Best Expert-Tested Workout Apps and Services for 2026

We’ll continue with plank shoulder taps, adding dynamic movement to the plank to further develop your core stability . Lastly, we’ll wrap up with the superman hold—progressing from pulses to a steady isometric hold, challenging your lower back and glutes to build greater endurance and improve your overall posture. We’ll continue with side plank pulses, taking your side planks a step further by adding subtle movement to intensify the engagement of your obliques and core stability. Next, reverse lunge pulses will advance your reverse lunges by adding small, controlled pulses to deepen lower-body strength and endurance. We’ll start with seated towel rows, progressing from lying towel pull-downs to further develop your back and arm strength through a more upright position and increased resistance. Finally, superman pulses will activate your posterior chain, strengthening your lower back and glutes, and improving your posture through controlled, rhythmic movements.

• You also track your activities throughout the day — exercise burns calories, after all — and Noom is capable of pairing with the best fitness trackers to monitor your weight and daily step count.
• Even core-strengthening exercises for seniors can be adapted to those with limited abilities.
• For general programming, apps earned a 4- or 5-star rating when the monthly membership fee was under $15.
• After taking a quick intro questionnaire, you’ll be provided with a personalized plan.
• The platform is incredibly user-friendly, with workout schedules clearly laid out and the ability to filter by equipment, duration, and body focus.
• These factors help ensure that apps remain flexible, up to date, and convenient for users with busy schedules.

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Designed for use by parents, caregivers, and educators, it supports children’s independence, emotional awareness, and time management in a practical, engaging way. For those of us who are just a tad gym-shy, or who can’t afford to shell out cash on gyms and fitness classes right now, having a personal trainer in our pockets is the next best thing. Starting with chair exercises and working up to advanced moves, Green offers a wide range of on-demand cardio and strength workouts. What’s more, the app offers 72 weeks of meal plans with custom portion recommendations according to your daily calorie needs, plus access to more than 300 recipes to create your own meal plan. Calorie tracking creates the deficit; workouts protect lean muscle and increase your daily burn.

For over 30 years (but who’s counting?), we’ve been walking with you—helping millions achieve their health and fitness goals from the comfort of home! Our all-in-one walking workouts combine Cardio, Strength, and Flexibility for an easy, effective, and fun way to move. Nasha is a Managing Editor for CNET, overseeing our sleep and wellness verticals. Throughout her career, she’s covered various topics including financial services, technology, travel and wellness. As for the workouts, I found them to be fun and you can make them as challenging as you want.

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However, for strength workouts, Centr is an excellent option, especially as you can filter classes by the equipment you have at hand. AllTrailsIt’s not formally a workout app, but if walking is your preferred form of exercise, AllTrails is the perfect companion. You can find local routes, explore paths before you head out, and read reviews so you’re prepared for the conditions. That’s all free, and there’s the AllTrails+ subscription, which adds offline download and live navigation. You can follow your own route or explore Strava’s massive network of roads and trails, built by millions of athletes worldwide. “The mapping tool makes it easier than ever to plan runs and workouts in advance, especially when following a training plan with specific distances and paces,” one runner noted.

Exercise and Weight Loss

But if these aren’t quite right for you either, we’ve rounded up the best workout apps for a range of training styles and budgets to get you started. That means intuitive navigation and filters that let you quickly find the perfect class based on workout type, duration, or even music. Many apps also include a community component, which can be a helpful way to stay motivated, share progress, and hold yourself accountable. If an app requires you to have access to a full gym or only has a small percentage of workouts that can be performed with minimal equipment, that was cause for a 1- or 2-star rating. Basically, we wanted evidence that the programs weren’t just random kitchen-sink workouts, which throw a random assortment of exercises at you each day, with no overarching plan or system in place. Ladder costs a little bit less than the average workout app, while providing a fantastic workout experience.

