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
By Will Duru, BSc (Hons) Sport and Exercise Science, Award winning Personal Trainer with over 10 years of experience in strength training
Most workout apps are glorified notepads. You log your sets, track your reps, and that is about it. When you need guidance, they offer nothing. When you change environments, they cannot adapt. When motivation fades, they sit silently on your phone.
I built the 12REPS app to be different.
After a decade of personal training, I understood exactly what people need from a workout planner. Not another tracking tool. Not another exercise database. A complete intelligent system that plans your workouts, adapts to your equipment, tracks your progress, and keeps you motivated whether you are in a fully equipped gym or training at home with minimal gear.
This guide explains every feature of 12REPS and how to use the app to transform your training. Whether you are a complete beginner or an experienced lifter, this is your roadmap to getting the most from your intelligent workout planner.
What Makes 12REPS Different
Built by Trainers, Not Just Developers
Most fitness apps are built by tech companies who hire trainers as consultants. The result is apps that look good but miss what actually matters for results.
12REPS is different. I am a certified personal trainer with a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science and over ten years of hands on experience. I have trained hundreds of clients. I know what works because I have tested it in real gyms with real people.
Every programme in the app reflects this experience. The exercise selection, the set and rep schemes, the progression logic. It all comes from years of refining what actually builds muscle and strength.
Intelligent Personalisation Without the AI Hype
Some apps claim artificial intelligence will revolutionise your training. In reality, they generate random workouts based on keywords that lack strategic progression.
12REPS uses smart algorithms to personalise your experience, but the programming itself is designed by qualified trainers. The technology handles customisation and tracking. The expertise comes from humans who understand the science and art of strength training.
This blend of technology and professional guidance is what makes 12REPS effective where other apps fall short.
Core Features: Your Complete Workout System
Instant Personalised Workout Plans
Open the app, answer a few filtering questions, and receive a complete workout plan tailored to you.
The app considers:
- Your fitness goal (build muscle, lose fat, gain strength, improve fitness)
- Your available equipment (full gym, home gym, bodyweight only, specific equipment)
- Your experience level (beginner, intermediate, advanced)
- Your schedule (how many days per week you can train)
Within seconds, you have a structured programme designed for your exact situation. No searching through databases. No piecing together random exercises. Just open the app and start training.
How it works in practice:
Training at a commercial gym with full equipment? You receive programmes utilising barbells, dumbbells, cables, and machines strategically for maximum results.
Working out at home with just dumbbells? The app creates effective dumbbell only routines that build real strength.
Travelling with no equipment at all? 12REPS becomes the best bodyweight training app you have used, with creative progressions that challenge you without any gear.
The same app adapts to wherever you are. Your training never stops because your environment changed.
Over 1,500 Exercises with Video Demonstrations
Every exercise in the library includes a clear video demonstration showing exactly how to perform it. You see proper form, key technique points, and the full range of motion.
Why this matters:
When your programme calls for a Romanian deadlift, you do not need to search YouTube hoping to find a quality demonstration. The video is right there in the app, recorded by professionals who understand proper technique.
The library covers:
- Barbell exercises (squat, bench press, deadlift, overhead press, rows, and more)
- Dumbbell exercises (presses, curls, raises, rows, lunges, and variations)
- Cable and machine exercises
- Bodyweight movements with progressions
- Kettlebell exercises
- Resistance band movements
- TRX and suspension trainer exercises
Whatever equipment you have access to, 12REPS has exercises and demonstrations for it.
Smart Workout Filters
Never wonder what to do next. The app’s filtering system lets you find exactly what you need.
Filter by:
- Muscle group (chest, back, shoulders, arms, legs, core)
- Workout type (strength, hypertrophy, HIIT, full body)
- Equipment available (barbells, dumbbells, machines, bodyweight)
- Time available (quick workouts to full sessions)
If a machine is occupied at your gym, quickly filter to find an alternative exercise targeting the same muscle. If you only have twenty minutes, filter to short effective sessions. The app adapts to your reality.
