The 9 Best Fitness Apps for Men in 2024, Tested and Evaluated by Experts

Looking to use your phone or smart device to level up your workouts? Here are the best fitness apps for men currently on the market.

Author:
Matthew Dustin, fitness coach
Feb 12, 2024

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Better fitness is a worthy goal that many men aspire to, but trying to figure out exactly what workout to do and how to do it can feel overwhelming. Maybe you could use the help of a digital workout partner—that's where fitness apps come in.

Today, there are more apps than ever that provide virtual instruction, workout programs, community and even virtual personal training. As an online fitness coach, I'm here to help you find the right one for you in this guide to the best fitness apps for men.

Whether you're looking to improve your cardio, increase strength, lose some belly fat or get personalized workouts from an online trainer, our guide to the best men's fitness apps can help you find an effective tool for any goal and fitness level. Some of the apps we've selected have been tried and evaluated by our expert testers, and we'll include their insights in our analysis.

Our Picks for the Best Fitness and Workout Apps for Men in 2024:

Best Overall Fitness App for Men: Future
Best Customizable Fitness App for Men: Caliber
Best Workout App for Men for Personal Training: Future
Best Fitness App for Men for Beginners: Joggo
Best Workout App for Men for Fitness Classes: Fiit
Best Weightlifting Workout App for Men: Future
Best Variety Fitness App for Men: ClassPass
Best Interactive Fitness App for Men: Aaptiv
Best Outdoor Workout App for Men: Strava

Best Overall Fitness App for Men: Future

Get 50% off your first month

Key features:

Customized workout plan built by an experienced coach who works one-on-one with you to reach your goals
4.9/5 star rating on Apple, 4.4/5 star rating on Google Play
No free trial
Best for those who need a program tailored to their needs and equipment preferences

Future gives you access to a trained expert right at your fingertips and the flexibility to work out at home, in the gym, while traveling or outside. Upon signing up, you’ll answer a questionnaire that matches you with a trainer. There is also an extensive database where you can browse for a coach if you’d like. You can filter your search by coaching style, expertise, spoken languages and sport-specific experience.

Once you find the right match, your coach will meet with you to discuss your experience, goals, lifestyle, current fitness level and anything else you want them to know. From there, they’ll create a custom workout plan for the week that matches the type of training you’d like to do and the equipment you can access. If you don’t have any equipment, your plan won’t include exercises with any. The goal is to meet you where you are to help you be successful in reaching your goals.

Each workout contains detailed information on how to complete it, including videos and helpful tools. If you’re using equipment, your coach will talk extensively about form and good movement patterns. You can also send them a video for specific feedback on a particular movement. Workouts are completed at your leisure, and your coach will follow up afterwards to talk about the post-workout feedback.

One of our expert testers tried Future and had high praise for the personal training aspect, especially how easy it was to communicate with his trainer. He found the trainer to be conscientious about check-ins and eager to incorporate feedback in designing workouts.

Changes are made to your plan as often and as many times as needed. It is important to note that the Apple Watch is the only compatible device right now that can track workout metrics. If you don’t have an Apple Watch, experts use the post-workout feedback and your progress to determine if you’re on the right track. They also check in regularly to ensure everything is going well.

To learn more about the Future app, check out our Future review.

Pros:

Workouts designed based on your needs and preferences
Large coach database with professional experience and certifications
You can change coaches at any time

Cons:

Your coach may not respond immediately to your questions
No nutrition plan is available

Best Customizable Fitness App for Men: Caliber

Caliber-workout-results-strength-score — Caliber

Key features:

Choose from three options to receive a customizable training plan backed by educational fitness content and community support
4.9/5 star rating on Apple, 4.7/5 star rating on Google Play
Free version of the app is available; Caliber Premium starts at $200 per month
Best for those who want a range of support from one-on-one coaching to following a plan on your own

Caliber offers a personalized workout program based on the concept that continuous progression and achieving small milestones will eventually lead to big improvements over time. The brand believes that goals are achieved by improving strength, conditioning, nutrition and healthy habits.

SI Showcase writer Cory Kessler, a certified personal trainer and fitness nutrition coach, gives Caliber 5 out of 5 stars for customization. He particularly liked the way the coach tailored the workouts based on his feedback.