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While some workouts require dumbbells or resistance bands, there are plenty of bodyweight options to choose from as well. The right app can act as a virtual personal trainer or training partner to keep you motivated and accountable. You’re interested, motivated, and just looking for visuals, expertise, and possibly a virtual community to share fitness with. “The app provides so much for your health journey—exercises for all ages and levels, and menus to get you on track to healthy eating.”—Shannon M. Most people lose 1 to 2 pounds per week when they consistently use a workout app, eat in a moderate calorie deficit, and stay active throughout the day. The Fitness Phantom is a database of hundreds of workout routines and exercises that are supported by ground experience, research journals, and fitness experts.

+ Variety

My favorite aspect is how smoothly this app integrates with your personal music app, like Apple Music or Spotify. I love curating my own playlists while running and Nike took that into consideration. Using AI to generate a customized workout program continues to grow in popularity, but the results can vary from generic, repetitive workouts to downright bad exercise advice. TR[Ai]NER by Element 26 is our pick for the best AI workout app because it offers detailed, immersive training programs that you can modify at any time based on your performance and post-session feedback.

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Some of these apps let you customize your workout based on the space and equipment you have at home, your preferred exercises and your current fitness goals. There are some that even function as a personal trainer without having to set foot in a gym. Our CNET fitness experts have put together this list of the best workout apps for women based on how well each app user-controlled fitness subscriptions supports sustainable movement, mental health and motivation.

The Best Workout Apps of 2026: For Any Fitness Goals

Workout apps can provide you with expert guidance, either through professionally made programs and plans or through connecting you with a certified personal trainer or coach. While what a workout app does varies from product to product, they can help you track progress, keep you motivated, and connect you with like-minded individuals who can support you on your fitness journey. We give the app 5 out of 5 stars for both ease of use and equipment demands.

However, it’s one major flaw is the fact that it’s only available on iOS, so Android users can’t use the service. The programming on a macro-level may not be adequate for intermediate or advanced exercisers, and it only earns 3 out of 5 stars for the category. Because this is a powerlifting program, it may not be a surprise that you’ll need a squat rack, bench, barbell, and weight plates to complete your workouts.

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Additionally, the app uses a color-coding system to identify foods based on their calorie count, with green being the lowest calorie-rich options and red serving as the indicator for high-calorie foods. Our tester appreciated this unrestricted approach to food options, stating they quickly got the hang of being aware of their intake. By connecting to friends, family members, and other users working on similar goals, one can feel the competition and perform even better. This feature helps boost the sense of community and accountability which further push the user to perform better and achieve the goals. So, make sure you choose a professional and reliable workout trainer for daily training.

The app is also easy to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play, and we found it easy to set up and get started. Zwift scored highly in most categories, but as it’s more of a racing app than a platform that provides instruction, we only gave it 2.5 out of 5 stars for accountability and instruction. If you want a bit of added motivation, without hiring a trainer, it’s hard to think of a better option than joining a virtual race and competing against real users. Bojana found the initial setup to be very easy, rating it 5 out of 5 stars, though you’ll need your own indoor trainer, which may take a little longer to setup if you don’t already own one. Fitbod scored well in most categories, but the free trial is limited to three workouts, and we’d like to see more emphasis on progressive overload.

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Shred Premium unlocks full program access, detailed analytics, and advanced AI coaching features. The app introduces the concept of “strengthspan” – your overall strength capability for long-term health and longevity. Using 9 carefully selected exercises, Strength Well provides personalized strength scores and targeted recommendations to build functional strength that matters for everyday life, not just the gym. This app integrates with Apple Health, Strava, and Fitbit to make tracking progress easier, provides easy-to-follow instructions and video, and incorporates strength, cardio, mobility, and endurance training. On the app, you’ll have access to customized strength plans based on how often you want to work out per week, nutrition guidance, and “A++ quality” videos, says Woerner. It gives you everything you need, with over 17,000 on-demand classes, over 24 class types, over 70 training programs, and nothing you don’t (cough, diet culture, cough).