Best Apple Watch Fitness Apps 2025 Complete Guide

There is a premium version, but even at $3 a month, Hevy earns a 5 out of 5 for its affordable pricing. WeGLOW is the top-rated strength training app for perimenopause based on its hormonal phase-aware programming and women-specific exercise selection. Perimenopause — the transitional period before menopause, typically ages — involves hormonal fluctuations that affect energy levels, recovery capacity, and bone density. Stanford research confirms that strength training during this phase specifically outperforms cardio for lean muscle retention and fat regulation. WeGLOW’s quarterly plan runs approximately $15/month with a three-day trial.

What Types of Health & Fitness Data Can the Apple Watch Track?

Fantastical is perhaps the best-known and most prolific calendar app in the Apple ecosystem. It boasts a stunning interface and features including tasks, calendar sets, conference calls, weather, time, zones, and more. On Apple Watch, you can get day-to-day looks, tasks, and even a Fantastical custom watch face so you can stay on top of your schedule. Ryse Workout costs $5/month of $50/year for a subscription, so is right in line with other tracking options.

Visualizing Progressive Overload

You can also have those numbers streamed to another screen if you’re using it to watch a guided workout. Friends and family who are also Apple Watch users can even pair their devices to share results or challenge each other. It should be said that Carrot’s particular brand of humor isn’t for everyone, with animations and art that have drawn some criticism for potential issues with body shaming. Still, if you’re up for a workout partner whose whole vibe is to give you the business and make you laugh at yourself, it’s a fun and refreshing pick in a field of more straight-faced applications.

How to choose the best strength training app for you

During the workout, you’ll tap on the screen after completing a set of reps. It will show you how long to rest before moving on to the next exercise. At the completion of the workout, you’ll see a quick summary of calories burned and more along with the ability to raise the weights by a specific amount for next time. Most lifting apps offer extended programs, which will follow basic programming principles like progressive overload and periodization. We also like Fitbod because it’s one of the most equipment-flexible training apps we’ve tested. Being able to choose what you have available—ranging from full gym access to just your bodyweight—makes it accessible for people who train at home, in different gyms, or while traveling. As a result, we gave it a perfect 5-out-of-5 score for equipment demands.

Equipment Demands

Weightlifting apps are geared towards strong lifts and helping athletes achieve new one-rep maxes. No matter your level of experience, workout programs on weightlifting apps can take your strength training to the next level in more ways than one. Nike Training Club, Nike’s free fitness app featuring guided workouts across strength, cardio, and mobility categories, is the only option on this list that is completely free — no paywall, no subscription, no catch. Men’s Journal (2026) ranks it as one of the best free workout apps for beginners. The best strength training app for women over 50 is WeGLOW, a strength and wellness app built specifically for women with guided gym and home-compatible workouts designed with perimenopause hormonal context in mind.

• Although other weightlifting apps may not require such a complete setup, Amanda still rates JuggernautAI at 4 out of 5 for equipment demands.
• It has a nutrition function where you can track calories or gather healthy meal ideas.
• Over time, the app collates swim data such as splits, stroke rate and strokes per lap to paint a picture of your fitness journey.
• There’s a pretty robust set of workouts created by Hevy and the community for you to try out, with all of them clearly labelled to discern the kind of workout.
• As many other apps look to add new features, and spread themselves too thin, Strong really focuses on what it does, and making sure it does that very well.
• As these solutions grow and evolve, they will increasingly shape our fitness landscapes.

What About the New Series 10 Features?

The basic features of Interval Pro are free, with the full version less than $10 to download as a one-time fee. No subscription access makes this a solid option for saving a few dollars a month. If strength is your only focus and you want deep, data-driven gym programming, Fitbod or Alpha Progression will serve you well. If you want a simple, no-frills tracker, Strong or Hevy are hard to beat.

While we love Muscle Booster’s programming philosophy, the app offers little in the way of interactive features. You won’t find any community features, a leaderboard, or a flesh-and-blood coach to talk to. There’s no way around it—Muscle Booster had to get a 1 out of 5 in our interactive features category. This beginner-friendly workout app can be accommodating for a range of different skill sets and equipment setups. Plus, Muscle Booster promotes progressive overload effectively by having you master each prescribed exercise prior to moving onto more challenging movements or rep ranges.

BodyFit is the premium content service and workout app from Bodybuilding.com. The app leans heavily towards those who enjoy traditional bodybuilding style routines and opens up an extensive library of expertly crafted workout routines. Fitbod’s recommendations also adjust based on the equipment available, ideal if you’re mixing between at-home workouts and going to the gym. Apple Fitness is an app designed by Apple that comes pre-installed on your iPhone and iPad.

Preview the AI workout planner

Other apps will also notify you on new personal records throughout your training, keeping you engaged and inspired for the next workout. Where the program falters is its lack of interactive features and accountability. Since it’s not truly a training app, there’s no accountability features or notifications, earning a score of just 1 out of 5.

How to Choose the Best Apple Watch Fitness App

JEFIT offers over 1,300 exercises and thousands of pre-designed programs, giving you plenty of workout options. You can also connect with other users and find workout buddies near you, making it great for building a fitness community. It offers a mix of strength, cardio, bodyweight, mobility, and machine exercises for the gym or home gym, making it a versatile tool for overall fitness improvement.

Why should you lift weights?

Still, the app gets a 4.8 out of 5 stars and appears to receive regular updates. Apple Fitness+ is Apple’s own subscription-based fitness service designed specifically for Apple Watch users. While other apps focus on making you faster or stronger, Motion focuses on keeping you moving consistently. The Motmot pet creates an emotional connection that data never could. Your Motmot pet lives in your app and needs daily movement to stay healthy & happy…

Hevy is a game-changer for weightlifters, and it ranks among Apple Watch apps for weightlifting. It’s a free app that helps you plan your weightlifting routines, /best_workout_app_for_a_beginner/ log your workouts, and track your exercise progress with precision. With Hevy, you can create custom exercises, analyze your workout sessions, and even sync your Apple Watch for real-time tracking. It’s a must-try for any Apple Watch user passionate about weightlifting.

The weekly battles are based on effort percentage, not fitness level, so players of all fitness levels can play fairly together. With any of these Apple Watch apps, you can make your weightlifting routine at the gym even better and more useful. To help see how your body changes over time, you can record body measurements using the Apple Watch.

If you’ve been less than content with the other offerings, TIDE may be for you. Closing Activity Rings and tracking progress can motivate users to stay active. Apple Watch tracks additional health metrics such as sleep and activity levels. Workouts automatically sync with the Apple Watch, displaying real-time metrics during sessions. Here are the only ones worth your wrist space – from fun gamification to serious athletic training. To score a 3, an app should be easy to install with a straightforward account setup process (though minor hiccups may occur).

Online Support

JEFIT also acts as a fitness tracker, helping you see your progress over time. Trainers can use it to stay in touch with clients and prescribe training plans, making it a valuable tool for professionals. It costs $19.99 per year (sometimes with a sale for $9.99) or you can get it for life for $24.99. In keeping with the aesthetic we mentioned earlier, Mindllama gamifies its roster of characters by having you collect them one by one. There’s also much stronger support for widgets than we’ve seen in most apps. If you’re the sort of person who would prefer to have a widget sitting on your home screen that gives you a quick breathing session with a single tap, this app is for you.