Best Workout App for Men (2026): 11 Expert-Tested Picks for All Types of Training

Caliber takes our top spot for the best workout app for men overall, as it can help people of all fitness levels and ages. Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran weightlifter, young or old, Caliber can help you achieve your goals.

There are three different tiers available, with different prices, methods of coaching, and programming. The free version of the app features an extensive library of over 500 exercises, with personalized programming made from an algorithm based on an initial assessment. The next tier, at $19 a month, offers a group chat feature for group training, and the Premium option costs $200 or more each month, with access to a one-on-one coach.

Our product tester and certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto gives the value for the Premium plan a 5 out of 5. Although the price is one of the more expensive options for a training app, the monthly cost is still less expensive than in-person coaching with a personal trainer, which can cost $50 or more per hour.

Workout programs from Caliber focus on strength training, and can be customized for the gym equipment you have access to, leading Amanda to rate the equipment needs a 5 out of 5 as well. For the man looking for full-body workouts geared toward building muscle, Caliber can be a great option. You can see our full in-depth look in our Caliber app review.

More and more workout apps are implementing artificial intelligence to help craft training programs for users, but the best part about TR[Ai]NER by Element 26 is that it doesn’t feel like AI. We’re not saying this app can replace a flesh-and-blood coach who observes and tweaks your performance in real time, but it can offer comprehensive workout plans based on your unique goals.

“Everything is easy to understand and exceptionally detailed regarding the movement goals,” our tester says, rating the app a 5 out of 5 for instruction. “Each session had priorities and focuses, and it even included guidelines for rate of perceived exertion (RPE), tempos, and suggested pace.”

The real selling points for TR[Ai]NER are its simplicity and flexibility. After you upload basic information—like your overall goals, workout frequency, available equipment, and potential injuries—the app generates unique plans with those parameters in mind.

Let’s say you want to focus on lower-body strength, but you have a bad back. TR[Ai]NER will axe moves like barbell back squats in favor of goblet squats and trap bar deadlifts to help avoid potential spinal compression. This can be an excellent feature to help people stay on a consistent workout plan while training around potential weak points. It’s also components such as this that help TR[Ai]NER by Element 26 feel like a traditional personal trainer.

“The program is very specific to my needs, and I would feel safe following its suggestions,” our tester notes, giving the app a 4 out of 5 for safety. “Seems like the more information you provide, the better it will program.”

Where TR[Ai]NER feels a little cold, however, is in its community features (or lack thereof). Quite simply, there’s nothing of note here—no message board, no leaderboard, no chat function.

If you’re the type who likes to connect with other users or take virtual classes with fellow athletes, this is not the app for you. This led us to give TR[Ai]NER by Element 26 a 1 out of 5 for accountability.

The TR[Ai]NER platform costs $14.99 per month, or $99.99 for the year. If you want a taste of what’s offered, a free trial allows for three AI-generated plans before throwing up a paywall.

Too often, we’ve found that some apps recommend equipment that we either don’t own or is being hogged by someone at the gym. Shred App takes care of that problem by helping you design or find workout programs built around the equipment you have access to, and also comes with options for bodyweight workouts. Beyond that, there are various yoga and mobility classes on the app, along with programs specifically designed for rowing machines

RELATED: At-Home Bodyweight Workouts

The variety helps the app earn a 5 out of 5 on equipment demands. You can also skip a circuit or movement if you’re waiting for someone to be done with a certain machine. “You can either select what type of equipment you have access to or just pick a class based on what type of workout you’re looking to do,” says expert product tester Anthony O’Reilly, CPT, CNC. “This way, you’re not scrambling to find something in the middle of your class.”

The instruction also picks up a 5 out of 5. “The instructors were motivating and talked throughout the class, but not so much that their voice got annoying while I was sweating and out of breath,” Anthony says. The trainer-led classes allow you to record your workouts, which will allow an AI algorithm to track and rate your performance.

It also allows you to track your workout statistic and sync with your AppleWatch.