There are three versions of the app available: Caliber Premium, Caliber Pro and a free version. Caliber Premium is a three-month program that offers one-on-one coaching and starts at $200 per month. You’ll work with a coach that matches your goals, experience and training style. They’ll give you weekly workouts and check in with you along the way adjusting your plan as needed. They also give you a daily calorie or macronutrient goal and a nutrition plan based on your lifestyle and preferences. If for any reason you feel like you haven’t seen the success you hoped for at the end of the three months, Caliber offers a 100 percent money-back guarantee.

Caliber Pro is a group coaching option for $19 per month. After signing up, you’ll choose the group that aligns the most with your goals. The Proving Ground group is geared towards beginners, the Power Up group is for intermediate or advanced users, Lift to Lose is for users with a weight loss goal and BodyWeight is for those who don’t have access to equipment. Each week, a team of trainers assigns the group weekly workouts. While following your workout plan, you can lean on the coaches and other group members for motivation and support.

The free version of Caliber offers an app-generated customized training program based on a five question quiz. The assessment asks if you plan on working out in a gym or at home, what equipment you have access to, your experience level, how long you want to work out and how frequently. Your weekly plan includes which muscle groups you’ll focus on and what movements to complete. You can add or remove movements and integrate cardio and other training exercises into your plan.

The app tracks your progress each step of the way, and weekly workout programs are adjusted if you aren’t on track to reach your goals.

Pros:

Multiple plan options
App can sync with over 100 fitness apps, so all your tracking is in one place
Provides weekly educational content on fitness principles such as supplements, training, nutrition, sleep physiology and more

Cons:

Nutrition plan is a Caliber Premium option

Best Workout App for Men for Personal Training: Future

Get 50% off your first month

Key features:

You’re connected with a coach who will design custom workouts for you and answer your messages and questions
4.9/5 star rating on Apple, 4.4/5 star rating on Google Play
No free trial
Best for those who want customized workouts and access to a coach.

If you’re looking for an online coach to design custom workouts, update your program based on your schedule and answer any and all questions that come up, Future is one of the best options on the market.

When you join, you’ll take a detailed quiz about your current fitness level and fitness goals. From there, you’ll be paired with a personal trainer who helps you come up with a personalized workout plan. Future promises its coaches are always a text or call away to keep you motivated and help you stay accountable. Coaches come from a wide variety of training specialties and backgrounds. Whether you’re into running, sports performance or strength training, Future has a coach for you. At any time, if you’re unsatisfied with your coach, you can select a different coach to work with.

At $149/month, it’s not the cheapest app, but it’s significantly cheaper than working with a personal trainer in person.

Pros:

Customized workouts
Unlimited access to your coach
Workouts built for your preferences, training goals and schedule

Cons:

$149/month isn’t a cheap membership fee
Some users say it may take a day or so to hear back from your coach

Best Fitness App for Men for Beginners: Joggo

Key features:

Provides a customized training and meal plan and tracks run metrics using this data to offer tools to help optimize your training goals
3.7/5 star rating on Apple, 4.4/5 star rating on Google Play
No free trial
Best for beginners who want a cardio-focused training and meal plan

Joggo is a running-focused workout app that creates a personalized training program based on your information, preferences, experience and goals. After completing the initial assessment, you’ll complete an introductory run to determine your fitness level. All of this information is combined to create your custom workout regimen.

Each workout is voice-guided, so you’ll hear prompts throughout telling you what to do. There are stretching, warm-ups and cool-downs included with each, and you can choose between running on a treadmill or outside. The running tracker records your distance, speed and activity history. Bi-weekly changes are made to workouts based on your progress.

Joggo also provides a personalized meal plan that’s tailored to your food preferences, health and allergies. Every week, you’ll receive recipes for three meals and two snacks. These recipes are carefully crafted and chosen to provide enough fuel for each workout and contain a high amount of protein, whole grains and fresh produce. If you don’t have the ingredients on hand or don’t like a meal, you can skip or change meals at any time.

Pros:

Initial running assessment establishes a base for your training plan
No equipment needed
Included meal plan is optional

Cons:

Not for those who want to focus on strength training

Best Workout App for Men for Fitness Classes: Fiit

Key features:

Wide variety of studio workout classes you can follow from home
4.8/5 star rating on Apple, 4.4/5 star rating on Google Play
14-day free trial
Best for those who like high-paced, energetic workout classes

Fiit offers at-home fitness classes like you’d find at boutique studios or your local gym. That’s why it’s our pick for the best workout app for fitness classes.

