Best Workout Apps with Personal Trainers & Personalized Workout Programs
The Future app is our favorite personal training app due to its highly personalized 1:1 coaching and seamless tech integration.
10 min readUpdated March 11th, 2024
MLRNCWritten By Meg Lambrych RN, NASM, CPT
OVERVIEW
RP Hypertrophy App
Juggernaut AI
Personal training is the gold standard in the fitness industry. It can help you reach your goals faster and provide support and personalized guidance. Now, you can enjoy the perks of a personal trainer through fitness apps that allow you to access the content at home or on-the-go through your phone. It’s also often much less expensive than working with an in-person personal trainer. We reviewed the best personal training and workout apps on the market. Here are our top picks.
The Best Personal Training Apps For Every Goal
Best Personal Training App for Overall | Future
Best Personal Training App for Flexibility | Caliber
Best Personal Training App for Bodybuilders | RP Hypertrophy
Best Personal Training App for Powerlifters | Juggernaut AI
Best AI-Based Personal Training App | Fitbod
My Experience with Personal Training Apps
I've been a personal trainer since 2014, and as someone who has invested in fitness coaching for myself on and off for years, I can speak to its benefits from both sides. When you walk into a gym anywhere in the country on any given day, you'll see many people doing things incorrectly-even unsafely.
I've worked with countless people who were endlessly frustrated by their lack of results. When I performed a thorough movement assessment, it became clear why. It can be poor form, the wrong pacing, muscle imbalances, lousy programming–the list goes on.
When you lift with poor form, you significantly increase your risk of injury and reduce the benefits of the exercise. That's where a great personal trainer can make all the difference and channel your hard work into the results you've been chasing for years.
I'm the first to admit that personal training is expensive, so it's not available to everyone. For that reason, I've been thrilled to see personal training apps come out in the past decade that have made proper programming much more accessible.
That said, there aren't many of them, which makes sense because it's much easier to pre-record classes and make them available on demand. But what makes personal training so effective is its tailored, personalized nature and a high level of accountability and support.
Benefits of a Personal Training App
Personal training apps are convenient and accessible, while offering personalized guidance and support. Here are just a few reasons why we love personalized training apps:
Convenience
You may not be able to make it to the gym for various reasons. Whether you're a busy parent, professional, or student, or you just don't feel comfortable there. It is far more convenient when you don't have to work around another person's schedule or deal with traffic or cancellation fees when life inevitably happens.
A fitness app provides the value of a personalized exercise program with workout tracking–some even offer access to a real human coach–without the inconvenience of in-person workouts.
Accountability
We all need coaching. It's the reason why professional sports teams have dozens of coaching professionals. No matter who you are and how long you've been working out, there will be days when you only stick with the plan because you have someone else holding you accountable, and that's perfectly fine. Personal training provides that additional layer of accountability.
Customization
Generic workouts are great, but if you have specific goals like sports performance, weight loss, or body recomposition, you need a laser-focused program. When you work with a personal trainer, they consider your goals, exercise history, and preferences to create a tailored training program.
Feedback & Guidance
Feedback is especially crucial when you're learning strength training. Proper form prevents injuries, but it also improves your results. You must understand how to lift safely and effectively, and personal instruction is the most effective way to learn those skills.
Support
Personal trainers also offer emotional support, encouragement, and wisdom that you cannot get anywhere else. Becoming a fitter person requires gaining knowledge and many new skills and changing your thinking. Having someone walk that path with you is irreplaceable.
Questions To Consider When Choosing A Workout App
- Are the workout programs personalized?
- Is the personalization through a coach or powered by AI?
- Is there two-way communication with a coach?
- Is there additional educational content?
- Is there a nutrition component?
Individual Reviews
$199 per month
Future
Best Overall
- Apple Watch Rental Program
- Record Mode for better coaching & feedback
- Select Your Coach
Our Insights
The Future app is our favorite pick for beginners and the top winner overall. The team at Future truly thought of everything and successfully recreated the personal training in-person experience by leveraging the latest technology and hiring the best fitness experts.
Unlike many apps that promise a personal experience but fail to deliver, Future pairs you with an actual human fitness expert who will guide your training through FaceTime, chat messages, feedback videos, and more. You'll start by completing a video assessment with your coach and answering some questions.
You can also access an extensive library of exercise demonstrations and message your coach anytime. You can even send them videos of your exercise form to get feedback.