Imagine having Arnold Schwarzenegger as your personal trainer. Now stop imagining it, and download the Boostcamp app and make it happen. This free app comes with hundreds of strength training programs designed by some of the most famous names in fitness. Plus, it can be used as a workout tracker to document your progress and stay organized.

“I’ve used a bunch of other apps for tracking my lifts and progress over time,” says fitness coach and GGR Senior Staff Writer Matt Dustin. “I like Boostcamp much better.”

Matt says this app is primarily for people who have high self-motivation. There is a community tab where you can follow your friends and see the workouts they’ve logged, but you don’t get one-on-one coaching. However, while you get weekly push notifications, there are no daily reminders to keep you on track. “You can see other community members and invite your friends to do the same program with you,” Matt says. “By default, it’s not really meant for coaching or accountability.” We’ll give it a 2 out of 5 in the accountability category.

While you can watch demo videos on moves you’re not sure of or swap certain exercises in a plan, Matt says true beginners might struggle with some of the moves. “Most of the good pre-made programs have detailed instructions up front, but when you do the actual workout, you’re setting each exercise with the recommended sets, reps, and rate of perceived exertion,” he says. “Compared to full workout class videos, it’s not very visual or instructive.” The instruction gets a 4 out of 5

For those with a few years of lifting experience under their weightlifting belt, Matt says there’s no shortage of training options. “I focus on training for hypertrophy first, and strength second, but there are tons of programs for all sorts of goals,” he says. He’s a big fan of Eric Helms’ Intermediate Bodybuilding program, as well as the Reddit Dumbbell-Only PPL split.

While the free app, which is always free, has a lot in the way of workout tracking, the premium version gives you a plate calculator to ensure accurate loading on your PR attempts, more advanced analytics, and a rest timer (so you don’t need to exit the app in between sets). These added conveniences cost $15 per month (or $80 per year), making the premium version a fairly affordable option.

Furthermore, Matt adds that the app is easy to use and rated the user interface a 5 out of 5. And if you rather dip your toes in the water before diving in fully, you can try the pro subscription for free for seven days.

If you’re interested in an online personal trainer that can take all the guesswork out of programming and keep you on track and motivated, Future is a solid choice for you. Originally only available on the iPhone, Future is now available on both Apple and Android devices and connects you to a personal coach who will program workouts based on your fitness goals and experience.

At $199 per month—and with no free version or free trial—this is one of the more expensive workout apps to use. However, you also get a lot more from the app than most other competitors, leading GGR’s former Senior Director of Content and certified personal trainer Kate Meier to rate the value a 4 out of 5. 

“Although the price is comparable to a CrossFit gym membership with access to tons of gym equipment and coaching, I think it’s a really good value for virtual training,” says Kate on the value of the app.

She also enjoys the encouragement from her coach, rating the accountability of Future a 5 out of 5. Kate says about her coach, “She would check in with me almost every day to see how I was feeling, how the workout went, or ask why I hadn’t done the workout yet. This was a big motivator for me; I think I only missed one planned workout in my first four weeks, and that was due to illness.”

Kate says this may be best for generic weight training, but may not appeal to those training for specific goals. She explains, “In-person training is usually best for someone preparing for a weightlifting meet or CrossFit competition. But for the average person looking for muscle building or weight loss programs, it’s fantastic.”

RELATED: Best Weight Loss Program for Men

You can read more of our thoughts on this coaching platform in our Future app review.

Looking for an app with a group class feel? Check out iFIT, our pick for the best workout app for men for fitness classes. Considered a good alternative to the Peloton app, it offers connectivity to many of the best cardio machines out on the market today. The app works perfectly fine without the connection, too.

The iFIT app offers much more than simply cardio workouts, though; it also offers strength classes, HIIT, yoga, and pilates classes through on-demand classes and workout videos. The app did offer live classes, although they were discontinued earlier this year (live races are still a function, though).

Our product tester Caroline Lubinsky, CF-L1 says the amount of expert-guided classes and workouts can feel like an overload of info at first. “The home screen has a lot of information at first. It kind of makes me want to look everywhere at once; it’s a little overwhelming.”

