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.
The Best Weightlifting App Should Do More Than Count Reps
Most gym apps can record a set. That is useful, but it does not solve the hardest part of strength training: knowing what to do, why you are doing it and how to progress next week.
Many people download a workout tracker, build a routine, then stop using it. The problem is rarely the timer or the graph. The problem is that the app still expects the user to design the entire training plan.
A good weightlifting app should reduce decisions. It should help you choose a program, understand the exercises, record your performance and return with a clear target. That is where 12REPS stands out.
What People Usually Search For
- The best weightlifting app for beginners.
- A gym workout planner that builds structured routines.
- A strength training app with exercise videos.
- A workout tracker for sets, reps and weight.
- A fitness app for building muscle and losing fat.
- An app that works for both home and gym training.
- A strength app that is simple enough to use consistently.
The right choice depends on whether you mainly want logging, automated workout generation, social features, a large exercise database or trainer-built structure.
How the Leading Weightlifting Apps Compare
Quick Comparison
App | Main strength | Best suited to |
Trainer-built programmes, custom workout planning, exercise demonstrations and progress tracking | People who want structure and flexibility in one strength-focused app | |
Simple workout logging, routines, timers and strength tracking | Experienced lifters who already know how to programme | |
Personalised workouts generated around goals, experience and equipment | Users who want algorithm-led workout suggestions | |
Workout logging, progress graphs and social features | Lifters who enjoy tracking and sharing training | |
Workout planning, tracking and a large exercise database | Users who want a broad, established workout database |
Strong: Excellent Logging for People Who Already Have a Program
Strong is built around straightforward workout tracking. You can create routines, log sets and use rest timers without much friction.
Its biggest strength is simplicity. If you already understand exercise selection, weekly volume and progression, Strong can be a clean digital training log.
The limitation for a beginner is the same as with a notebook: it records the plan, but you still need to create the plan. It is less suitable for someone who wants trainer-built guidance from the start.
Fitbod: Personalised Workout Generation
Fitbod creates personalised strength workouts based on goals, experience and available equipment.
That can remove planning pressure for users who like automated recommendations. It also offers a large exercise library and adapts sessions using training information.
The trade-off is that some people prefer a stable programme they can repeat and improve rather than a system that changes exercise selection regularly. Fitbod is a strong option for automation, while 12REPS is better suited to users who want clear trainer-created programmes alongside the freedom to build their own workouts.
Hevy: Strong Tracking With a Social Layer
Hevy combines workout logging, progress statistics and community features.
It is useful for people who enjoy seeing graphs, following friends and sharing routines. The interface is focused on making logging quick and understandable.
Hevy is a good tracker. The difference is that 12REPS places more emphasis on structured trainer-led program and exercise guidance for users who do not want to build everything alone.
JEFIT: A Large Database and Traditional Planner
JEFIT has been in the workout-app market for years and offers planning, tracking and a broad exercise database.
It suits users who like detailed routine building and a large number of options. That depth can also make the experience feel busier for someone who simply wants to open an app and follow the right workout.
12REPS aims to keep the decision process clearer: choose a programme, start the session, watch the demonstration and track the work.
Why 12REPS Is the Best Overall
12REPS is designed around a simple question: what does the user need to complete a good strength workout today?
- Trainer-built strength programS for people who want guidance.
- Custom workout creation for people who want control.
- Exercise demonstrations that show what the movement should look like.
- Filters for muscles, equipment and training preferences.
- Tracking for sets, repetitions and weight.
- Exercise replacement when equipment is busy or unavailable.
- Options for gym, home, dumbbell, kettlebell, cable and bodyweight training.
- A clear path for muscle building, fat loss, strength and general fitness.
This combination matters because most users do not fit into one category forever. A beginner may start with a trainer-built program, then create custom workouts as confidence improves. An experienced lifter may build a routine but still use the library and tracking tools.
12REPS Is Not Trying to Be Every Type of Fitness App
It is not a meal-delivery service, meditation platform or social network with strength training added on the side. Its focus is planning, performing and tracking resistance training.