The Future app is technology-forward and relies heavily on data from your Apple watch, your form videos, and your feedback. If you don't own an Apple watch, you can borrow one from them, which is neat.
Users rave about how responsive and personal their coaches are and their amazing results. You can change your coach any time and even pause your membership for one, two, or three months without losing your coach or being charged.
Personal training is a significant investment, and Future is no exception. The subscription is $199 per month, and there isn't a free trial–though they will refund your first month if you aren't thrilled. We think Future is a fantastic option for anyone who wants the benefits of personal training with the flexibility and function of the modern era.
Future Pros
- 1:1 Personal training
- Personalized programming
- Highly qualified coaches
- Easy access to your coach
- Apple watch connectivity
Future Cons
- Expensive
- US only
- No nutrition coaching
- No free trial
Our Insights
The Caliber App is a strength training-focused personal training solution with three different subscription options and includes nutrition coaching in its premium offering.
The free version allows you to create your own workout program and gives you access to their large exercise and demo library, including detailed written form instructions and workout logging.
Caliber Pro is $19 monthly and gives you access to their group coaching programs, including weight loss, intermediate lifters, advanced lifters, and a body-weight-only program option. You get workouts suited to your fitness goal and access to a lively group chat where you can ask questions and build community with other users.
Caliber Premium starts at $200 per month, and it is the Cadillac service offering, which includes 1:1 personalized coaching, nutrition coaching including macros, educational content, coaching video calls, and more.
You can try Caliber Premium free for 7 days, and users love their excellent customer service and member-friendly policies.
Caliber is a fabulous option for strength training enthusiasts who want to get serious about their training and value personalized support and feedback.
Caliber Pros
- Fitness and nutrition coaching
- Free & paid options
- 1:1 Personal training
- Group training
- Coaching check-ins
Caliber Cons
- Strength training focus
- Tiered pricing & features
Our Insights
If you're an experienced lifter and want to put on serious muscle, check out the RP Hypertrophy App from the minds of Renaissance Periodization. This brand was co-founded by Mike Israetel, who holds a Ph.D. in Sports Physiology, and competitive powerlifter and bodybuilder Nick Shaw.
The RP Hypertrophy app offers serious training utility with 45 programs you can choose from, such as Abs + Glutes or Arms + Shoulders. You can further customize the program to fit your needs and reflect your available equipment.
In addition to their pre-select options, you can build your own program from scratch. While this app doesn't offer 1:1 personalized coaching, it does offer AI-guided real-time programming adjustments, which is cool.
Throughout your workout, you'll occasionally be prompted to answer a few questions about how you're feeling. Based on those answers, the app will adjust your sets, reps, and program accordingly for future sets and workouts.
This feature is based on the physiological principle of auto-regulation, which is a crucial skill to develop as a bodybuilder.
There is only one subscription level, but you can purchase it monthly for $35 or save some cash with a 6-month or 12-month subscription. The latter options also include additional educational content from Dr. Mike, including lectures, interviews with experts, and more.
It's important to note that RP Hypertrophy is web-based, not app-based, so you will need internet access. Overall, people love how endlessly customizable the programming is, and if you like no-nonsense science-based training education with irreverent humor–you'll love Dr. Mike's videos.
At $35 a month, RP Hypertrophy is a tad expensive, but its endlessly customizable programming and top-notch video instruction make it a stand-out choice. The RP Hypertrophy App is perfect for experienced bodybuilders and muscle-heads who want maximum control over their training programs and want help organizing their data.
RP Hypertrophy App Pros
- 45 training programs
- Created by PhDs & bodybuilders
- Bodybuilding & muscle gains focus
- Educational interviews, videos, & E-books
- AI real-time adjustments
RP Hypertrophy App Cons
- Web-based application
- Expensive
- No 1:1 personal training or nutrition coaching
- No free trial
Starting at $34.99
Our Insights
Juggernaut Training Systems is a powerlifting coaching company run by one of the sport's most respected and well-known coaches, Chad Wesley Smith. They've coached some of the most decorated powerlifting athletes on the world's biggest stages, and their coaching app has been equally successful.
