GymAdapt: a plan for your gym that gets heavier as you do
Pick your goal and days, tick what your gym has (racks, dumbbells, cables, plate-loaded machines), and GymAdapt writes the plan, shows a video for every lift and raises the weight when you are ready. Free to start. Get GymAdapt free on the App Store →
"The gym app", "PureGym app" and "gym group app" are some of the most searched fitness terms in the UK, because you need your gym's app to get in. Here is what each one does, from the gyms' own app pages (checked 29 October 2026), and where a dedicated workout tracker fits. Looking to leave instead? See cancelling PureGym.
What the UK gym apps do
| PureGym app | The Gym Group app | JD Gyms app | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gym entry | Contactless entry | Contactless entry (scan the QR code) | QR code at the gates (no PIN or card) |
| Classes | Book classes and workshops | Book classes to your phone calendar | Class timetable (classes are turn-up, no booking) |
| How busy | Live attendance tracker | Live attendance tracker | Not advertised |
| Workouts | Classes and workouts on demand; personalised training plans | Workout Hub; create your own workout from an exercise library; technique videos | Not the focus |
| Membership | Change gym, update payment details | Manage membership (incl. cancel and freeze) | Membership help is on the website |
| Price | Free for members | Free for members | Free for members |
From each gym's own app page or FAQ. Features change, so check the App Store listing.
What none of them is built for
- Progression: telling you to add 2.5 kg to your squat because you hit every rep last week.
- A long lifting history: months of sets, reps and weights per exercise, with your bests.
- A plan that adapts to missed sessions, the kit your gym actually has and how hard the last set felt.
Best workout apps to use with your gym's app
1. GymAdapt (our app)
Free: An AI-built plan for your goal, days, equipment and injuries; unlimited workouts; a video for every lift; full set logging; weights that adjust from what you log for your first 30 days; 25 AI coach messages in your first week, then 5 a week; 3 new AI plans in your first month, then 2 a month.
Paid: Pro has a 7-day free trial and is priced in pounds on the UK App Store. It keeps your weights adjusting after the free 30 days, plus unlimited AI coaching and plans. Code TRYFREE01 gives a month of Pro free.
2. Hevy
Free: Unlimited logging, 4 routines, 3 months of charts, with ads.
Paid: Pro is a subscription or one-off purchase (check the UK App Store for pounds).
3. Strong
Free: Unlimited logging, 3 routines.
Paid: PRO subscription or lifetime (check the UK App Store for pounds).
A 3-day plan for a typical UK budget gym
PureGym, The Gym Group and JD Gyms sites usually have dumbbells, benches, squat racks, cable stations and plate-loaded and pin-loaded machines (JD lists dumbbells up to 50 kg and lifting platforms). Equipment varies by gym, so check yours.
| Day | Exercises (3 × 8-12 unless noted) |
|---|---|
| Day 1 · Full body A | Squat or leg press 3 × 6-8 · dumbbell bench press · lat pulldown · dumbbell Romanian deadlift · cable crunch |
| Day 2 · Full body B | Leg press or goblet squat · seated cable row · machine or dumbbell shoulder press · lying leg curl · triceps pushdown |
| Day 3 · Full body C | Walking lunges · incline dumbbell press · chest-supported row · hip thrust · dumbbell curl |
Train on three non-consecutive days. Rest 2-3 minutes on the first exercise, 1-2 minutes on the rest. When every set hits the top of the range, add weight next time.
Budget gym tips
- Check the live attendance tracker in your gym's app and go when it is quiet; racks and benches are the first things to go at 5-7 pm.
- Have a swap ready: leg press for squats, dumbbell press for the bench, so a busy floor does not cost you the session.
- Plan for 4 days? Use an upper/lower split (free 3, 4 and 5-day gym plans).
- Log every set so you know what to beat next time. Track your gym sessions in GymAdapt →
GymAdapt is free to start. Want Pro free for a month?
The free version gives you an AI-built plan and unlimited workouts. Code TRYFREE01 adds a full month of Pro: weights that adjust from what you log and unlimited coach chats.
Redeem the free month → Opens the App Store with the code filled in. iPhone only. After the free month, Pro renews unless you cancel in Settings, and the free version stays yours either way.Questions people ask
Does the PureGym app have workout plans?
Yes. PureGym advertises on-demand classes and workouts and personalised training plans in its free app, alongside contactless entry, class booking and a live attendance tracker.
What is the best workout app to use at PureGym?
Use the PureGym app for entry and classes, and a workout tracker for your lifting. GymAdapt (our app) builds a plan around your gym's kit, logs every set and raises your weights; Hevy and Strong are good free loggers if you already have a program.
What can you do on The Gym Group app?
Contactless entry, a live attendance tracker, a Workout Hub of workouts, creating your own workout from an exercise library, technique videos and class booking.
Do you need the JD Gyms app to get in?
Yes. JD Gyms uses the app to generate the QR code you scan at the gates; there is no PIN or membership card.
Can I log weights in the PureGym app?
PureGym's app page does not advertise set-by-set weight logging or automatic progression. A dedicated workout tracker does that.
Keep training, whatever gym you end up at
GymAdapt builds a plan for the kit you have (a big gym, a budget gym or dumbbells at home), shows a video for every exercise, logs every set and raises your weights from what you lift. Free to start.
Get GymAdapt on the App Store → Free to start. Pro has a 7-day free trial and is priced in pounds on the UK App Store. iPhone only.