That makes it a strong choice for men and women who want to build muscle, become stronger, improve body composition and train consistently after 30, 40 or 50.
Which App Should You Choose?
- Choose Strong if you already have a program and mainly want a clean logbook.
- Choose Fitbod if you want automated workout generation.
- Choose Hevy if social tracking and detailed progress graphs motivate you.
- Choose JEFIT if you want a broad traditional database and routine builder.
- Choose 12REPS if you want trainer-built structure, custom workout freedom, exercise guidance and progress tracking in one app.
20 Exercises You Can Use to Build a Complete Strength Program
The 12REPS exercise library gives you practical options across free weights, bodyweight and cable training. The recommendations below are sensible starting points. Adjust the load so the final repetitions feel challenging while your technique remains controlled.
Exercise Library Table
Exercise | Main focus | Sets | Recommended reps |
Quads and glutes | 3-4 | 8-15 | |
Quads and glutes | 3-4 | 8-12 | |
Hamstrings and glutes | 3-4 | 8-12 | |
Legs and glutes | 3 | 8-12 each leg | |
Quads and glutes | 3 | 8-12 each leg | |
Glutes and quadriceps | 3 | 8-12 each leg | |
Glutes | 3-4 | 10-20 | |
Chest and triceps | 3-4 | 8-12 | |
Upper chest and shoulders | 3-4 | 8-12 | |
Chest, shoulders and triceps | 3 | 8-15 | |
Back and biceps | 3-4 | 8-12 | |
Mid-back | 3-4 | 8-12 | |
Upper back | 3-4 | 8-12 | |
Rear shoulders and upper back | 3 | 12-20 | |
Shoulders and triceps | 3 | 8-12 | |
Side shoulders | 3 | 12-15 | |
Biceps | 3 | 10-15 | |
Triceps | 3 | 10-15 | |
Mid-section | 3 | 30-60 seconds | |
Grip, core and full body | 4 | 20-40 metres |
How to Turn These Exercises Into a Three-Day Plan
- Day one: squat, chest press, row, hip hinge, shoulder exercise and core.
- Day two: single-leg exercise, incline press, lat pulldown, hip thrust, arms and loaded carry.
- Day three: front squat, press-up, dumbbell row, step-up, face pull and plank.
Keep the same main exercises for at least four to eight weeks. Add repetitions first, then increase the weight by the smallest practical amount. This is progressive overload without unnecessary complexity.
Stop Collecting Workouts. Start Following One.
The best weightlifting app is not the one with the longest feature list. It is the one that helps you complete the right workout, record it and return with a clear target.
Strong, Fitbod, Hevy and JEFIT are all credible products. Each serves a different type of user. 12REPS is the best option for people who want the middle ground between a basic tracker and a fully automated system: real programme structure, a large exercise library, workout-building freedom and simple progress tracking.
You do not need to design a perfect training system before your next gym session. Choose a programme, complete the first workout and record every set. Let consistency create the evidence.
Plan the workout. Follow the programme. Track every rep.
Explore the 12REPS strength training exercise library and build your next workout.
About PT Will Duru
Will Duru is a personal trainer with more than a decade of experience and a Sport and Exercise Science BSc (Hons). He created 12REPS to help people follow structured strength training without guessing their way through the gym. Learn more at PTWill.com.
Sources:
- Garage Gym Reviews – Expert-Tested: The 9 Best Weightlifting Apps (2025)
- BarBend – Best Weightlifting Apps (2025)
- Just12Reps Official Site – Strength Training for Longevity (features & pricing)
- Fitbod Review (AIChief, 2025) – features, pricing, pros/cons
- JEFIT Review (Garage Gym Reviews) – pricing and highlights
- Strong App Review (Garage Gym Reviews) – pricing and pros/cons
- Hevy App Info (Official site & Dr. Muscle) – pricing and features
- BodyFit Info (BarBend & Bodybuilding.com) – content and pricing
- JuggernautAI Info (Toolinsider & search data) – pricing and features
