Choosing the best fitness app is a fool's errand, because no one approach will work for every person. Some people know how to work out and only need a convenient note-taking tool to save progress. Some people need more guidance on when and how hard to work out. And outdoor athletes need more help related to routes, heart rate, pace, and more.
Put another way, fitness is a lifelong journey, and one that's very easy to fall off of. In those moments, you need help getting back on track, and one of these fitness apps should help you kickstart that journey again.
Though you can go at it alone, some of the best fitness apps can offer help, guidance, and motivation to keep you going strong. There is integration with the best smartwatches for fitness, making it easy to keep track of all of your workouts. And when you're done here, be sure to check out our awesome roundup of the best apps for Android.
What are the best fitness apps for Android?
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FitNotes
Upfront, I have to admit that I've been a FitNotes user for years. It's been my go-to workout tracker as I've jumped gyms, moved across the country, recovered from injury, and restarted getting back into shape and achieving my goals. Yes, the UI is still stuck in the Holo era (#holoyolo), but it remains pleasant to look at and gets the job done.
That's all you can ask for in a workout tracker. It comes with a pre-built list of exercises split up by muscle group. You can easily add in your own movements, too — I tend to do a lot of atypical exercises to target my muscles in different or unique ways or to get those smaller, more troublesome ones (looking at you, rhomboids). Tracking your weight and reps is super easy, and you can edit your records if you make a mistake.
You can also track cardio workouts, see a monthly view of your training sessions, track your body weight and fat percentage, get a nice analysis of what you've accomplished, and backup your logs to Google Drive or Dropbox if you're switching or moving between phones. It's a powerful app and a must-have for anyone serious about bodybuilding and powerlifting or just weightlifting in general. Best of all, it's completely and totally free, and there is no account required whatsoever.
Nike Run Club
I'm not much of a runner, but when I do have the itch or desire to try to get into it, Nike Run Club is my constant partner and friend along the way. NRC is one of the best running apps for Android I could find — it's free, it lets me track my stats, gamify my attempts at running, and compete with other people via leaderboards.
There's Wear OS support, audio-guided runs with Nike coaches, and challenges to keep you entertained and interested. It's a dope app and one I think every runner should have. But, even with all of the things that it does, Nike Run Club is totally free.
Yep, whereas Strava, Runtastic, and Runkeeper all have subscription services for the good stuff, NRC is entirely free. As a result, it's an excellent and above-average app.
JEFIT
Rounding out our top three picks is JEFIT. Like FitNotes, you can use the app to track your workouts with a heavy focus on weightlifting as a whole. Where it separates itself from FitNotes, however, is in the number of features and training ideas it packs in. It tries to do a lot more than our top contender, but we feel it doesn't quite match the standard that FitNotes sets.
That said, JEFIT is still an excellent option if you want something a bit more robust. It offers different programs with a bodybuilding slant, such as 5x5, 3-day splits, strength plans, and at-home and bodyweight workouts. It features a built-in database of exercises (with videos) to ensure you're tracking exactly what you're doing.
It also has cross-platform support between the app and the web, so you can keep track and analyze your results wherever you are. It also sports monthly fitness challenges, goal setting, and a friend system to help you stay motivated and accountable. It does, however, contain ads and a subscription option.
Other great options
Though they didn't quite make it into our top three, here are some other excellent fitness apps for you to try out.
Google Fit
Google Fit is a staple on Android. It's Google's attempt at making an app that encourages you to stay fit, using what it calls Heart Points. You earn these points by doing activities: going for a walk, finishing a workout, etc. You can also track sleep, heart rate, and body weight.
Fit also integrates with other apps, including Strava, Runkeeper, and so on. It's a straightforward app with not too much going on. I hardly use it in my day-to-day life, mainly just to track my steps. It lacks many robust feature sets of other apps on this list, but it's a good, free option for tracking your health goals.
Fitbit
Whether you buy a true Fitbit tracker like the Charge 6 or the Fitbit-enabled Pixel Watch 2, you'll get six free months of Fitbit Premium and access to some excellent sensor data and sleep tracking data. It'll give you a full look at your health and Daily Readiness to work out, so you don't overtrain.
Most of the other best fitness apps are fairly self-guided, relying on your own common sense to decide when to train and how long. Fitbit Premium tells you how many Active Zone Minutes to hit and gives you professional workouts that target different muscle groups or intensity levels. It even has meditations mixed in to help center you after the tough workouts.
The main issue with Fitbit Premium is that you need a Fitbit tracker, and that most of its tools are paywalled. But if you're okay with investing in your fitness, this is one of our favorite options.