Fiit has a wide variety of on-demand classes that make it difficult to get bored with your daily workout. Choose from classes like high intensity interval training (HIIT), weight training, functional movement, yoga, pilates, kettlebell classes, cardio workouts and even breathwork and stretching to help you unwind.

Want to make sure you’re getting the most out of your workout. You can purchase a Fiit tracker or pair the app with your tracking device, like an Apple Watch or Fitbit, to see metrics like your heart rate, reps and calories in real-time. You can also see where you stand on Fiit’s leaderboard to keep yourself motivated.

One thing we love about Fiit is that you can stream classes on almost any device, including your phone, laptop or most smart TVs, allowing you to workout at home or while traveling.

There are two membership options: $7.99/month and $19.99/month. The more expensive option includes premium features like community challenges, more than 1,000 prerecorded workouts, integration with treadmills and stationary bikes and advanced performance metrics.

Pros:

Variety of classes
No equipment needed
Easy to watch on nearly any device

Cons:

There’s no free plan
No live classes
Most of the workouts use bodyweight exercises, and some may prefer to use weights for building muscle

Best Weightlifting Workout App for Men: Future

Get 50% off your first month

Key features:

Choose from skilled experts that specialize in general strength training
4.9/5 star rating on Apple, 4.4/5 star rating on Google Play
No free trial
Best for those who want a strength-focused training plan to achieve goals for weight loss, building muscle and more

Whether you’re a beginner or have been weightlifting for years, Future will match you with a coach that will help your skills grow as you work towards your goal. There are over 90 trainer options that have general strength training experience and over 40 with a background in bodybuilding. The filterable search database can also find knowledgeable experts who design training programs for athletes with orthopedic limitations and other adaptive needs. Future’s experts have a wide variety of experience in coaching, working with professional athletes and some are former competitive athletes.

Once your coach is assigned, they’ll create a custom weekly training schedule based on your goals, what equipment you have access to, your level of experience and how often you want to exercise. Each workout details every movement and includes the number of sets and reps. They’ll also include the activity’s intent, so you know which weights to choose. Your coach is not present during your workout, but if you have questions about form you can send them a video to receive specific feedback.

Your coach will check in regularly to discuss your progress and make changes as needed. If at any point you feel like your coach isn’t the right fit, you can switch coaches.

Pros:

Workouts are designed based on the equipment you have access to
You can send a video to get specific feedback on form
There are many options for coaches that specialize in weight training

Cons:

Expensive

Best Variety Fitness App for Men: ClassPass

Key features:

Use your membership to book in-person classes in all kinds of studios
4.8/5 star rating on Apple, 3/5 star rating on Google Play
14-day free trial
Best for those who like in-person training

ClassPass is unique in that it allows you to pick and choose live classes from in-person studios in your area. When you set up your membership, you’ll choose how many credits you’d like to purchase each month, and you’ll use those credits to book classes and sessions at local studios in your area.

All kinds of studios can choose to partner with ClassPass, including boxing, yoga, weight training, bootcamp, high-intensity interval training and more.

Class prices will vary based on the studio and session type, but the app will give you an estimate of how many classes you’ll be able to redeem at each membership level.

Pros:

One membership unlocks access to a variety of workout classes
You can pick and choose where to redeem your credits each month
Many studios partner with ClassPass
The free 14-day trial allows you to book a few local classes completely free

Cons:

Studios that partner with ClassPass vary by region.

Best Interactive Fitness App for Men: Aaptiv

Key features:

Includes video and audio instructions from trainers as you workout
4.7/5 star rating on Apple, 4/5 star rating on Google Play
Seven-day free trial
Best for those looking for audio and video guidance and a supportive community

If you like interactive coaching that keeps you motivated with real-time audio instructions, you’ll probably enjoy using Aaptiv.

This fitness app features more than 6,000 on-demand audio workouts and workout videos with more added weekly, all led by Aaptiv’s team of trainers. Similar to Future, once you download Aaptiv from the app store, you’ll input your fitness goals, which can include anything from weight loss, to race training, improving your flexibility and more. You’ll be given a suggested workout plan, from which you can choose workouts based on duration, trainer and more.