Despite those initial concerns, Caroline gives iFIT a 4.5-out-of-5 rating for ease of use.

“I like browsing the library of classes you can take, which include treadmill, bike, rower, elliptical, yoga, strength, and mind options,” she says. “It’s also pretty cool you can view all the workouts you’ve taken, including the specific class, number of calories burned, and duration.”

Each class or workout features an expert trainer who guides you through workouts, keeping you motivated and also giving insightful cues during your workout. The coaching won’t be in real-time though, so you won’t get immediate feedback like you would in some of the best personal training apps. However, Caroline rated the instruction a near-perfect 4.5 out of 5.

“I do think that iFIT has emerged as a true Peloton competitor,” she explains. “I always did the outdoor runs and rides when I tested iFit, so the person is working out right there with you, and I thought they were great.”

Feel free to take a deeper look at this app in our iFIT reviews.

If you’re still building out your garage gym, you may not have all the home gym essentials at your house yet. If you’re still a little limited in your equipment, a great strength training app for you is Centr. 

Former GGR Social Media Manager Brittany Combs tested the app for our Centr review and notes the majority of the workouts keep the equipment limited to kettlebells, dumbbells, or other free weights. Even more, Brittany says you can filter the equipment you have or don’t have to find a program that works for you.

“There is a nice balance of workouts with equipment needed vs bodyweight,” she explains.

It also contains workouts for people who want to do pilates, yoga, HIIT, functional training, and even meditation. Overall, we rate the equipment demands a 4 out of 5.

RELATED: Best Pilates App

Like many workout apps, Centr allows you to personalize your experience based on your fitness level. Regardless of how long you’ve been training, Brittany and fellow tester Anthony O’Reilly say you’ll be getting a 5 out of 5 instruction from the trainers.

“It’s very thorough,” says O’Reilly, a certified personal trainer. “It spells out just about everything through text, photos, and video instructions.” Brittany is a fan of the workouts led by the app’s founder, Chris Hemsworth. “Who doesn’t want to feel like Thor himself is talking right at you?” she says.

You don’t need Thor’s hammer, or a big budget to be worthy of Centr. Subscriptions start at $7.50 per month and can go as high as $29.99, which is still cheaper than most commercial gym memberships. You’re also getting recipe ideas and a workout tracker, so it provides much more value than simply helping you workout.

If you’re looking for the best running app, our favorite is Map My Fitness. Created by Under Armour, Map My Fitness has a robust GPS tracking system and several free features, with a premium subscription that helps with accountability. Our product tester and long-time Strava user Amanda Capritto even likes this app, saying, “I would switch to Map My Fitness from Strava if I didn’t already have a Strava account with a lot of history logged already.”

Amanda rates the app setup and its ease of use a 5 out of 5 since it syncs up to other apps and devices easily—Garmin, Apple Watch, UA-connected footwear, My Fitness Pal, heart rate monitors, and more.

Although it’s a running app, the app still provides a good amount of instruction with its premium plan, as it’ll track tons of running metrics, from heart rate analyses and power output to running cadence and more. Amanda rates the instruction a 5 out of 5, saying, “You get a lot for the price—all for under $6 a month.”

In the free version, there’s not a lot to hold you accountable for your workouts aside from notifications. The premium subscription offers plans you can join, which Amanda says, “Being able to create and join plans in the premium version helps a lot with keeping you accountable to your workouts.” She rates the accountability a 4 out of 5.

The GPS works well enough, with Amanda rating the GPS accuracy a 3 out of 5. It seems to be accurate within about a tenth of a mile.

When we talk about value in a product, we want to make sure it’s worth its price. In the case of Nike Training Club, it has killer value, as the online training program is 100% free and has been since 2020.

Unlike other apps that have a free version with partial features, Nike Training Club gives you access to the entire app for free. With an account, you’ll have access to a database of workouts led by certified trainers on Nike’s team. Workouts span from strength training, high-intensity interval training, and functional fitness, to yoga, pilates, and mobility training.

The app is easy to navigate, and you can search for new workouts with filters on equipment needed, workout length, and fitness level. Our tester Amanda Capritto, CPT, CNC, CES, CF-L1, rates the ease of use of the app as a 5 out of 5.

