GymAdapt: the beginner plan that tells you the weight and shows you the lift
Day one is a 10-minute no-equipment starter if you are not at a gym yet; from there, a full-body or upper/lower plan with conservative starting weights, a video on every card and the weight nudged up when you hit your reps. Get GymAdapt free on the App Store →
The two things that stop beginners are not knowing what to do and not knowing how heavy. A planner that fixes both for free is rare. Below, each app is scored on exactly that, with a note on what your first session looks like. Broader guides: best workout app for beginners and free AI workout planner.
Free AI planners for beginners, compared
| App | Builds a beginner plan free? | Shows every exercise | Picks the weight | First session |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GymAdapt (our app) | Yes, from a few questions | Filmed video per lift | Yes | Starter session or a 45-min full-body day, weights filled in |
| Nike Training Club | Class programs, free | Trainer on video | No weights | A 20 to 30-min guided class |
| Caliber | Yes, free plan | Demos | You choose | A logged strength session |
| Boostcamp | Free beginner programs | Demos | You choose | Day 1 of a written program |
| Hevy | Templates free; Trainer is Pro | Animations | No (Trainer: yes, Pro) | A template you fill in |
| Fitbod | Trial only | Demos | Yes | A generated session, then $95.99/yr |
| Planfit | Free plan | Demos | Suggests | A generated session |
US App Store prices, checked October 2026; prices vary by country.
How we ranked them. Four things, in order: what you get as a complete beginner week without paying, whether the app decides your plan and your next weight or leaves that to you, whether every exercise has a demo you can watch at the rack, and price if you do pay. GymAdapt is our app and we say so wherever it appears; where another app is better, the table says that too. Prices were checked in October 2026 and are US App Store prices.
The ranking
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 15 a week; 3 new AI plans in your first month, then 2 a month.
Paid: Pro is $4.99/month or $24.99/year with a 7-day free trial. 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. Nike Training Club
Free: Everything: classes, programs, yoga, mobility. No lifting tracker.
Paid: Nothing; the app is fully free.
3. Caliber
Free: Plans, logging and progress tracking.
Paid: Group coaching from $19/month; 1:1 coaching $200+/month.
4. Boostcamp
Free: Dozens of complete programs and a tracker.
Paid: Pro about $59.99/year for the full library.
5. Hevy
Free: Unlimited logging, 4 routines, 7 custom exercises, 3 months of charts, ads.
Paid: Pro $2.99/month, $23.99/year or $74.99 lifetime; Hevy Trainer (plan generator) is Pro.
6. Fitbod
Free: None after the 7-day trial.
Paid: $15.99/month or $95.99/year.
What a beginner plan should look like
- 2 to 3 days a week, full body. Enough to learn the lifts and recover. GymAdapt defaults beginners here; Boostcamp's beginner programs do the same.
- Five or six exercises a session. A squat or leg press, a push, a pull, a hinge, and one or two accessories. More than that is noise in month one.
- Weights you can finish. Start two to three reps short of failure; the app should raise the weight when every set hits the top of the range. GymAdapt does this automatically; in Caliber, Boostcamp and Hevy you do it by hand.
- A demo you can watch at the rack. This is where GymAdapt's filmed video per exercise matters most for a beginner.
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. GymAdapt is free to $24.99 a year: after the free month, Pro renews unless you cancel in Settings, and the free version stays yours either way.Questions people ask
What is the best free AI workout planner for beginners?
GymAdapt (our app): it builds the plan, shows a video for every exercise and picks the weights, free. Nike Training Club if you prefer classes.
Is Fitbod good for beginners?
Yes, it plans well and shows demos, but it has no free tier: 7-day trial then $95.99 a year.
How many days a week should a beginner train?
Two or three full-body sessions. GymAdapt builds a 2 or 3-day plan when you say you are new; Boostcamp and Caliber have equivalent beginner programs.
How do I know how much weight to start with?
Pick a weight you could do two or three more reps with, or let the app decide: GymAdapt sets conservative starting weights from your bodyweight and experience and adjusts within a few sessions.
Does GymAdapt work if I am not at a gym yet?
Yes. Day one offers a free 10-minute no-equipment starter session, and the plan builds around whatever equipment you tell it you have.
A coach, not just a counter, free to start
GymAdapt builds your plan and raises your weights from what you log. Free to start; code TRYFREE01 adds a month of Pro.
Get GymAdapt on the App Store → Free to start. Pro is $4.99 a month or $24.99 a year (7-day free trial), or $59.99 once for lifetime. iPhone only. In English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, German and Japanese.Sources
- Garage Gym Reviews: Nike Training Club review
- Garage Gym Reviews: Caliber strength training app
- Boostcamp: is Boostcamp free? (Pro pricing)
- Hevy Help Center: what is Hevy Trainer?
- SensAI: Fitbod review 2026 ($15.99/mo, $95.99/yr)
- Planfit: free workout plan
- ACSM position stand: progression models in resistance training for healthy adults
- Schoenfeld et al. 2016: training frequency and muscle growth (meta-analysis)
