TL;DR
Apps with Challenges
For beginners looking for apps that incorporate challenges, Fit-centive is highly recommended. It offers cardio and sleep challenges, which can be motivating for users who enjoy external rewards like gift cards [1:1],
[1:3]. Another app, Apple Fitness Plus, provides a variety of workouts and has a free trial period, making it accessible for newcomers
[1:4].
Tracking and Customization
For those interested in tracking both workouts and nutrition, MyFitnessPal is a popular choice for calorie tracking, while Hevy and JEFIT are great for logging workouts [2:2],
[4:5]. JEFIT is particularly noted for its extensive exercise database and ability to create custom workout regimens
[5:1].
Free and Affordable Options
Several free options are available for beginners. FitOn offers a range of workouts with different intensities and durations, and allows users to focus on specific body parts [5:2]. http://Darebee.com is another free resource offering various workout programs and day-to-day plans
[3:5]. For those seeking affordable premium features, Downdog's suite of fitness apps (HIIT, Yoga, Barre, etc.) offers a yearly subscription at a reasonable price
[5:5].
Specialized Programs
For those starting from scratch or with specific fitness goals, Freeletics is praised for its muscle-building capabilities but is advised to be used cautiously due to its high training load [5:3]. Fitbod is recommended for those who prefer a slower start and less intense push, making it suitable for individuals who are very out of shape
[5:4].
These apps offer a variety of features and focus areas, catering to different preferences and fitness levels. Whether you're looking for motivation through challenges, comprehensive tracking, or specialized workout routines, there's likely an app that fits your needs.
I’m looking for fitness apps for beginners that have challenges, like something that asks you to do a short workout every day for 30 days or something like that. Something that allows you to start slowly would be good as I have chronic illness and recently did a bunch of physical therapy, so I’m starting from 0 stamina. I have heard of Couch to 5k, any others? Thanks! ❤️
I've been a Beachbody on demand (now called Bodi) for over a decade. They have beginner to advanced daily workouts, which I do everyday. I've gone hard the last six months purely using these workouts and I'm in the best shape of my life at 40.
I join the Steps and Calories challenge on the Fitcentive app, winner get gift cards(an external motivator I love).
AppleFitness Plus has worked out for me. I think they have a free trial period.
I got a garmin fitness watch from work for xmas a couple years... but never even opened it. When it finally came time to quit smoking and drinking and lose the weight I opened it, downloaded the garmin connect app and linked it to the myfitnesspal app. The challenge was trying to eat all day at a calorie deficit to lose weight. Nearly impossible. It forces you to start moving to earn those calories back. I went from some short walks +200 calories, to some bike rides +400, to some tennis +600 calories, to some moderate runs +800... and then long distances +1200 in addition to some tennis and biking in the same day +2000. Ultimately after 6 months I could run for an hour without stopping (outside stopping at a drinking fountain for a sec) and lost 40lbs+. Important to take natural B12 methylcobalamin (not synthetic cyanocobalamin) with breakfast as your body needs this for motivation and uses it up quickly with exercise. Also good to take magnesium glycinate when you've progressed into muscle building. I don't know what illness you have but that was my journey. If you don't need to lose weight you can still use this process but you set up the app to maintain or increase weight. I think they removed the challenges from myfitnesspal because people I believe were primarily using the app to count calories and not reach fitness goals. But the garmin connect app has a whole challenge section. I since got a new watch this past holidays... garmin venu sq 2. cheap on sale, stylish and works great. also have my bank card link on there so I use garmin pay from my watch all the time in addition to tracking my activity.
That’s sweet, thank you! I didn’t know they had challenges
I've been using Fit-centive. It's free and super easy to use. My buddies and I have been doing cardio and sleep challenges on it for months! Highly recommend.
I F18 am trying to get in shape and i have limited funds. I’m wanting an app that lets me track food and daily workouts. the cheaper the better but if have to spend i will. pilates is something i’ve thought of trying but not important. I have IOS and an Apple watch. i do not have access to any equipment. obesity and heart problems run in my family and i don’t wanna end up like them, any and all help appreciated!
You can use the app Hevy to track your workout. It’s free to use.
Generally, AI food track apps is not very accurate so you can use any free app and then look up or weighing your food and estimate the calories and nutrients yourself. There’s also a subreddit to help with calculating calories.
