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 .
As a personal trainer, I’ve seen countless clients embark on their fitness journeys, each with unique goals, challenges, and preferences. In today’s digital age, the right workout app can be a game-changer, acting as a virtual coach, tracker, and motivator. Among the myriad of options available, two applications consistently stand out in the fitness applandscape: 12reps and Hevy. Both are powerful tools, and I often recommend them to clients, but they serve different needs. In this article, I’ll offer my professional insights, providing a positive and engaging comparison that highlights each app’s strengths, while also explaining why I believe 12reps is truly the ideal choice for anyone serious about personalised, results-driven strength training.
Personalised Smart-Powered Training
From my perspective as a personal trainer, the 12reps app is a revelation, truly embodying what a personalised AI-powered trainer should be. One of the biggest hurdles my clients face is consistency and knowing what to do. 12reps addresses this head-on by eliminating the guesswork. Its core strength lies in its ability to craft Smart workout plans that are not just generic templates, but genuinely tailored to an individual’s specific goals, whether it’s muscle gain, fat loss, or improving endurance.
I can confidently tell my clients that this app will adapt to their available equipment, from a fully stocked gym to a home setup or even just bodyweight exercises, making fitness accessible regardless of their environment.
What truly impresses me is the smart filtering system. This isn’t just a gimmick; it’s a practical tool that allows my clients to focus on specific body parts or types of workouts. For instance, if a client needs to build their back strength or wants a dedicated HIIT session, 12reps can create a targeted, effective routine. This level of customisation is invaluable for progressive overload and addressing individual weaknesses, which are critical components of effective strength training workouts.
As a trainer, I emphasise proper form and technique above all else. This is where 12reps truly aligns with my philosophy. The app’s routines are not just AI-generated; they are built upon the expertise of leading sports scientists and award-winning trainers. This means that my clients are receiving expert guidance rooted in sound physiological principles.
The detailed instructions, video demonstrations, and form tips are like having a mini-trainer in their pocket, ensuring they understand the ‘why’ behind each movement and execute exercises safely and effectively. This significantly reduces the risk of injury and maximises the benefits of every session.
Finally, the workout tracking and progress tracking features are incredibly motivating. I always tell my clients that what gets measured gets managed. 12reps makes logging reps, sets, and weights effortless, and more importantly, it presents their progress through clear, insightful graphs.
Seeing their strength increase, their muscles develop, and their personal bests improve provides tangible evidence of their hard work. This visual feedback loop is a powerful motivator, keeping them engaged and committed to their fitness journey. For me, 12reps is an indispensable tool that empowers my clients to achieve their fitness goals by providing a structured, personalised, and expertly guided path to a stronger, healthier self.
Hevy: A Trainer's Appreciation for Community and Simplicity
Simplicity
Hevy is another app I frequently encounter with my clients, and for good reason. It has carved out a significant space in the fitness app world by prioritising simplicity and fostering a strong sense of community. As a trainer, I appreciate its accessibility; being a primarily free workout app available on both iOS and Android means it’s an easy recommendation for clients who are just starting out or prefer a straightforward logging experience without immediate financial commitment.
From a practical standpoint, Hevy excels as a gym log and workout planner. Its intuitive interface makes tracking reps, sets, and weights incredibly efficient. For clients who need a reliable digital notebook for their training, Hevy delivers. The advanced routine planner is robust, allowing users to build and customise their workout routine with ease. Features like marking warm-up sets, drop sets, and failure sets, along with automatic rest timers, are all valuable for structured training. The inclusion of high-quality exercise videos is also a significant advantage, as it helps clients visualise movements and reinforces proper form, which is something I constantly emphasise.
Where Hevy truly shines, and why I often see my clients gravitating towards it, is its vibrant community aspect. Fitness can sometimes feel like a solitary endeavour, but Hevy transforms it into a shared experience. The ability to follow other athletes, see their workouts, and engage with likes and comments creates a powerful social dynamic. This community fitness element can be a huge motivator, especially for clients who thrive on external accountability and inspiration from their peers. It’s an excellent way for them to stay engaged and push themselves, knowing they’re part of a larger network of fitness enthusiasts.
