Best Apps to Build a Workout Routine (2026)

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Quick answer: Hevy and Strong are the strongest picks if you lift and want to log every set, and Nike Training Club is the free pick if you'd rather be told what to do. Streaks adds a per-task weekly target on Apple devices, and Routinery runs a session as timed steps with reminders on set days. Strong's free version stops at 3 custom routines, and Streaks has no free plan.

Most workout apps answer one question well: what do I do today? Fewer help with the question that decides whether you're still training in March, which is when you show up. We looked at five apps through that second question. Our own app, Routinery, is one of them, and it's built around timed steps, with no lift log in mind. That's stated in its section and in the table.

What the research says about sticking to a workout plan: four studies, read narrowly

None of these studies tested a workout app by name, so we use them to decide which features deserve a look.

A meta-analysis of 89 randomized trials with 10,219 people found that most participants missed their physical activity goals at every time point, at rates between 57.9% and 77.0%. Achievement fell over time. In the low-risk-of-bias studies, goals that were prescribed to people were met less often than goals they set themselves or set with someone else. That points toward apps that let you choose your own weekly target, which is our reading and not the authors' claim.

A second meta-analysis covered 39 trials with 4190 participants. Raising the difficulty in steps increased physical activity by a medium amount (g = 0.61, 95% CI 0.42 to 0.81). Those programs always paired the steps with goal setting and action planning, so the effect isn't the steps alone. The authors rate the certainty of the evidence as low.

Habit formation has its own evidence. A 2009 study of 96 people tracked a new behavior for 12 weeks and concluded that missing one opportunity did not materially affect the process. It's an older study, and its model fit only 39 of the 82 people with usable data.

A trial of 246 university students in Taiwan randomized them to four conditions, and every group that got game elements increased its daily steps. Delivering the elements cumulatively gained the most, at +2,326 steps. Step counts were app-reported, and walking isn't lifting.

Five apps compared: what each one does for the routine

Apps are listed alphabetically.

Prices are US figures from the store listings and vary by region. Hevy and Strong each list a second price tier for some plans, and the table shows the main one.

Hevy: log sets, plan routines, carry them to your wrist

Hevy is free to use and carries no ads. You build routines ahead of time, log each workout against them, and open the same routines on an Apple Watch. The listing also mentions graphs of your lifts and a way to copy a friend's workouts.

The catch is Pro. Hevy's free version limits how many routines you can save, and the paid tier lifts that limit along with graph history and custom exercises. We couldn't open Hevy's help center, so we can't give you the exact free cap.

Nike Training Club: someone else writes the plan

Nike Training Club hands you the plan. Its programs build up in stages and add nutrition, recovery and mindset tips, and you can schedule a session for later in the day or week. The site also mentions goal-setting tools.

That suits you if you don't know what to do in a gym or living room. The App Store lists no in-app purchases, though the site doesn't say whether a paid tier exists, and it doesn't say how many programs the free app holds. If you want to record your own weights, it isn't a logbook.

Routinery: timed steps, with reminders on the days you pick

We make this app, so weigh what follows. Routinery runs a session as a list of steps, each with a voice-guided timer you can pause, skip or auto-advance, and it can play white noise. You choose the weekdays and the time, and the reminder arrives then. A plan like three days a week fits that.

It's built around timed steps. For set-by-set weight logging, pair it with Hevy or Strong. Free accounts get 2 routines, so a warm-up, a main session and a stretch routine would already hit the cap.

Streaks: a weekly target on every task

Streaks lets each task carry its own frequency. The site's own examples include going to the gym 3 days per week and walking to work Monday to Friday, so a training schedule fits without bending the app. It's a one-time purchase.

There's no free plan, and nothing here runs on Android.

Strong: the plainest gym log

Strong keeps workouts you save forever on the free version, with a cap of 3 custom routines. PRO lifts the routine cap and adds other features. The app works on an iPhone, an Apple Watch and Android.

It leaves out the program side. Strong records what you did and doesn't suggest what to do next, so you bring the plan.

How to choose: pick the part you're missing

Know the plan, need the log? Hevy or Strong. Hevy has the wider platform list, and Strong's free version holds 3 routines.

Don't have a plan yet? Nike Training Club, since it's free and guided.

If your problem is turning up on the right days, Streaks (Apple only) or Routinery fits. Streaks gives each task its own weekly count, and Routinery gives you timed steps and reminders. Running a logger next to a scheduler is fine if no single app covers both.

Getting started: set a small target you'll hit

Start with a weekly count you can hit in your worst week, then raise it. That's the stepwise approach the graded-tasks review studied, though it paired the steps with goal setting. Put the sessions on fixed days in a calendar or reminder so the decision is already made. Our guide to planning a week you can actually follow covers the scheduling side, and how to keep a habit streak covers what to do after a missed session. If you're building an entire day around training, see the best apps to build a morning routine.

Frequently asked questions: workout routine apps

What are the best apps to build a workout routine?

Hevy and Strong suit people who already know their exercises and want a set-by-set log. Nike Training Club suits people who want a guided plan, and it's free. Streaks and Routinery handle the scheduling layer, with Streaks giving each task a weekly target on Apple devices and Routinery giving you timed steps and reminders on set days. Which one fits depends on whether you're missing a plan, a log or a schedule. Strong's free version caps custom routines at 3, and Streaks has no free plan.

Is there a free app to plan workouts?

Nike Training Club is free on its App Store listing, with no in-app purchases listed. Hevy is free to use, with Pro removing limits on routines, graph history and custom exercises. Strong is free with a cap of 3 custom routines, and Routinery's free plan includes 2 routines. Streaks is the only one here without a free tier, since it costs $5.99 once.

How many days a week should a beginner work out?

We don't cite a figure, because the studies above didn't test a specific number of days. What they do show is that most trial participants missed their goals, and that stepping up gradually helped. So start with the number of days you'd manage even in a bad week and add one when that feels easy.

Does missing one workout ruin a new habit?

Not according to the 2009 habit study of 96 people, which found that missing one opportunity didn't materially affect habit formation. It was a small, older study in which the model fit 39 of the 82 people with usable data. If you skip a day, return to the schedule at the next planned session.

Do I need a separate app to log workouts and schedule them?

Not always. Hevy plans routines and logs sets in one place. Strong logs, and Nike Training Club guides. If you struggle to show up on the right days, a scheduler like Streaks or Routinery can sit beside a logger. Routinery isn't a set-by-set log, so pair it with Hevy or Strong if you want weights tracked.

About the author. Written by the Routinery team. Routinery is one of the five apps compared above, and its limits are stated in its own section and in the table.