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I'm 35/F. I work on my feet 40+ hours a week and they stay sore. I have plenty of stamina, but apparently no skills. Also, I can toss around cases of water, but when I try to do a situp, I can't even get far enough to call it a crunch.
What's a good place for super beginners? It seems I need to work up my muscles to be able to do even the basics.
No money for a trainer. But I can purchase a couple apps, (my preferred method), and am looking to join the gym by my job once I save enough money for proper attire. (Bonus: what even is gym attire?)
I have some light weights and resistance bands at home.
I've altered my diet over the past few months to take in almost no sweets. Other than one coffee a day I drink water. I use agave in my coffee and I love veggies and fruits. I guess I need to work on my core?
I’ve been using the app FitOn which I really enjoy!
I started this a few weeks ago, and I really enjoy it. I like that there are some 10 minute videos, because sometimes I dont have a lot of time. I also like that there are different intensities and muscle groups, and that a lot of times the trainers will mention how to vary the workout to make it more or less challenging. Overall, a lot of variety and I would highly recommend.
Plus it’s free!
Freeletics. It’s brilliant. You can check out the subreddit, it’s pretty active.
I've had some success with darebee.com. You go into the workouts section and find one that fits your needs with the filter, or go into the programs section for a day to day plan (I believe most of them are 30 days programs)
I found this website here on this sub a while ago:
https://adapnation.io/apr-18-hyperworkouts-training-block-programme/
Browse around and see. I think you'll find plenty of stuff for beginners there. From what I know, it's completely free.
I just restarted my fitness journey, and a man overheard me telling my mom that I was not feeling confident restarting, and so he recommended the fitbod app. I've been finding it very helpful, and I think I might continue my subscription after the free trial ends.
I'd love to know what fitness apps have worked for you, and I'd also love some recommendations for calorie tracking/meal planning apps.
Thanks!
I just got ladder app and I pay $25 a month but it’s helped me stay on track and not wander at the gym. I love it.
MyFitnessPal>
I try to do something every day. I just use Apple Watch activity rings, and set myself targets (move 720kcal, exercise 30min, stand 12hrs) that are low enough that I can close them every day. Therefore, even on a rest day I am motivated to go for an evening walk of at least 30 minutes.
Doesn’t stop me from going hard the rest of the time - might go round a ring twice on some days.
Hevy
I use calibre for my workouts and LoseIt to track my calories. Both have free and paid options.
I am an 18-year-old boy, just starting to go to gym. My whole life I've been doing cardio because I used to and still play football (soccer for Americans). So naturally I've been lean with body strength, but now I want to get big and expand my muscles.
This naturally got me into a rabbit hole of apps, some of them are as follows -
I have chosen Lifesum as my calorie tracker as I found myfitnesspals user interface horrendous and it did put me off. I want to increase my weight, lifesum gives an X number of calories that I must absolutely consume in the day to achieve the goal, which helped me get consistent with my food intake.
I have my calorie tracker in place and now I'm looking for a fitness/workout app that will help me get big. Please keep in mind I do not have an apple watch, but I do have access to a full gym. As a person who is new to workout I don't know if I can make a workout plan and do not plan to pay for a fitness trainer. I just want the app to give me the best workout possible that helps me get big.
Can you please suggest a workout app from the list or that you use personally that has helped you achieve your goal. Please also include an explanation backing your suggestion.
Thanks for taking time to read the post and give me your advice.
Have a lovely day!
I like FitOn and use it daily. You can choose a type of workout or a body part to focus, you can choose intensity and choose how long. There are monthly challenges, you can mark workouts as favorite, you can challenge friends e.t.c. I only use the free version so I can't vouch for premium.
Freeletics is good for building muscles but I wouldn't recommend more than 3 days/week at least for the first six months/year. The training load is very heavy so I'd suggest taking a full week off once every month and a half/two months minimum, once a month if you are very overweight/never trained in a couple of years/have joint issues.
They regularly have 50% off premium plans so I'd suggest to wait for one.
But really to build muscle you don't need an app, go watch RenaissancePeriodization on YouTube, Mike isratel has the most comprehensive and science based info about training I've found and he explains it in a simple way.
How does freeletics compare to Fitbod?