Lightning Fast Workout Logging
Tracking your workouts should take seconds, not minutes. The 12REPS interface is designed for speed.
Logging a set:
- See your target weight and reps displayed
- Complete your set
- Tap to confirm or adjust the numbers
- Move to your next set
The app remembers your previous performance for every exercise. Before each set, you see exactly what you lifted last time. This makes progressive overload automatic rather than something you must calculate.
Progressive Overload Intelligence
Progressive overload is the fundamental principle of getting stronger. You must gradually increase demands on your muscles over time. 12REPS makes this effortless.
The app tracks multiple progression variables:
Weight progression: The app logs every weight you lift and knows your personal bests. When you are ready to progress, it suggests adding small increments (typically 1 to 2 percent of your working weight) to keep increases manageable but consistent.
Rep progression: If you hit all your target reps, the app notes this. When you consistently exceed targets, it suggests increasing weight on your next session.
Volume tracking: Total volume (sets x reps x weight) is tracked automatically. You can see weekly and monthly volume trends to ensure you are progressively doing more work over time.
Frequency management: The app helps schedule workouts optimally, potentially increasing training frequency as your capacity improves while ensuring adequate recovery between sessions.
1RM Tracking and Estimates
Your one rep max (1RM) is the maximum weight you can lift for a single repetition. It is the gold standard measure of strength.
12REPS calculates your estimated 1RM for key lifts based on your training sets. If you bench press 80kg for 6 reps, the app estimates your 1RM using proven formulas.
Why this matters:
- Track strength progress over time without actually testing maxes
- Programme appropriate weights based on percentages of your max
- See tangible evidence of getting stronger
- Set and track strength goals
Watching your estimated squat 1RM climb from 100kg to 120kg over a training cycle is incredibly motivating. The app surfaces this data clearly so you can see your progress.
Personal Record Tracking
Every personal record is logged and celebrated.
When you hit a new best on any exercise, whether it is a heavier weight, more reps, or higher volume, the app recognises and records it. These milestones matter. They prove the work is paying off.
PR tracking includes:
- Weight PRs (heaviest weight lifted)
- Rep PRs (most reps at a given weight)
- Volume PRs (highest total volume in a session)
- Estimated 1RM PRs
Looking back at months of PRs provides powerful motivation during tough training phases.
Complete Workout History
Every session is saved permanently. You can look back at any previous workout to see exactly what you did.
Access your history to:
- Review what you lifted last time for any exercise
- Track progression over weeks and months
- Identify patterns in your training
- Analyse what approaches produced best results
The history becomes a training diary that documents your entire strength journey. Years from now, you can look back at where you started.
Progress Analytics and Charts
Raw numbers in a log are useful. Visual charts are powerful.
12REPS transforms your training data into clear visualisations:
- Volume trends over time
- Strength progression curves
- Body part balance analysis
- Training frequency charts
- Personal record timelines
When you open the app and see a clear upward trend in your strength, you know the programme is working. When the trend flattens, you know something needs to change.
Built In Rest Timers
Rest periods matter more than most people realise.
Rest too long and you lose the metabolic stress that drives muscle growth. Rest too short and you cannot lift heavy enough for strength gains. The app includes built in rest timers that keep you on track.
Set your rest period for each exercise type. The timer counts down between sets. When it hits zero, you know to begin your next set. Simple but effective.
Goal Setting and Reminders
Set specific targets and track progress towards them.
Example goals:
- Squat 100kg by a specific date
- Complete 10 unassisted pull ups
- Bench press bodyweight
- Train consistently for 12 weeks
The app tracks progress towards your goals and sends reminders to keep you focused. When you are close to hitting a target, you know to push a little harder.
Adapting to Your Environment
Full Gym Workouts
When you have access to a fully equipped commercial gym, 12REPS takes full advantage.
