After a quick login linking to your Planet Fitness profile, their famous “Lunk Alarm” sounds, signaling it’s time to get moving. The app perfectly captures what makes Planet Fitness gyms so welcoming, especially for beginners. Animated coaches guide you through workouts with cheerleading encouragement. By Experts What makes Lasta stand out is its focus on beginners. Lasta goes beyond a standard workout app to become your cheerleader, supporting you each step and rep along the way.
It does not offer customized training plans and doesn’t tailor progress to the user. There are also occasional issues with accurately tracking speed, distance, and location on runs. Speaking as a personal trainer, the best form of exercise is the one you enjoy doing.
Workout Apps for Beginners
With the free version, you can log your own workouts, or let the Caliber algorithm create a custom workout program for you, based on a quick assessment while setting up the app. The app is free of ads and contains a library of over 500 exercises. Caliber also records and charts strength progress and body metrics—body weight, waist size, and body fat percentage. She’s been a journalist for the last 14 years and a CPT/group fitness instructor for the last 11 years. She grew up playing tennis, became an avid runner in college, competed in a bikini competition in her mid-twenties, and even completed a triathlon.
Some of our favorite free workout apps include Caliber, Nike Training Club, and Map My Fitness. If those don’t do it for you, we have more free workout apps to choose from on our best free workout app roundup. Unlike most apps on this list, Nike Training Club doesn’t have a free and premium version; it’s just free.
Choose one that aligns with your goals and preferences, then commit to following its guidance consistently. With time, the workouts that once seemed challenging will become manageable, then easy—a clear indicator of your improving fitness. Even without Peloton equipment, the Peloton app offers thousands of studio-quality workouts across multiple categories led by charismatic instructors. By transforming running into an engaging narrative experience, Zombies, Run! Helps beginners overcome the mental hurdle of cardio exercise feeling monotonous or unpleasant.
Is FitOn still free?
Joggo earned a 3-out-of-5 rating, as you can get push notifications and earn running streaks if you complete all of your workouts for the week. With no community aspect or live coach, Joggo earned a 1 out of 5 for Interactive Features. One thing Nicole didn’t like about Joggo was the emphasis it placed on running for weight loss.
In-ear cheers will make you feel like the star athlete in your sports flick. And when your determination starts flagging, GymFit knows how to lift your spirits. Thanks to cinematic production value, multiple camera angles, and booming soundtracks, sessions feel ultra-VIP.
Type of Training
Plus, you can use the app’s audio-based instruction to help you move through the exercise in real-time. You can pop in your headphones and listen to coaching cues as you work through a treadmill session or full-body workout with squats, rows, and pressing movements. The variety of workout types allows exploration without switching apps, while the music-forward approach makes sessions more engaging.
Caliber
If there is a workout that you frequent, you can create it as a workout routine to simplify logging it in. In addition, Heavy provides some basic strength training routines of their own, such as 5 x 5 back squats. You can look at Hevy’s and other user’s workouts for inspiration, if you’re not sure what to do that day. When I think of an app for a beginner, I would want value, ease of use, and good instruction. Megan Capritto, sister of GGR senior staff writer Amanda Capritto and our tester for FitOn, found the interface for the app very easy to use and intuitive, giving it 5 stars out of 5. There is also solid instruction for each of the trainer-led workout videos.
- We went through the download process, app setup, payment, and of course we tried a variety of workouts (or long-term programs if applicable).
- If you’re able to stay on task, there is a deep social network behind this simple workout tracker.
- We’d also say this app is aimed at women, but there’s no reason why guys couldn’t follow the training plans.
- I personally believe beginners and experienced lifters alike should track their progress by jotting down weight used, reps completed, and number of sets.
- The “10-day beginner” challenges are great for building a foundation before you try to jump into a complex flow class.
- The iFIT app is an excellent choice for beginners who want to focus on cardio training.
Best Workout Apps for Beginners That Will Finally Get You Moving
The brand new Fit App is perfect for carving out “me time” while still getting fit fast. This app takes all the guesswork out of working out for busy bees everywhere. The app begins by asking about your fitness level, interests, and goals. No shaming here – Get Fit sends a friendly nudge to get back on track. Getting active and starting a fitness routine can feel daunting, especially if you’ve never exercised consistently.
Best Free Workout App Overall: Caliber
Fitbod’s algorithm is particularly adept at estimating your one-rep max, which helps male users safely push their limits without a spotter. Nike Training Club (NTC) is a completely free fitness app offering over ai fitness apps 190 guided workouts and structured multi-week programmes covering strength, endurance, yoga, and mobility. It requires no equipment for most programmes, making it the most accessible starting point for anyone who wants to build muscles or keep fitness at home without spending a cent.
Best Beginner Workout App for Variety: Aaptiv
Jump Rope Training has short, intense jump rope workouts that both beginners and professional jump ropers can do. Each workout displays the length in minutes, the number of exercises, the number of calories burned, and a visual demo. You can learn how to perform each move beforehand to avoid getting hurt. Centr (Chris Hemsworth’s app, ~$29.99/month or ~$119.99/year as of May 2026) combines AI-powered workout generation with meal planning, mindfulness, and celebrity trainer content.
Home Workout by Leap Health
This level of support is invaluable for beginners, ensuring they perform each move safely and effectively. For those new to fitness apps or technology in general, Fit App offers a refreshingly simple and straightforward experience. This ease of use is a marked win for beginners who might otherwise be overwhelmed by more complex apps.
The early days of any fitness journey often come with uncertainty, discomfort, and even a little embarrassment. Fitness apps can ease this transition by providing structure, guidance, and motivation. But with so many options out there, finding the perfect beginner-friendly workout app can feel overwhelming. In this article, we’ll help you sift through the noise to find the best workout apps for beginners to kickstart your fitness journey with confidence, ease, and motivation.
Strength & Tracking (Gym Focused)
Our beginner tester completed their first full workout in under five minutes of opening the app for the first time. Starting from zero is not a disadvantage — it’s actually the moment when a good app makes the biggest difference. Even with a great app, having a fundamental understanding of a home workout plan for beginners helps you choose the right starting intensity. For men who prefer class-based training, Peloton’s strength and HIIT classes offer high-intensity instructor-led sessions with a competitive leaderboard element that many men find motivating.