The 7 Best Stretching Apps of 2025

For data-driven lifters, Strive’s analytics are a significant advantage. It generates powerful charts for workout volume, intensity, one-rep max (1RM) estimates, and even tracks effective reps, giving you a clear visual representation of your progress over time. This data is critical for making informed decisions about your training and knowing exactly when to increase weight or reps. This guide cuts through the noise to identify the best apps for building muscle, focusing on tools that facilitate scientifically-backed training. We’ll analyze each app’s ability to track key metrics, manage progressive overload, and provide actionable insights, distinguishing between mere digital novelties and genuine training partners. Beyond just logging reps, a holistic approach to real muscle growth requires understanding how to efficiently recover faster from workouts to ensure consistent progress.

For this category, we aren’t just looking at the plan itself, but how much instruction the app provides. To earn 3 out of 5 stars, we want to see both visual and audio cues, though there may not be much guidance about how hard to push yourself or when to increase the weight you’re using. The best scores were given to apps that offered a large percentage of their workouts with minimal equipment, or ways to adjust your planned exercises to accommodate different equipment availability. Despite the easy setup, the app offers plenty of great features to help you stay motivated and make sure you’re continuing to make progress over time. Whether you’re looking for bodyweight workouts, strength training, mobility, or you like to rotate between workout styles, you’ll have plenty to choose from with Aaptiv. If you’re not a powerlifter looking to boost your big three lifts, you may want to consider an app service like Shred, which offers workouts for a variety of fitness goals.

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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. IFIT’s cheaper tier is more affordable than the average workout app, but the app’s self-guided nature might not be a fit for everyone’s training style. Caliber received above-average scores in most categories, but the personal coaching plan isn’t cheap, so we gave this 3.5 out of 5 for pricing. She also notes the app syncs with the Apple Watch but not apps like Garmin, Fitbit, or Strava, and she found it a bit frustrating to manually enter workout data later. SHRED scored well above average for most categories, though it only earned 3 out of 5 stars for interactive features and accountability. You’ll also follow the workouts on your own, so aside from optional workout reminders, you’re not really getting any accountability with Shred.

CrossFit athletes looking to improve their mobility with personalized programs. Do you want to improve your flexibility, learn the splits, or simply relieve tension? With the right stretching app, you can optimize your stretching routine and make long-term progress. This means if you’re an Android user, you’ll be unable to use Ladder’s programming, which is a major flaw in terms of accommodations. This is fine if that’s what you’re looking for, but many competitors, like Peloton, now offer a variety of workout modalities, and we wish Zwift would expand its offerings. To be clear, there are no instructors or live workout classes in the Zwift app, but you’ll be able to join virtual races with other users.

JEFIT Gym Workout Planner

GGR writer and certified personal trainer Amanda Capritto gives Aaptiv a 4-out-of-5-star rating for accountability. She notes there is a supportive online community, challenges you can join, and the ability to add your workout program to your calendar. When you use the calendar option, your workouts come up as appointments with calendar reminders, which is ideal for anyone establishing a routine. Caliber Strength Training is a fitness coaching program grounded in scientific principles designed to increase strength and improve body composition. The app offers both group and individual training plans which are written and modified by a certified coach based on progress. The paid “Plus” tier unlocks over 60 coach-designed plans and access to group coaching, creating a community-oriented environment.

• Maintaining a consistent and detailed gym log is fundamental to muscle growth, and Strong makes that process nearly effortless.
• The sessions, which often require just dumbbells or bodyweight, are perfect for home workouts or supplementing a primary gym routine.
• It’s a very impressive app, but only meant for a specific style of training, so we give it 3 out of 5 stars for the workout variety.
• Compared to the average workout app, Zwift is more affordable, and has a longer trial period.
• Another key feature of the app is the “Follow Trainer” function that automatically adjusts your machine’s speed, incline, and decline based on the trainer leading your class.
• Amanda gives NTC a 4-out-of-5-star rating for equipment demands, noting that you’ll need equipment for the majority of workouts, but you can filter workouts by what type of equipment you have available.

Free vs. Premium Stretching Apps – Is a Subscription Worth It?

For those focused on progressive overload, the advanced analytics (available on the Elite plan) provide weekly reports, PR tracking, and charts that visualize your volume and strength gains over time. If you crushed a set of squats last week, Fitbod will suggest increasing the weight or reps in your next session to ensure you’re applying progressive overload. If your chest is still sore from a previous workout, the AI will prioritize other body parts, a feature that aligns well with modern principles for managing recovery.

Progress Tracking

Maybe you get push notifications, or there’s a feature where you can integrate the workout app with your online calendar, but no human support or interaction. 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. Our expert product testers tested all of the fitness apps for at least several workouts, while many were tested for a whole month or even longer, especially the apps we really loved using.

What our tester says:

Nike is better than the average workout app in nearly every category, which is very rare for a free workout platform. Prior to 2020, the Nike Training Club app had both free and premium versions, but since the pandemic, Nike has made the entire workout library free to use. The app is also easy to download from the Apple App Store or Google Play, and we found it easy to set up best beginner workout app and get started.

Our Features

For anyone in the market for a Peloton app alternative, iFIT should scratch the itch. This platform, which ranges from $15 to $39 per month, offers a library of 10,000-plus workouts streamed right to your phone/tablet or integrated cardio machine. The massive workout selection is led by more than 180 trainers, helping you find the right fit for your training style. BetterMe gets a 4 out of 5 in its initial setup, since you begin with a quiz on your fitness goals, mobility issues, sleep schedule, and more. “I like that the quiz will populate a workout plan based on your answers, but the quiz was a bit too long for my taste,” says GGR editorial member Nicole Davis, CPT, PN1-NC, who tested out the fitness app. While the pricing varies, the highest tier of Caliber starts at $200 per month, which is significantly more expensive than the average app.

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Our tester appreciated this, as the app pushes you to master your current workout before moving on. Muscle Booster is beginner-friendly because it pays close attention to the user. During the sign-up process, you’ll answer a quick quiz that includes questions about your goals, activity level, equipment access, and more.

BodBot operates as a highly adaptive AI personal trainer, making it one of the best apps for building muscle if you need a plan that adjusts to your real-life circumstances. It creates hypertrophy and strength-focused workouts that are dynamically personalized based on your performance, reported soreness, and even the equipment you have available that day. This makes it a strong contender for users whose schedules or gym access can be unpredictable, as the app can re-route your session on the fly. We give the app 5 out of 5 stars for both ease of use and equipment demands. The app’s core strength is its extensive database, which features over 1,400 exercises complete with animations and instructions, helping you master proper form. JEFIT also fosters a strong community aspect, offering a marketplace where you can download pre-made programs or share your own.

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While countless apps promise results, only a select few are engineered to support the core principles of hypertrophy effectively. A great app does more than count reps. It becomes your digital logbook, your progression planner, and your data analyst, ensuring every session builds upon the last. Before choosing an app, you should think about what you expect to get out of it.

Overall Rating: 4.28/5

She reports working with her coach and using the app is easy, and she appreciates the fact that there are demonstration videos for every exercise assigned to your program. We also considered categories like instruction quality, workout variety, and equipment needed, all of which helped shape our overall score. After carefully rating each app we tested, we narrowed down our list to the top 13 options. Nearly 6,000 people found their ideal workout app with our help in 2025, and we’re ready to help you with the picks below. Lindsay Scheele is a certified personal trainer, ISSA-certified nutrition coach, Level 1 CrossFit coach, and lead reviewer on GGR Everything.

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