“It’s Nike—they definitely have the money to invest in a seamless user experience,” Amanda says. “It’s easy to navigate the workouts, blog articles, nutrition and recipe content, and motivational social feed.”

Workouts and live classes can be streamed, and while not perfect, the instruction earns a rock-solid score of 4 out of 5 from Amanda.

“The instruction is good in the on-demand workouts, but it’s pretty phenomenal in the live classes,” she says. “I’m not one for live classes, but if you do like that style of exercise, this app provides some of the best classes.”

One thing you won’t get is the real-time feedback of a personal coach, as this app only offers the ability to stream workouts. Also, Amanda rates the accountability a 3.5 out of 5, saying, “This is your basic fitness app. You can download it on your phone, but no one is going to make you use it. It does send notifications if you enable them, and you can join programs or challenges.”

For someone whose budget is free, this is an excellent choice for a variety of strength, mobility, and HIIT workouts.

With a seven-day trial and affordable rate, Aaptiv is a great fitness app for anyone beginning to regularly work out, or for people curious about workout apps. In addition, the app provides workouts for you, so people new to working out won’t be guessing at what to do each day.

Expert product tester and certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto says the app is easy to use and navigate, which is extremely helpful for beginners. She rates the ease of use a 5 out of 5 because of how easy it is to search for workouts through a multitude of filters: workout mode of training, length, muscle groups used, fitness level, and equipment.

In addition, beginners can take advantage of Aaptiv’s push notification system to stay accountable. Amanda rates the app a 4 out of 5 in this category, noting that you can join periodized, structured programs and add them to your calendar so you can view the workouts as “appointments” in your app.

“There’s also a community feed where you can post about your workouts and join challenges, too,” she explains.

Although there is plenty of instruction within the app, Aaptiv won’t hold your hand through the workout. Instead, exercises within workouts have short audio and visual instructions, and workouts can be completed at your own pace. The lack of a coach-led workout might deter some people from using this app, Amanda suggests.

Still, there is plenty to learn from the exercise instructions, and Amanda notes that the programming team members responsible for workouts are clearly knowledgeable, programming some contralateral work in a workout. “This is something only a knowledgeable and experienced trainer would likely program,” Amanda says, rating the instruction as a whole a 4 out of 5.

With a variety of training types and workouts ranging from bodyweight exercises to using functional trainers, the app and its workouts can meet you where you’re at. For a beginner using Aaptiv, you can start from wherever you are, making it very accessible.

If you’re looking for an app that’ll feed your urge for the outdoors, Strava is a great suggestion. Not only is it a running app, but it can also be used for trails, cycling, and even water sports like kayaking. If you’re looking for a cycling app that can keep up with you in the outdoors, this is the app for you.

The GPS tracker is pretty accurate from what product tester and certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto says, rating the accuracy a 4.5 out of 5. She explains, “Sometimes buildings might impede the GPS signal when I’m cycling through downtown Miami, but other than that, it does a great job.”

There is a free version as well as a premium version. Both will provide decent tracking stats, but Amanda suggests that any statistics lovers should go with the premium version for the best breakdowns of your routes. Also, the app easily connects with major fitness trackers as well.

One of the biggest differentiating factors of Strava from other running and cycling apps is its social network aspect. It has a social media presence on the app. “You can follow people on Strava just like you could on Instagram or Twitter,” Amanda adds.

Another area where Strava stands out is interactive features. Amanda rates the app a 5 out of 5 in this category, highlighting the value of something like the “Relative Effort” feature, which measures how much effort you put into your cardio training.

“Anyone who’s been training for an extended period of time knows that it’s tough and sometimes impossible to perform at the same level week after week,” she explains. “Things happen—like a poor night of sleep or a high-stress assignment at work—that prevent us from performing our best.”

One word of advice is that the app does reveal a lot of information on your location while using the GPS tracker. You may want to consider the risks before using a GPS tracking app like Strava.

Check out our Strava fitness app review for more information.