In our Fitbit Aria Air review, our expert product tester ordered the smart scale to find out more about what what if offers and how it fits in with other Fitbit products. Let’s get started. 

We Know Fitness Technology

Your friends at Garage Gym Reviews are fitness industry experts with a collectively wide range of expertise as gym owners, Olympic-level athletes, certified personal trainers, and certified nutrition coaches. We have tested and reviewed tons of fitness technology products including the best fitness trackers, headphones, apps, training programs, and weight loss programs. 

Our experts are committed to helping you reach your fitness goals by testing and reviewing products so you have a better understanding of the product you’re buying. We’d rather you make quality purchases and fully utilize your investments. 

For this Fitbit Aria Air review, Nicole Davis, CPT, PN1-NC, and GGR Head of Content, ordered the smart scale and used it for several weeks prior to giving her full review. During the assessment, she used our in-depth fitness equipment testing methodology to score a variety of categories including price, weight capacity, accuracy, and available data. 

Fitbit Aria Air

FitBit Aria Air

GGR Score: 3.8

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Product Highlights

• Smart scale from Fitbit
• Displays weight data for unlimited users
• Wirelessly syncs with FitBit app via Bluetooth

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Available in two colors: white and black
• View trends/progress with charts and graphs in FitBit app
• Unlimited different users able to sync with scale
• Affordable for a smart scale

Cons

• Requires FitBit account
• Does not store data
• Measurements and reading limited
• Only connects via Bluetooth to the Fitbit app

Bottom Line

Fitbit Aria Air is a smart scale that wirelessly sends data from the scale to the FitBit app. It allows up to eight different users. The scale will automatically determine the user based on weight, so you’ll have to select yourself if your weight is similar to another user registered on the scale. It does require the FitBit app and account, so if you’re not already using Fitbit products, you may want to look elsewhere. Some customers did find the connectivity to be inconsistent.

A Quick Look at the Fitbit Aria Air

Fitbit started in 2007 with a humble clip-on device that could track steps, distance, and calories burned. Since then, it’s become a household name with an extensive line of fitness trackers and smart watches. 

While the brand is known for fitness trackers, the Aria Air smart scale was launched in 2019 with the intention of syncing to the Fitbit app to track weight alongside other fitness metrics from Fitbit-branded wearable devices. 

RELATED: Best Workout App

Before You Buy

• Our tester thinks the Aria Air is the best investment for those who already use a Fitbit tracker and are in the Fitbit ecosystem. 
• The Fitbit Aria Air does not connect to any other apps other than the Fitbit app. 
• The Aria Air can be used with up to 8 different profiles. 

Is the Fitbit Aria Air Worth It?

During our testing process of several different smart scales, the prices ranged from $50 to $150 per scale. That said, the Fitbit Aria Air earns a 5-star rating from Nicole with a price tag of $49.95 on both the Fitbit website and Amazon. 

While Nicole was pleased with the price, she notes the purchase doesn’t make sense for people who don’t already use Fitbit products. “I’m already in the Fitbit ecosystem with my Fitbit Sense 2 smart watch, but if you are not already a Fitbit user, I’m not sure it’s worth it,” says Nicole. 

Fitbit Aria Air Smart Scale Specs

Setting Up and Using the Fitbit Aria Air

Getting started with the Fitbit Aria Air was super easy for GGR Expert Tester and Certified Personal Trainer Nicole Davis. Nicole already wears and uses the Fitbit Sense 2, so she had the Fitbit app downloaded on her phone when she unboxed the smart scale. 

For that reason, the set up was seamless and earned a 5-out-of-5-star rating. Nicole is also confident if you’re new to Fitbit products, downloading and navigating the app for the first time shouldn’t be a problem. 

The Fitbit app has two options: free or premium. Regardless of your membership status, you will be able to use the smart scale to track your weight  and view your metrics on the Fitbit dashboard. The Aria Air smart scale also has the ability to track multiple users, which means it isn’t limited to reporting data on only one family member. 

When it comes to using the Fitbit Aria Air, Nicole is not sure it offers much more than a bathroom scale. She mentions it can track weight within her Fitbit account, which is a nice-to-have feature, but ultimately the Aria Air is essentially a digital scale with Bluetooth. 

Additionally, it’s worth noting the brand warns to not use the Aria Air smart scale if you have a pacemaker or other internal medical device. Pregnant people should avoid the smart scale, as well as children under 13.

RELATED: Best Weight Loss App

Available Data on Fitbit Aria Air

Nicole scored the Fitbit Aria Air at 3 out of 5 stars for available data. The Aria Air can measure your body weight and provide you with your body mass index (BMI) which is a measurement solely based on your height and weight. 

The app automatically tracks weigh-ins, but you’ll need to open the app before stepping on the scale. This makes it easy to track your weight and BMI progress. However, it leaves a bit to be desired because some smart scales are able to track more advanced metrics like body fat percentage, skeletal muscle mass, body water percentage, and bone mass. 

