Are you doing bodyweight exercises to stay lean? Lifting heavy weights to bulk up? Lacking motivation, discipline, time?
Your smartphone can't lift weights for you, but it can enrich your daily workout routine and make it more convenient.
A specialized body build app can function as your trainer - just more affordable and accessible, allowing you to plan your exercise regimen, keep track of your progress and wins, and progress with little or no guidance in a gym or home.
Let's pick the best bodybuilding app for your Android or iPhone to pave your way to that muscular physique with awesome six-packs.
Our Top App Recommendations (September 2023)
1 - Strong
Whether you're new to bodybuilding or striving to take your weight lifting to the next level, Strong is among the best bodybuilding apps, offering a comprehensive exercise database with detailed instructions and workout plans on video anyone can adapt to their fitness routine.
This super intuitive gym workout tracker also boasts a built-in timer, warm-up and plate calculators, automatic cloud backup, advanced statistics, Supersets support, and more.
- Clean UI makes it user-friendly
- Share sheet for easy sharing of your workout with friends
- Records helpful data
- Available on Android, iOS, and Apple Watch, syncs with Apple Health and Google Fit
- A limited free version, offering no more than three routines
Google Play Store rating: 4.8/5
Apple App Store rating: 4.9/5
2 - JEFIT
JEFIT is one of the best bodybuilding apps that provides a seamless user experience to bodybuilders and athletes of all levels with different levels across various Android, iOs, and other devices.
This all-in-one app lets you discover and learn new exercises to avoid getting stuck in a rut.
JEFIT also helps people stay motivated by joining their massive social network to take on fitness challenges, get feedback, share tips and support, compare their progress and stats with friends.
- Pre-built and customized lifting routines, easy tracking, and logging
- An impressive database of 1,300 exercises with HD video, even with the basic free plan
- Paid plans offer good value for the money
- Annoying ads with the free plan
Google Play Store rating: 4.4/5
Apple App Store rating: 4.8/5
3 - Fitness22
Both Android and iOS users of all fitness levels can use this app for strength training methods, slimming, toning, cardio, and other sessions tracking and inspiration.
It comes packed with a ton of clearly explained exercises and routines designed by experts, accompanied by photos and a variety of high-quality video tutorials to help you get started.
- Multiple specific muscle-focused and full-body workout routines to choose from - time-based, machine-based, free weight, or body weight workouts
- Apple Health integration for building customized bodyweight training workouts, plus supports time-saving Supersets for maximized gains
- Rest time audio cues between sets to stay focused
- You can't create new exercises without including an image, which takes time to find and download, and is unnecessary if you're familiar with the exercise plan.
Google Play Store rating: 4.5/5
Apple App Store rating: 4.9/5
4 - FitNotes
FitNotes is one of the best minimalistic, functional, and customizable weightlifting apps for recording progress in resistance training, weight, and reps, and cardio training in distance and time.
You can choose from the default categories or create custom ones like Ab Training, Plyometrics, Olympic Lifts, etc., that better suit your program and abilities.
It's easy to add comments and exercises, edit, filter, and navigate your simple workout log using the built-in calendar.
You can also backup, export, and analyze your daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly workout data through stats and graphs to track your gains and get over the psychological barrier of a lift.
- Straightforward tracking of exercises, weight, reps, results, and other important aspects of your workouts
- A simple and clear user interface, without flashy features
- Free, no commercials
- Android devices only, without body measurement tracking or plate calculator
Google Play Store rating: 4.7/5
Apple App Store rating: n/a
5 - Powerlifter
As its name suggests, this is one of the specialized weightlifting apps specifically designed for bodybuilders, not including methods other than weight lifting.
It features basic customizable exercise routines, tracking, and data logs needed for weightlifters. You also get a graph representing your weekly progress, a rest timer, and a rep max calculator, ensuring you start with the right weights and automatically increasing them in each lifting cycle.
- Wendler 5-3-1 calculator allowing you to create your custom lifting program
- Tracking and exporting your complete lift history sorted by date, lift type, reps, and one rep max
- Affordable, although the free version also includes most of the features
- Not for iOS users, a bit clunky interface, no cardio activities
Google Play Store rating: 4.2/5
Apple App Store rating: n/a
6 - Pro Gym Workout
This bodybuilder app offers a collection of beginner to pro weight lifting exercises, HIIT, belly fat loss workouts, and various other workout plans for people who seek inspiration to build muscle mass, gain strength, challenge their minds, and shape their bodies.
Besides the calculator for counting calories, this app has a fat, protein, and BMI calculator to help you keep an eye on all the key stats.
- Workout tracker, summary, and timer in with precise reps, set, speed, load, and rest
- Daily notifications about health advice, fitness and diet tips, motivation, supplements, etc.
- Internet connection not required to use the app
- Pricey, can't be used on your iPhone or any other iOS device
Google Play Store rating: 4.6/5
Apple App Store rating: n/a
7 - Fitness Point
Fitness Point lets you create customized workouts, sort and add new exercises to them, create your gym log with weight, repetitions, date, and notes, automatically back it up on a cloud, and share it with friends to stay motivated.
In addition, you can count calories and set your targets, while the workout and rest timer maximizes your gym time efficiently.
- Allows buying personalized plans and programs crafted by professional trainers.
- Quick and simple workout log, plus a calendar view and graph for better log data visualization and understanding
- Available in 16 languages
- Too many ads disrupting workouts, and they have locked most of the exercises with the free version
Google Play Store rating: 4.25
Apple App Store rating: 4.45
8 - Gymaholic
Over 65 personal training and progression records, 70 tracking features, and 600 exercises make Gymaholic one of the best weightlifting apps for serious weightlifters who need detailed workout tracking.