Fitbod starts out way slower and pushes you less, so it's good if you're very out of shape imo
I use Downdog (They do a HIIT, 7 Minute Workout, Yoga, Barre and Running App). All of them are free but premium (about $30 a year I think) lets you change focus areas for workouts (eg more on arms, or back etc), change voices or music etc. Also lets you remove what you dont want to do (eg dont include exercises that will put strain on your knee, or wrists, or dont have jumping etc)
Our app is tailored to a gym setting but offers very customizable plan templates with progressive overload built in.
Check us out & I'll give you a key for Christmas if you're interested. :)
I have been using JEFIT for quite a while now and I love it. You can create your own workout regimen if you feel confident, or use some premade ones created by their teams and/or other users.
I like it because they have a nice range of exercises in their database, with or without equipments. They cover basically everything, from bars, dumbbells, bosu balls, machines, yoga, cardio exercises, etc. You then enter the weights you used (if you do weight lifting) and the reps you did. When you finish your workout, it updates a body map/body part feature that shows you the current state of muscle use/recuperation and how long you should wait to work those parts again for full muscle recovery. Plus it's free :D
Hello. I am a mobile app creator and we are planning to create a fitness mobile app for beginners. We want to hear people's voice and learn what they want. There are already so many fitness app in the market but is there something missing? If you are already using a mobile app, what's your favorite/core feature? If you not using any, why are't you?
We are also thinking about adding workout logging features with workout/nutrition/motivating AI Chat Coach.
We want to know any features you need. Any thoughts and suggestions will be highly appreciated. Thank you!!
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I'd like it to show warm-up routines and proper form for any exercise (in video form preferably)
biggest thing would be a feature that takes into account what machines and weights are actually available at a person's gym. recommending something that the person doesn't have access to isn't helpful, and most apps do that.
Appropriate macros for your fitness goals
Genuine beginner exercises and support. The reason I don’t use a fitness app is because they expect me to jump around like a 22 year old when I’m just starting fitness at 60.
What free apps can I use to monitor my progress? I’m literally starting with the basics!
Strava is the best option out there. There are other good apps, Nike Run Club, Adidas Running and so on...but Strava is where the community is
Strava if you want community. But my favorite for free tracking is Adidas Runkeeper.
Nike Run Club for monitoring and guided runs to that can help with motivation/guidance.
Strava for monitoring in addition to connecting with other runners and friends.
I believe these integrate, or at least they did.
I always feel too slow to want to share any data publicly and I don’t have running friends haha, so I have never dipped a toe into Strava. I used C25K, Nike Run Club, and then the fitness app with my watch. 🤷♀️Gave me enough tracking and data for my own purposes.
On strava, I only show my performances to my one subscriber which is my only friend that runs lol. She comments sometimes, it’s fun and i mask the activity from other people
You can keep everything private, it still allows you to follow
¡Hola! Yo también empecé con lo básico (tipo sin idea de qué hacer ni cómo saber si estaba avanzando jaja) y estuve probando varias apps gratuitas que me ayudaron bastante al principio.
Pero si estás literalmente empezando, te diría que vayas con una app que no solo mida tu progreso, sino que te motive a volver al día siguiente.
I just want a really simple app where I can track my progress but it doesn't make me a program or ask me to pay for it to be my personal trainer.
Just want to log exercise, weight, reps. Bonus if it makes me a chart and double bonus if I can log treadmill times/speed/incline
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I've been using the app 'Strong' for the last 4 years and it's my absolute favorite. It has a paid option but that almost purely for statistics and making more than 3 workout templates.
Your reps from previous workouts will be shown when starting a new one, you can create new exercises, filter based on sort of exercises and check PR progression through statistics if you pay for it.
Thank you!
Notes app
I’ve often found that a lot of apps, plans, and content seem tailored for people who already know what they’re doing. As someone starting out, it can be hard to know where to begin, what to trust, or how to stay consistent without feeling overwhelmed.
What types of support, features, or approaches have actually helped you as a beginner? Or what do you wish existed that would have made things easier when you started?
Curious to hear what made a real difference in getting you on track.
Yeah, my fitness app gave me a bro split, which is the worst split imaginable for a beginner. Or for an intermediate lifter. Or an advanced lifter. Or any lifter.