ASICS Runkeeper
If Nike Run Club doesn't do it for you, then be sure to check out Runkeeper. Before I found NRC, I tried Runtastic and just didn't like it. Unfortunately, the Adidas acquisition didn't help my disposition toward it, so I gave Runkeeper a try (which is owned by Asics, so my point here is a bit moot). It's super helpful, and it covers the basics exceptionally well.
Where it goes beyond Nike Run Club is the additional features, like a map to plan out your run before you head out. There are also encouraging messages, an interval timer, and a social system to help keep you on track. I'd say the biggest downside to Runkeeper is the subscription model, but that's just how it is.
Strong Workout Tracker Gym Log
Much like FitNotes and JEFIT, Strong is another workout-tracking app. This one has more features than our top pick, FitNotes, but I found it more cumbersome and not nearly as easy to use. In the gym, you shouldn't spend so much time between sets wrestling with an app just to record your reps.
Still, Strong is easy on the eyes, and it has built-in support for various weightlifting routines, cardio, and resistance workouts. It's lower on this list than FitNotes because of its subscription model. It does offer a one-time purchase option for a ridiculous $99 to unlock the full experience. Yikes — but at least it's an option.
Fitbod
What kind of workout do you need? Do you want to bulk up your muscles or simply focus on strength? Are you neglecting certain muscles inadvertently? What exercises can you do with your limited at-home gym?
One of my favorite new fitness apps is Fitbod, which lets you log exercise reps and then uses an algorithm to determine which muscles you've exercised enough (or too much), recommending other reps and routines based on the muscles that still need some care.
I love how it gives you more options if you have a gym membership but better DIY options if you exercise at home with limited equipment. It doesn't have the same appeal as an app with actual workout videos, but the customization ensures that you're not wasting time with pre-chosen exercises that don't actually target the parts of your body that need attention.
Workout Trainer: Home Fitness
When more people became stuck at home, at-home and bodyweight workouts suddenly became popular. Workout Trainer is an excellent app for this situation, with thousands of different routines for you to try to keep in and get in shape during the quarantine.
Each exercise is guided by Workout Trainer's trainers with audio and video walkthroughs. It's great for people of all stages in their fitness journey. Workout Trainer is free, but there's a pro membership available that unlocks weekly pro-only workouts and heart rate analysis.
Map My Fitness Workout Trainer
Map My Fitness does precisely what the name implies: it lets you map your workouts. Pretty cool stuff. Oh, you wanted to know more? OK, Map My Fitness enables you to discover and share different routines that work for your needs, along with being able to keep track of your goals with each workout.
So Map My Fitness does a lot for such a simply-named app. It's been a staple for runners for years, even after the Under Armour acquisition. It really is for everyone, newbies and veterans alike. Plus, the companion app Map My Run is one of our favorite running apps, if that's where your focus is.
7 Minute Workout
This one is even more self-explanatory than Map My Fitness. This app contains quick, short workouts for you to do whenever you fancy it, as long as you have seven minutes. You get a video tutorial of each activity beforehand that'll get you started. There's also Google Fit integration and a new ab workout.
Getting in a short workout in seven minutes is pretty awesome. I'd argue for longer, more intensive workouts if you have the time and can afford it, but for those who aren't able to, this is an awesome app. It has many more features like adjustable circuit and rest times, a workout log, and daily reminder notifications.
ZRZ (Zombies, Run)
Rounding out our list is perhaps the most fun of the bunch. Zombies, Run! is an enjoyable way to train, whether for strict running or for running a 5K. It uses a fun story/game element to keep you motivated and interested since some find running incredibly dull. You're basically running from zombies, as the name suggests, and it's really the most fun I've ever had running. And that's saying something.
It's here on our list because of its fun factor and because it makes running interesting. Not only that, but it will keep track of your stats, too. The app also gives you instructions on running, jogging, resting, and stretching during each workout. Headphones are highly recommended to get the most out of the story and coaching. The pro version unlocks over 200 more stories, interval training, and a base-building game.
Even cooler, the new ZRX app now includes Marvel Move, which ditches the zombies premise for stories with your favorite Marvel characters motivating you to run: Thor and Loki, Captain America, Captain Marvel, the X-Men, the Incredible Hulk, and more!
There are a lot of great fitness apps for Android
The Play Store is full of fitness apps that give you workout ideas and help you track your progress. Unfortunately, there are so many, it's hard to sort through them all.
Our pick for the best fitness app is FitNotes because it covers the workout tracking basics so well without anything extra. Coming in as a close second for all you runners out there, Nike Run Club is an absolute must if you want to track your stats and want a free, simple app to do it. It's quite invaluable for runners.
Finally, our third pick is JEFIT, another workout tracker, and an all-in-one trainer at the same time. So not only can you track your weightlifting workouts, but you can also get ideas on new exercises and implement many tools.