You can set the avatar to represent you (your height, gender, body measurements, etc.) and work as your virtual trainer, demonstrating how to do the exercises properly, which muscles you engage, and more.
Besides weightlifting, bodybuilding, and body weight training, this application supports other types of training programs like TRX, HIIT, cardio, and strength training plans to add variety to your workouts.
- Minutely detailed log and 3D-animated exercises
- Integrates with the Apple Health app and Apple Watch
- Up to six family members can share the app
- Unavailable for Android users, plus accessing the unlimited workouts isn't possible without a subscription
Google Play Store rating: n/a
Apple App Store rating: 4.6/5
9 - Sworkit
Besides JEFIT, Sworkit is on the list of few popular free fitness apps that you can use safely and effectively, respecting the guidelines of ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine). [1]
Sworkit's huge exercise database includes over 800 unique cardio, strength, weight loss, HIIT, yoga, Pilates, and other types of exercises.
It's ideal for providing super-busy parents, pros, or travelers who lack equipment or space with various pre-designed or customizable at-home and on-the-go workout programs, depending on their goals, levels, and available time.
- One-on-one fitness and nutrition support from certified experts (for paid users)
- Available for Android, iPhone, or web users from absolute beginners to advanced athletes of all ages
- It can integrate with MyFitnessPal, Strava, and Google Fit
- Active subscription required even for the seven-day free trial
Google Play Store rating: 4.⅕
Apple App Store rating: 4.7/5
10 - Fitbod
Using a smart algorithm based on A. S. Prilepin's well-known powerlifting table [2], Fitbod builds your personalized weightlifting workouts with or without equipment, telling you exactly what exercises to do, what weights to lift, how many reps and sets to perform, when and how long to rest, guiding you to your desired results with comfort and confidence.
Depending on your abilities, goals, strength, weight, height, and other relevant information, this fitness app creates your daily gym or home workout plan and adapts it as you progress to keep it challenging.
- Customized weight training programs ideal for beginners
- Big exercise library including workout video demonstrations and descriptions
- Simple training log (but limited with the free version)
- Not available for Android users yet
Google Play Store rating: n/a
Apple App Store rating: 4.8/5
Other fitness apps worth trying:
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Bodybuilding App
Below are the essential factors you need to decide on the best bodybuilding apps for your needs.
1. Your Fitness Goals and Level
Make sure bodybuilding apps support target goals and align your fitness level and experience. Otherwise, it's useless.
Are you a beginner, intermediate, or experienced fitness enthusiast?
Does the app you like offer workout programs for your level?
Build muscle mass? Gain strength? Lose or gain weight? Get shredded?
Do you want to do full-body exercise or focus on engaging particular muscle groups or simply get your heart rate going?
Does your typical routine involve higher or lower weights and a rep scheme?
Do you need a nutrition plan or other extra features? (More about it later.)
All these bits and pieces fit into the same puzzle - achieving your primary goal.
If you match the app to your mini-goals and the main one, your needs, and level, it can improve your training sessions and inspire you to produce results faster [3].
2. The App Features and Integrations
How much a good bodybuilding app can improve your workout performance, efficiency, and gains greatly depends on the variety of features and integrations it offers.
The functions of modern fitness apps are numerous, such as:
- Plans for all fitness levels from beginners to advanced bodybuilders
- Workout logs to keep track of your fitness progress, weight gain or loss, and other parameters based on your targets
- Step-by-step visual exercise plans
- Recommending nutritional information - learning resources, meal plans, food diaries, calorie counters, supplements, health and sleep trackers, etc. to support your training level
- Finding places for training near you (parks, gyms, stadiums, etc.) based on your geo-tags
- Playing music in the background, and more.
The majority of bodybuilding apps available on the Google Play Store, Apple Store, or elsewhere online have been regularly updated and can work with devices like your smartwatch, Fitbit, and similar, and sync to other workout apps.
"Discipline is the bridge between your bodybuilding goals and bodybuilding success."
- Felicity Luckey, Fitness Motivational Author
To find your ideal app, consider:
How important is connecting with a community to you? Do you prefer training at home or in a gym? With or without equipment?
3. Pricing
It's important to consider pricing plans when choosing the best app to support your bodybuilding training, as combinations are countless.
Typically, apps offer one or more different paid plans, allowing free trial or free access to limited features unless you subscribe. Consider whether the premium features are worth your money before subscribing to them. Also, check some online reviews to determine whether these perks are what they seem.
Most are free with or without additional in-app purchases. The good news is that the free ones are often enough for your basic needs. However, if you have enough money to spare, consider getting the full functionality of your chosen workout app.
"Heavy lifting doesn't need to be heavy spending if we do the job right."
- Buzz Aldrin, Astronaut
This fitness buddy shouldn't cost you more than a coach, so consider every option carefully to get the most bang for your bucks.
What Is the Best Bodybuilding App for Android and iOS?
The best bodybuilding app to download for your Android or iOS smartphone may be the Strong app.
It's my favorite because of its top-notch interface, detailed stats, and instructions, and it works as a simple training diary or your coach with a huge social network helping you stay motivated on your way to a strong muscular body.
Our #1 Recommendation
Strong
- Clean UI makes it user-friendly
- Share sheet for easy sharing of your workout with friends
- Records helpful data
- Available on Android, iOS, and Apple Watch, syncs with Apple Health and Google Fit
- Get the BEST PRICE until the end of September
- A limited free version, offering no more than three routines
Other than having a handy bodybuilding app, you can also incorporate high-quality whey protein powders to your diet.
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