Furthermore, Hevy’s impressive cross-platform availability is a definite advantage. Whether my clients prefer to log in on their iPhone, Android device, Apple Watch, WearOS device, or even their desktop, Hevy provides a consistent experience.
This flexibility allows them to track their weightlifting sessions and monitor their workout progress in a way that best suits their lifestyle. For a trainer, knowing that a client has a reliable and accessible tool for logging, regardless of their device, is incredibly helpful for monitoring their adherence and progress. Hevy is a solid, user-friendly option for anyone seeking a dependable gym app with a strong social backbone.
12reps vs. Hevy: A Trainer's Perspective on Choosing Your Path
As a personal trainer, I often get asked, “Which fitness app is best for me?” The answer, as always, depends on individual needs and goals. When comparing 12reps vs Hevy, it’s not about one being inherently ‘better’ than the other, but rather about which tool aligns more closely with a client’s specific journey. Both are exceptional, but their core philosophies cater to different aspects of the fitness experience.
The most critical distinction, from my professional viewpoint, lies in personalisation. Hevy, while an excellent workout tracker and routine builder, essentially puts the onus on the user to design and manage their programming. It’s a fantastic digital logbook for those who already have a solid understanding of program design or are working directly with a coach. However, 12reps truly shines with its innovative workout plans. This isn’t just about tracking; it’s about intelligent, dynamic programming.
The intelligent filtering actively designs and adapts the workout based on real-time feedback, goals, and even equipment availability. For clients who need that consistent, evolving structure without having to constantly think about what to do next, 12reps provides an unparalleled level of tailored guidance, optimising their path to muscle gain or other objectives. 12reps offers you certified trainers demonstrating the exercises for you.
Regarding guidance, both apps offer valuable support. Hevy’s high-quality exercise videos are a great visual aid for understanding movement patterns – something I always encourage my clients to utilise. However, 12reps takes this a step further by integrating comprehensive expert guidance from certified trainers and sports scientists directly into its programming.
This means the routines themselves are built on sound scientific principles, and the app provides deeper insights into why specific exercises or rep schemes are chosen. For clients who want not only to perform exercises correctly but also understand the underlying principles of practical training, 12reps offers a more holistic educational experience.
When it comes to motivation, both apps have their unique strengths. Hevy’s robust community fitness features are compelling. I’ve seen firsthand how the social aspect – following friends, sharing workouts, and friendly competition – can keep clients engaged and accountable. It’s a fantastic external motivator. 12reps, while also fostering a supportive environment, primarily drives motivation through its intuitive progress tracking and visual data representation. For clients who are driven by seeing their records fall, their strength consistently improves, and their body composition changes, the clear graphs and statistics in 12reps provide a compelling internal drive. It reinforces the effectiveness of their personalised plan and keeps them focussed on their achievements.
In summary, if a client is self-sufficient in their programming and thrives on social interaction and straightforward logging, Hevy is an excellent, often free, choice. But if a client is looking for a truly personalised, smart-driven training experience that adapts to their needs, provides expert-backed routines, and consistently optimises their strength training for guaranteed results, then 12reps is, in my professional opinion, the superior best workout app for a truly transformative fitness journey and with more features to come like its social feature.
My Final Thoughts as Your Trainer
In my years as a personal trainer, I’ve learned that the most effective tools are those that empower individuals to take ownership of their fitness while providing the necessary support and guidance. Both 12reps and Hevy are valuable players in the fitness app arena, each with their distinct strengths. Hevy is an excellent workout tracker for those who value simplicity and the motivation of a strong community.
However, for clients who seek a truly personalised, smart-driven approach to strength training – one that adapts, educates, and consistently optimises their path to success – 12reps stands out as the superior choice. It’s the app I trust to provide my clients with adaptive workout plans, expert insights, and seamless progress tracking, ultimately empowering them to achieve their fitness goals with unparalleled efficiency and confidence. As your trainer, I encourage you to explore the power of 12reps and embark on your most effective fitness journey yet.