Aaptiv’s workout routines are audio only, so no squinting at your screen to follow along. (You can also follow along with video instructions if you choose a workout video.) All you need to do is connect your headphones and hit play, and you’ll receive audio instructions from your personal trainer for your workout, whether it’s on the treadmill, lifting your dumbbells or doing yoga.

One thing we love about Aaptiv is the variety of music. Playlists from every genre help keep your workout routine feeling fresh. Plus, with a social community that allows you to support other Aaptiv members as you reach your goals together, you’ll have constant support on every step of your journey.

Pros:

Large variety of classes
Option to toggle between audio and audio/video instruction
Social community for engagement and support

Cons:

After free trial ends, users are billed for one year, and users report cancellation can be difficult

Best Outdoor Workout App for Men: Strava

Key features:

Advanced workout tracking for any type of outdoor cardio
4.7/5 star rating on Apple, 4.5/5 star rating on Google Play
30-day free trial
Best for those who enjoy outdoor cardio training

Running apps help you optimize your time on the road, and Strava is built for the outdoorsman. It allows you to easily track your running, hiking and cycling workouts wherever the road takes you. If you’re not sure where to go on your next run, you can download routes from the Strava community.

The Strava app is compatible with most fitness watches and GPS watches, and you can use it to track your distance, pace, elevation and calories burned. It's ideal for endurance athletes of any kind or those who simply want to track a weekend bike ride.

Strava also offers a premium plan that starts at $7.99/month, which unlocks personalized coaching plans, advanced metrics and real-time feedback on your workout while you’re on the road.

Pros:

Advanced metrics and detailed workout logs
Compatible with most smart watches
Strong community

Cons:

Many of the best features are locked behind a subscription, and the free version is a bit limited

How to Choose the Best Fitness App for Men to Meet Your Fitness Goals

Before choosing an app, consider what exactly you’re looking for. If you love exercising and simply want to follow a workout plan, you probably don’t need much live coaching. You’ll want to choose an app that just provides workouts to follow.

For those struggling with motivation, an app with a community, or even a one-on-one coach, may provide that extra push of accountability you need to reach your goals and build an exercise routine.

Also figure out what your fitness goals are, and make sure the app or online trainer is the right fit for you. Some apps are focused on running, some are focused on strength training and some include a mix of both, so be sure to choose one that matches your goals.

How We Chose the Best Workout Apps for Men

For this guide, we looked at the cost, services provided, user experience, reviews and included features for the most popular fitness apps for men on the market. We made sure to include apps for a variety of budgets, fitness levels and training goals in our final selections. The apps on our list work for virtual training, workout classes, weight lifting, outdoor training and more.

Men's Fitness App FAQs

What is the best workout app to get ripped?

Almost any workout app should help you improve your muscle mass if you're diligent about strength training and a healthy diet. All of the apps in our guide can help you improve your strength, and following a healthy diet can reduce surface fat that covers muscle.

Related Post: The Best Protein Powders

Do fitness apps work?

Absolutely—all of these apps provide high-quality instruction that's easy for most to follow. Remember, the key to seeing results is putting in the work. It’s recommended that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle strengthening activity per week.

What’s the best fitness app for beginners?

All of the apps on our list are accessible for beginners, but if you’re new to working out, having a coach to keep you motivated and on task is the way to go. Future is a great example of this coaching model. If you're looking for guidance to build your exercise routine, Nike Training Club or Aaptiv might be the apps for you. Fiit and ClassPass are good for those who want to try different kinds of classes to see what they enjoy most.

Related Post: The Best Workout Apps for Beginners

Is a virtual trainer as good as a real-life trainer?

A virtual trainer can design your fitness plan and offer coaching and instruction just like a trainer at your local gym. You can also connect with your virtual trainer on the go and do your workouts from anywhere. The main difference is that real life trainers can correct your form or spot you, so if you’re not comfortable training alone, you’ll likely want to choose an in-person trainer.

What if I don’t work out with my phone?

That’s OK! Most of the fitness apps in this guide are compatible with smart watches like the Apple Watch, allowing you to follow the workout even without your phone.

Final Thoughts

An app can't workout for you, but if you’re willing to do the work, every one of the apps in our guide is a fantastic option to help you take your fitness to the next level.

Whether you’re a runner, hiker, beginner or advanced weight lifter looking to bulk up and add more muscle, you’re sure to find an effective fitness app for men in our guide.

Prices are accurate and items in stock as of publish time.