and knowledge to test out the overall value of each app. After thoroughly researching fitness apps, we narrowed down our count to over 50 apps.
For each of these apps, we had members of our team and expert panel test out the app, taking notes based on our testing methodology. We looked at aspects such as:
- Trial length: Does the app offer a trial or free version, and for how long?
- Value: How much does the app cost? Does the price match the features it offers?
- Setup and ease of use: How easy is the app to set up and begin? Is the app easy and intuitive to use?
- Accountability and interactive features: An app can have push notifications, check-ins from a coach, or a community and social media presence to help keep users motivated. What features does the app use?
- Instruction: Does the app clearly communicate instructions for programming, workouts, and exercises with written and visual instructions?
- Workout variety: Does the online personal training app offer enough workout variety to suit your needs?
- Equipment demands: Does the fitness program offered require any specific equipment?
- Customer service: How helpful is customer service, and how easy is it to get in contact with them? How easy is it to cancel or edit your subscription?
We gave each factor a score from 1 to 5, and then averaged them out to give each personal training app a score. Top programs were given superlatives and made our list of the best online personal trainers.
Benefits of Online Personal Trainers
There are many reasons a personal trainer or coach could be beneficial to your fitness plan—like customized workouts tailored to your goals, motivation at each session, and assessments to adjust your training sessions as needed. Personal training apps can offer these features (in varying levels), but here are some benefits that are mostly exclusive to online personal trainers.
Convenience
Most training sessions done face-to-face with a personal trainer are done in a gym, which can take up a chunk of time in your day when you include the commute time. Like having a home gym, an online personal trainer gets you the coaching expertise of an in-person trainer, but at the convenience of on your own time and at your own home.
RELATED: Home Gym vs Gym Membership
Saving Money
The best online personal trainers can be expensive. The cost can vary depending on the expansiveness of the features and involvement of an online coach, but personal training apps can cost as much as $200 each month, and in some cases even more.
However, the cost of an in-person certified personal trainer can be more expensive. Typically, a training session with an in-person trainer will cost between $35 to $100. That’s just one session. If you’re training with a personal trainer even just once a week, that’ll cost you up to a few hundred dollars in one month.
Looking at the cost of the two, an online personal trainer can provide you with the guidance of in-person training while costing significantly less in many cases.
Online Support
In addition to providing workout plans customized to your fitness goals, an online personal training app can provide you with a great support system, and not just through video calls with or messaging your coach—although that’s a great feature.
Some apps provide robust online communities, where app users can share workouts and progress with each other, providing a great level of support for users beyond that of the trainer. Other apps even provide in-app badges and push notifications to help encourage you to continue logging your workouts and training plans. Many also even sync with the best fitness trackers, allowing you an easy way to track your daily activity.
Regardless, apps are proven by researchers1 to increase accountability and physical activity.
Expert Guidance
Online personal training programs tend to get the experts involved. If the app has one-on-one coaching, most apps make sure that the coaches on their platform have a personal training certification, along with other coaching certifications. Most screen their coaches to find some of the best in the fitness industry.
If the app offers virtual training that uses an algorithm to create workout programs, the developers typically will talk to expert fitness trainers in the industry as well, to make sure the programs follow standard practices of programming, like progressive overload.
What to Look for in Online Personal Trainers
If you’re interested in an online personal training app, then there are several factors to consider.
Type of Workouts
What modes of training are you looking for? In many circumstances, apps will offer quite a few training options, although maybe not all of them. Common types of workouts include:
- Strength training
- Powerlifting
- Olympic weightlifting
- Bodybuilding
- Cardio
- HIIT
- Functional fitness
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Circuit training
This doesn’t even cover all types of workouts or training methods. However, if you’re looking for an online personal trainer, make sure it covers the type of training you’re interested in.
Instruction
What’s the level of instruction like? The type of instruction you get in a personal training app can vary a lot, including real-time coaching during your workout, weekly video calls and check-ins, or messages on a daily basis. Furthermore, some apps use expert-made algorithms that create training programs based on your fitness levels, goals, and personal records.
Certifications
Another important aspect to consider is the level of expertise from the trainers you’re working with. Most apps require their trainers to be a certified personal trainer, usually through the best personal training certifications on the market.
Common top certifications can be done through the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), the International Sports Sciences Association (ISSA), or the American Council on Exercise (ACE). There are more trainer certifications, as well as nutrition certifications and strength and conditioning certifications, too.
Price
The price needs to fit your budget, too. Personal training apps can vary wildly on their pricing, but their features and interactivity also tend to vary with the price. Prices can be as low as $8 to $20 a month, but feature limited personalization to workout plans. On the other hand, some online personal trainers cost $200 a month, but also connect you with a personal coach that creates personalized programming and checks in with you on a regular basis.
In addition, be on the lookout for any free trial offers to get a feel for the app. This can help you get a better feel on if the app is right for you and your needs.
Ease of Use
Like any app, the user interface can make or break the user’s experience. So typically, we want a quick setup in the app along with an easy-to-use format. How easy is the app to navigate through features? During your trial session, make sure that navigating the app is intuitive and that you can navigate to the app’s different features easily.
Best Online Personal Trainer: FAQs
Are online personal trainers worth it?
Online personal training apps can provide expert training from a personal trainer but at the convenience of your home. Additionally, the cost can be much less than that of an in-person personal training session.
How do I choose an online personal training app?
When choosing an online personal training app, it’s important to consider the price of the app, the level of expertise of the trainers, and the types of workouts you’re wanting to do. Here are our picks for the best online personal trainer:
– Best Online Personal Trainer Overall: Future
– Best Online Personal Trainer for Science-Based Training: Caliber
– Best Online Personal Trainer for Beginners: Aaptiv
– Best Online Personal Trainer for Weight Loss: Trainwell
– Best Online Personal Trainer for Women: Obe Fitness
– Best Online Personal Trainer for Live Online Training: FlexIt
– Best Online Personal Trainer for Yoga: Down Dog
– Best Online Personal Trainer for Strength Training: JuggernautAI
What can I expect from an online personal trainer?
Online personal trainers will vary from app to app, but typically they will offer personalization to their training programs, either through a one-on-one coach, or a training algorithm made to follow training principles like progressive overload and periodization.
References
- Tong HL, Maher C, Parker K, Pham TD, Neves AL, Riordan B, Chow CK, Laranjo L, Quiroz JC. The use of mobile apps and fitness trackers to promote healthy behaviors during COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey. PLOS Digit Health. 2022 Aug 18;1(8):e0000087. doi: 10.1371/journal.pdig.0000087. PMID: 36812578; PMCID: PMC9931267.
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