Written by Will Duru, BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, award-winning Personal Trainer with over 10 years of experience in strength training and optimising recovery.
Finding the best workout app can transform your training. As a personal trainer, I constantly evaluate fitness apps to recommend the most effective tools to my clients. Today, I’m comparing two leading options: 12REPS and Hevy.
12REPS: The Best Home and Gym Workout App
Smart AI-Powered Training
12REPS is the best gym workout app for personalised training. Its Smart technology creates custom workout plans based on your specific goals—whether you want to build muscle, lose fat, or improve endurance.
What makes 12REPS exceptional:
- Adapts to any environment: Full gym, home gym, or bodyweight exercises
- Smart filtering: Target specific muscle groups or workout styles (HIIT, strength, hypertrophy)
- Expert-designed programmes: Built by sports scientists and award-winning trainers
- Comprehensive exercise library: Over 1,500 demonstrations with detailed form tips
Perfect for Progressive Overload
The smart filtering system lets you focus on exactly what you need. Building back strength? Need a leg day routine? 12REPS generates targeted, effective workouts that ensure progressive overload—the key to continuous muscle growth.
Seamless Progress Tracking
12REPS makes tracking reps, sets, and weights effortless. Clear graphs show your strength gains, muscle development, and personal bests. This visual feedback keeps you motivated and proves your hard work is paying off.
Hevy: Community-Focused Workout Tracker
Simplicity and Social Features
Hevy excels as a straightforward gym log and workout planner. It’s free, available on iOS and Android, and offers an intuitive interface for tracking your training.
Key features:
- Robust routine builder: Create custom workouts with warm-up sets, drop sets, and failure tracking
- Automatic rest timers: Stay on schedule between sets
- High-quality exercise videos: Visual guidance for proper form
- Strong community: Follow other athletes, share workouts, and get motivation from peers
Cross-Platform Availability
Hevy works across iPhone, Android, Apple Watch, WearOS, and desktop—giving you flexibility to log workouts anywhere.
The community aspect is Hevy’s strongest point. If you thrive on social accountability and external motivation, this creates powerful engagement.
12REPS vs Hevy: Which Is Better?
Personalisation
This is where 12REPS dominates. Hevy requires you to design your own programming—great if you’re experienced, but challenging for most people. 12REPS actively creates and adapts your workout plan based on your goals, equipment, and progress.
The intelligent AI doesn’t just track—it optimises your training in real-time.
Expert Guidance
Both apps offer exercise demonstrations, but 12REPS integrates comprehensive expert guidance from certified trainers directly into every programme. You’re not just following exercises—you’re learning the principles behind effective training.
Motivation
Hevy motivates through community—following friends, sharing workouts, and friendly competition.
12REPS motivates through results—watching your strength increase, seeing clear progress graphs, and hitting new personal records. For goal-driven individuals, this internal motivation is more sustainable.
Best Use Cases
Choose Hevy if you:
- Already know how to programme your training
- Thrive on social motivation
- Want a simple, free workout tracker
Choose 12REPS if you:
- Want expert-designed workout plans
- Need training that adapts to your equipment (best home and gym workout flexibility)
- Prefer data-driven progress tracking
- Want guaranteed results from proven programmes
Why 12REPS Is the Best Workout App
As a personal trainer, I trust 12REPS to deliver what my clients need most: structured, personalised programming that evolves with their progress. It’s not just about logging workouts—it’s about optimising every session for maximum results.
The combination of AI personalisation, expert-backed programming, and comprehensive tracking makes 12REPS the best gym workout app for serious lifters. Whether you’re training at home or in a commercial gym, 12REPS adapts seamlessly.
Build muscle, lose fat, get stronger, and follow smart gym workouts with 12REPS.