Programmes utilise:
- Barbell compounds (squat, bench, deadlift, overhead press, rows)
- Dumbbell exercises for variety and unilateral work
- Cable machines for constant tension and isolation
- Plate loaded machines for safe heavy training
- Specialty equipment when available
The app creates programmes that use optimal equipment for each goal without wasting time on unnecessary exercises.
Home Gym Workouts
Limited equipment does not mean limited results.
Tell 12REPS what you have at home. Dumbbells only? Dumbbells and a bench? A barbell setup? Resistance bands? Whatever your home gym includes, the app creates effective programmes.
Key home gym adaptations:
- Dumbbell alternatives for barbell exercises
- Unilateral variations to increase challenge with lighter weights
- Tempo modifications to increase time under tension
- Superset structures for efficiency and metabolic challenge
The app does not just give you a stripped down gym programme. It creates home specific routines designed around your actual equipment.
Bodyweight Training
No equipment? No problem.
12REPS includes comprehensive bodyweight programming with progressions that keep challenging you as you get stronger.
Bodyweight features:
- Push up progressions from wall to decline variations
- Pull up progressions from assisted to weighted
- Squat progressions from basic to single leg
- Core progressions from planks to advanced movements
- Creative combinations that build real strength
Bodyweight training can build impressive strength and muscle when programmed correctly. The app ensures proper progression rather than just repeating easy exercises.
Travel Adaptability
Gym access changes when you travel. Hotel gyms vary from decent to useless. Sometimes you have nothing but floor space.
12REPS adapts instantly. Heading to a hotel with a basic gym? Tell the app and receive an appropriate workout. Stuck with no equipment? Switch to bodyweight and keep progressing.
Your training consistency does not depend on your location. The app provides options regardless of where you are.
Social and Motivation Features
Social Sharing and Friend Challenges
Fitness is more fun with accountability. 12REPS includes social features that keep you engaged.
Share achievements: Hit a new PR? Share it with friends in the app or on social media.
Challenge friends: Invite friends to try the same workout. Compare results and push each other to improve.
Accountability partners: Knowing someone will see whether you trained today adds motivation when willpower fades.
Community Features
Connect with other lifters who share your goals.
Join team challenges: Participate in app wide challenges that push you to train harder.
See how you compare: View leaderboards and see where you stand among users with similar goals.
Share sessions: Post your workouts for others to see and gain inspiration from what others are doing.
The community element adds a social layer that helps with consistency. When training feels isolating, seeing others working towards similar goals provides motivation.
Motivation Through Visible Progress
The most powerful motivator is seeing results.
When you open 12REPS and see that last month you squatted 60kg and today you can do 80kg, pride and motivation surge. The app surfaces this progress constantly through:
- PR notifications and celebrations
- Progress charts showing improvement over time
- Before and after strength comparisons
- Goal progress indicators
You do not need external motivation when the evidence of your hard work is visible every time you open the app.
Getting Started with 12REPS
Step 1: Download and Set Up Your Profile
Download the 12REPS app and create your account. The setup takes just a few minutes.
Step 2: Answer the Filtering Questions
Tell the app:
- Your primary fitness goal
- What equipment you have access to
- Your experience level
- How many days per week you can train
Be honest. The app creates better programmes when it understands your real situation.
Step 3: Receive Your Personalised Programme
Within seconds, you have a complete training programme. Browse through the sessions. Watch the video demonstrations for any unfamiliar exercises.
Step 4: Start Your First Workout
Open your first session and begin. Log each set as you complete it. Use conservative weights to learn the movements if you are new to any exercises.
Step 5: Track and Progress
Return for your next session. The app shows what you did last time. Try to improve, even slightly. Add a rep. Add a small amount of weight. Improve your form.
Step 6: Review Your Progress
After a few weeks, review your analytics. See the trends. Celebrate PRs. Adjust your approach if progress stalls.
