5 Exercise & Weightlifting Apps to Help You Crush Your Fitness Goals

A. Lane
12 hours ago
3 min read

Whether you're a beginner trying to figure out what to do, or a pro who knows all the moves, a great fitness app can be the difference between a stalled routine and consistent progress.

Forget wandering aimlessly around the gym or losing track of your weights. We've rounded up five of the highest-rated apps for both structured strength training and general fitness to help you stay motivated, track your progress, and get the most out of every sweat session.

1. MuscleWiki:

MuscleWiki is a popular tool designed for anyone engaging in strength training, from absolute beginners to experienced lifters. It functions as a comprehensive exercise database, workout builder, and progress tracker.

Best For: Quickly finding and learning exercises for specific muscle groups and logging progressive overload.
What Makes It Great: It removes the intimidation factor of strength training by providing a clear visual and simple instructions. It also has ad-free and offline capabilities in its massive exercise library.
Standout Feature: Interactive Body Map. It's most famous feature is an interactive 3D human body model. Users can tap on any major muscle group and the app immediately generates a curated list of exercises that target that precise area.

2. Strong: The Simple & Powerful Workout Tracker

If you already know your workout routine (like a 5x5 or PPL split) and just need a fast, robust logbook, Strong is the champion of simplicity and efficiency.

Best For: Lifters who need a no-nonsense gym log and progress tracker.
What Makes It Great: The interface is quick and uncluttered. You can log sets, reps, and weights with minimal taps. It automatically tracks your PRs and volume statistics.
Standout Feature: Intuitive Workout Logging. Start your routine, log a set, hit the custom rest timer, and move on. It is hands-down the easiest app for quickly documenting a gym workout.

3. Nike Training Club (NTC): The Free Workout Library

NTC offers incredible production value and a massive library of classes across strength, HIIT, yoga, and mobility—all for free. It’s an essential tool for beginners and those who like variety.

Best For: Users seeking variety, high-quality instruction, and guided video classes.
What Makes It Great: It offers guided programs and individual workouts led by professional Nike trainers. The production quality is fantastic, making it feel like a boutique fitness class at home.
Standout Feature: It's FREE. No payment required for access to its hundreds of workouts and programs, making it the best value in fitness.

4. Peloton App: The Immersive Class Experience

Yes, Peloton makes equipment, but their app is a powerhouse of live and on-demand non-equipment classes (running, outdoor walking, floor strength, yoga, etc.). The energy from the instructors is unmatched.

Best For: Motivation, energy, and users who thrive in a high-energy class environment.
What Makes It Great: The vast library includes everything from HIIT cardio and bootcamp-style strength to restorative yoga, led by world-class, charismatic instructors. You don't need a bike or treadmill to use 90% of the content.
Standout Feature: Motivational Instructors and Music. The instructor's energy and the curated playlists push you harder than you would on your own.

5. Hevy: The Social Gym Logger

Hevy combines the core functionality of a dedicated weightlifting log (like Strong) with a social component, allowing you to follow friends and share your workouts for motivation and friendly competition.

Best For: People who enjoy connecting with a community or tracking complex programs.
What Makes It Great: It has an extensive exercise library with video demos, excellent tracking for custom or pre-built routines, and a straightforward interface.
Standout Feature: Community and Friend Leaderboards. Seeing what your gym buddy or online connection is lifting adds a fun, competitive, and motivating element to your routine.

Your fitness journey deserves a reliable co-pilot. Download a few of these, try the free trials, and find the digital coach that best fits your goals and lifestyle!