The Juggernaut AI app is designed for powerlifters and powerbuilders (a combination of powerlifting and bodybuilding), and it's entirely powered by AI. Users rave about its sleek interface, design, and ease of use. They also love how powerful and personalized the AI programming is. Juggernaut AI claims to be the highest-rated strength training app, with 140,000 users and a 4.9 out of five-star rating on its website.
Juggernaut AI does not offer 1:1 personalized training, but you can opt for a higher level of support by purchasing the yearly subscription. You can choose between $35 monthly, which gives you access to the two available programs, exercise demo videos, a personalized workout program, a weekly Q&A with the coaches, or a yearly subscription for $350.
The yearly subscription is the clear choice because you save big and get access to all that, plus a 1:1 consultation with Chad Wesley Smith himself, 6 online educational seminars, and three E-books.
As with all AI-guided workout programs, the more data you provide, the more it learns about you and tweaks your program accordingly. While a bit expensive, Juggernaut AI is clearly the number one personalized coaching app for powerlifters on the market, and we highly recommend it.
Juggernaut AI Pros
- 2-week free trial
- Personalized powerlifting
- Created by powerlifting coaches
- Weekly Q&A calls with coaches
- Educational seminars
Juggernaut AI Cons
- Expensive
- Complicated
- No 1:1 personal training
- No Nutrition coaching
$12.99 per month
Our Insights
An excellent option that provides some of the best features of personal training for a fraction of the cost is the Fitbod app. The strength training-focused app takes you through a detailed initial assessment. Then, it uses that data to create a more tailored workout program using an AI-algorithm.
Over time, the Fitbod app learns from your data inputs and provides an even more customized workout experience. This app does not include personal training or nutrition coaching, but it's great if you're on a budget and want strength training demos and a responsive program.
Fitbod is super affordable at only $13 monthly or $80 per year, and even with its basic offerings, that's a good value. Users love the sleek interface and appreciate how easy the app is to navigate.
While Fitbod doesn't include personalized coaching or nutrition content, you can hardly expect it to at that price. The only thing we didn't love was the free trial, which only included three workouts. Overall, the Fitbod app is a solid choice for anyone looking for an affordable strength training fitness program with an easy-to-use interface for a bargain price.
Fitbod Pros
- Affordable
- Personalized programming
- Sleek design & user interface
- Strength training focus
- Easy to swap exercises
Cons
- No 1:1 personal training
- No Nutrition coaching
Compare Best Personal Training Apps
| Workout app | Starting Price | Program Personalized | HumanCoach Interaction | Free Trial | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Future | $199/month | Yes | Yes | No | Replicating the personal training experience, strength training + |
| Caliber | Free$19/month group training$200/month personal training | Yes | Yes | Yes, 7-days | Personalized support & exercise programming, exercise logging, strength training |
| RP Hypertrophy | $35/month$300/year | Yes | No | No | Bodybuilding & muscle building programming |
| Juggernaut AI | $35/month$350/year | Yes | Yes | Yes, 2 weeks | Powerlifting & Powerbuilding programming |
| Fitbod | $13/month$80/year | Yes | No | Yes, 3 workouts | Budget-conscious, general fitness & strength |
Bottom Line
You can get high-quality, personalized fitness instruction without a gym membership through an app like Future. With features like an initial video consultation, Apple Watch integration, and an extensive exercise demo library, you'll get tailored fitness advice and support while spending way less than traditional personal training.
The expert fitness coaches at Future are highly educated and experienced and will give you the support and accountability to reach your fitness goals faster than going it alone.
You can try Future for 30 days thanks to their money-back guarantee.
Personal Training Apps (FAQS)
How do these apps with personal trainers leverage technology, such as augmented reality or AI, to enhance my workout experience?
Apps like RP Hypertrophy, Juggernaut AI, and Fitbod all use AI technology to guide your workout programming based on your feedback. The apps will take the data you provide and use an algorithm to dial up or dial back various training variables using science-backed protocols to personalize your workout and maximize your gains.
What does the average subscription to a high-quality workout app with a personal trainer cost, and what value does it offer in return?
Apps that offer a genuine personal training experience with customized workout programming and exercise to a real human personal trainer typically cost around $200 per month. Apps that don't provide human coaching contact but use an AI-powered coaching algorithm to provide a more personalized program start at $19 monthly up to $35.
Are there any workout apps with personal trainers incorporating nutritional advice to complement my fitness routine?
Yes, the Caliber app has fitness and nutrition coaching included in its premium subscription offering.
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