Yeah for sure. Just look at the big 10 - squat, deadlift, bench press/push-ups, shoulder press, single leg exercises, row, hip thrust/glute bridge, and pull-ups.
Keep it simple.
I don't know if an absolute beginner will understand how to form a workout plan from these that don't tire them out within the first month.
Idk that's what I did fifteen years ago and ended up just doing a 3-4 day PPL forever.
Could keep it even simpler with 4-5 exercises.
Really no universal need for hip thrusts if one does squats and deadlifts, single leg exercises if there's no underlying condition or overhead press, if there's not supposed to be a focus on shoulders
I feel like people get really good at something and completely wipe their memory of what starting out is like and it's so frustrating.
Prompt ai
You sound like a developer doing market sentiment research. The "fitness app" market is saturated. I don't want to see another subscription-based shovelware that charges a hundred a year in annual fees for worthless AI features I will never use. I'm an absolute beginner who found my way without a personal trainer or a knowledgeable friend to guide me. I only needed to understand the fundamental principles of strength training and muscle hypertrophy, and the hardest part was showing up to the gym consistently. No one who is serious about getting bigger and stronger will need an app to hold their hand. All relevant information is available for free on the internet, where the challenge is filtering the junk from fact (easy if you understand fundamental principles). I can replace my fitness app with an Excel sheet or a physical notebook tomorrow and the only thing I would miss would be the convenient mobile UI.
If you want your product to be different, make an app that costs a low one-time payment, at the price of a notebook, with a nice mobile UI, whose features are no more than tracking, plotting, and reviewing a person's lifting progress on-device. No online account social media crap, no AI, no fad program suggestions. See the FitNotes app on Android for an example. That is all a lifter of any level needs.
Apologies if this has been asked before, but I can't seem to find what I am looking for. I have been searching online for an app to help my beginner my fitness journey, but I would like it to fit certain criteria:
• Free to use. I'm not looking for a free trial as I am not in a place financially to br shelling out for an app subscription.
• Provides me with a workout plan for X amount of time (20 mins a day, 30 mins a day etc.) Does not have to be tailored to me, just a general plan to get me started.
• Can provide me with a meal plan. This is what I struggle with most as I just lack the imagination and planning to be able to plan a nutritious, balanced meal for myself.
Please tell me there is something out there and I am not wishing for something that doesn't exist. Perhaps even two separate apps for meal plan and workout plan?
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Google sheets is free and great for recording workouts. Find a plan online and then input the workout.
Didn't even cross my mind to use something like that!
That's great, I will definitely check these out
I use an app called Hevy. It has a paid subscription, but I just use the free account. Which gives you up to 4 different workouts you can build. Searching for exercises is easy as you can search by muscle group or equipment level, and it has done pre-set routines you can pick from as well. It also tracks your progress and gives a good visual of what muscles you've worked over the last 7 days.
Best fitness apps for beginners
Key Considerations for Choosing Fitness Apps:
User-Friendly Interface: Look for apps that are easy to navigate, especially if you're just starting out. A simple design can help you focus on your workouts rather than figuring out the app.
Variety of Workouts: Choose apps that offer a range of workouts (strength training, cardio, yoga, etc.) to keep your routine interesting and cater to different fitness levels.
Personalization: Some apps allow you to set goals and customize workout plans based on your fitness level, preferences, and available equipment.
Instructional Content: Look for apps that provide clear instructions, videos, or tutorials to ensure you perform exercises correctly and safely.
Community and Support: Apps with community features can provide motivation through social interaction, challenges, and support from other users.
Top Recommendations:
MyFitnessPal: Great for tracking nutrition and workouts. It has a large food database and integrates with other fitness apps.
Nike Training Club: Offers a variety of free workouts led by professional trainers, with options for different fitness levels and goals.
Fitbod: Ideal for strength training beginners, it creates personalized workout plans based on your available equipment and fitness level.
7 Minute Workout: Perfect for those with limited time, this app provides quick, effective workouts that can be done anywhere.
Yoga for Beginners: A great choice if you're interested in yoga, offering guided sessions that cater to beginners.
Recommendation: Start with Nike Training Club for its comprehensive range of workouts and free access to quality training. As you progress, you can explore other apps to find what best suits your evolving fitness journey.
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