Step 7: Stay Consistent
The app provides everything you need. Your job is showing up. Weeks become months. Months become years. The compound effect of consistent training transforms your body.
Pricing That Makes Sense
Personal training costs £50 to £150 per session. Training three times per week adds up to thousands per year.
12REPS provides professional programming, comprehensive tracking, video demonstrations, and intelligent progression for a fraction of that cost.
Pricing options:
- Monthly subscription: £9.99 per month
- Annual subscription: £59.99 per year (save over 50%)
- Free trial: 7 days to test everything
The annual subscription costs less than a single personal training session while providing an entire year of professional guidance.
Who 12REPS Is For
Complete Beginners
You need structure, guidance, and education. 12REPS provides programmes designed for beginners, video demonstrations for every exercise, and progression logic that builds you up safely.
Intermediate Lifters
You know the basics but need better programming. 12REPS provides the strategic progression and tracking that turns consistent training into continued results.
Experienced Lifters
You want efficient tracking and intelligent periodisation. 12REPS logs everything, calculates your estimated maxes, and helps identify patterns in your training data.
Busy Professionals
You have limited time and need efficiency. 12REPS provides structured programmes that maximise results from whatever time you can commit.
Home Trainers
You have limited equipment and need creative programming. 12REPS adapts to whatever you have and creates effective routines.
Travellers
Your gym access varies constantly. 12REPS adapts to any environment, ensuring consistent training regardless of location.
The 12REPS Difference
Other apps track workouts. 12REPS transforms them.
Other apps provide exercise databases. 12REPS delivers complete programmes.
Other apps require you to design your training. 12REPS gives you professional programming instantly.
Other apps work in one environment. 12REPS adapts to gym, home, or anywhere.
This is not another fitness app. This is your intelligent workout planner, your progress tracker, your exercise library, and your training partner. All in one application built by a trainer who understands what you actually need.
Download the 12REPS app and start training smarter today.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 12REPS suitable for beginners?
Yes. The app includes beginner programmes with appropriate progression, video demonstrations for every exercise, and guidance that assumes no prior knowledge.
Can I use the app with just bodyweight?
Absolutely. Tell the app you have no equipment and receive comprehensive bodyweight programmes with progressions that keep challenging you.
How does 12REPS compare to hiring a personal trainer?
You get professional programming at a fraction of the cost. You lose in person feedback but gain flexibility, convenience, and comprehensive tracking that most trainers cannot provide.
What if my gym does not have certain equipment?
Use the filter system to find alternatives. The app includes substitutions for nearly every exercise based on available equipment.
Is there a free trial?
Yes. 12REPS offers a 7 day free trial with full access to all features. Experience everything before committing.
Does the app work offline?
Yes. Once programmes and videos are downloaded, you can train without an internet connection. Perfect for gyms with poor reception.
References
- Schoenfeld, B.J. et al. (2017). Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass. International Journal of Sports Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28834797/
- Schoenfeld, B.J. et al. (2016). Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy. Sports Medicine. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27102172/
- Krzysztofik, M. et al. (2019). Maximising Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review of Advanced Resistance Training Techniques and Methods. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31817252/
Related Articles on just12reps.com
Article | Description | Link |
The Science of Progressive Overload | Understand the principle that drives all progress. | |
Complete Beginner’s Guide to Strength Training | Start your journey with proper fundamentals. | |
Best Strength Training App for Beginners | Compare 12REPS to other top apps. | |
Bodyweight Exercises for Strength Training at Home | Train effectively with no equipment. | |
12REPS: The Best Strength Training App of 2025 | Full review of app features and benefits. |
About the Author: Will Duru holds a BSc (Hons) in Sport and Exercise Science and is an award-winning personal trainer with over 10 years of experience. He created the 12REPS app to make professional strength training guidance accessible to everyone, whether training in a fully equipped gym or at home with minimal equipment.