Nicole mentions when she opens the app there is a graph for body fat percentage, but it’s blank and she hasn’t had success in figuring out how to measure body fat with the Fitbit scale. “It’s fine for what I need. Again, you aren’t already a Fitbit user, I’m not sure this would be worth it,” says Nicole.  

RELATED: Xiaomi Mi Smart Band 6 Review 

Accuracy and Weight Capacity

The Fitbit Aria Air smart scale earns 4.5 out of 5 stars when it comes to accuracy. Nicole tested the accuracy of the Fitbit scale against her kitchen weight scale. 

She weighed an unopened bottle of ketchup. On her kitchen scale it weighed in at 2 pounds and 14.6 ounces, which is about 2.875 pounds. On the Aria Air, the ketchup bottle was 3 pounds exactly. “This is pretty accurate, so I only docked a half-point in this category,” says Nicole. 

Additionally, the weight capacity is 400 pounds, which earns a 4-out-of-5-star rating. Scales with a capacity over 400 pounds earn our highest rating. 

RELATED: Garmin Forerunner 965 Review

Technology Features

For full functionality, you’ll want to use your smartphone’s Bluetooth connection to sync the scale with the Fitbit app. The Fitbit app is available on Apple iOS or Android devices. The Bluetooth smart scale is also compatible with Fitbit fitness trackers and smartwatches, which also aggregates wellness data to the Fitbit app. 

Nicole scored the technology features category at a low 1-star rating. Higher scores are reserved for smart scales with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity, the ability to connect with third-party apps (like Apple Health or Google Fit), and other name brand devices (like Garmin, Samsung, or Apple Watch). 

“This is a Fitbit product through and through. You have to be committed to the Fitbit ecosystem for this product to make sense,” says Nicole. 

RELATED: Apple Watch Series 6 Review 

Fitbit Aria Air vs Withings Body Composition Scale

Withings Scale

Withings Body Smart Body Composition Scale

GGR Score: 3.6

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Product Highlights

• Smart scale
• Priced under $100
• Tracks weight and body composition
• Can read heart rate
• Syncs with Withings app
• Connects with Apple Health or Google Fit

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Provides body composition metrics
• FSA/HSA eligible
• Battery operated

Cons

• Not 100% accurate
• Buggy app

Bottom Line

The Withings Body Smart scale not only tracks your weight on the scale and in the app, it can provide bone density, muscle fat, body fat, and heart rate readings.

At the time of writing this review, our team of experts is still undergoing testing of smart scales on other brands. While we haven’t yet completed our testing on the Withings Body Composition Scale, it’s an interesting comparison to the Fitbit Aria Air because of the additional body composition metrics it can provide. 

The Withings scale can track body fat, visceral fat, muscle mass, bone mass, and even your heart rate. There are quite a few customer reviews on Amazon stating that the metrics aren’t accurate, but one customer notes that they use it to see if their metrics are trending in the right direction, and don’t get too concerned about a 100% accurate baseline. 

Fitbit Aria Air also differs from the Withings scale because it only has a Blueooth connection, while the Withings has both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. 

RELATED: Best Heart Rate Monitors 

Customer Experience 

If you run into issues with your smart scale, device, or app there is an extensive FAQ section on the Fitbit website with several subcategories including setup, accounts, and user manuals. 

It’s worth mentioning that Google owns Fitbit as of 2020 and the general inquiry form that’s typically easy to navigate on any given brand’s website is a little more complicated for Fitbit. 

You’ll have to scroll all the way down through the FAQ section and click the “contact us” button, followed by the “customer support” button. This brings you to a new tab, which is essentially just a Google form. It doesn’t give you a customer support line to call right away, you’ll need to answer several questions before getting there. 

Nicole didn’t need to contact support, but in general our testers don’t appreciate when companies don’t have straightforward contact methods. That said, she still scored customer experience 4 out of 5 stars. She appreciates that the Aria Air has a 1-year warranty and 45-day return window. Just keep in mind you’ll need the original packaging for returns. 

Customer Reviews

On Amazon, the Fitbit Aria Air has over 7,000 customer reviews and an average rating of 4.2 out of 5 stars. There are several customer reviews noting they had the older model, Aria 2, and it was easier to use and tracked more stats, like body fat percentage. Unreliable connectivity is a common complaint among reviews, as well. However, there are many customers who are totally satisfied with metrics, accuracy, and connectivity. 

Final Verdict of Our Fitbit Aria Air Review

If you are a Fitbit user and want a scale that syncs with your Fitbit dashboard, this is an excellent smart scale option. Our tester, Nicole, found the Aria Air smart scale to be fairly accurate and modern-looking, and she liked that it comes in black or white. 

However, if you’re looking for a home scale with more detailed body composition metrics (like body fat percentage or bone density) then this is not the best smart scale for your home. 

Full Rating

Fitbit Aria Air

Fitbit Aria Air is a smart scale that wirelessly sends data from the scale to the FitBit app. It allows up to eight different users. The scale will automatically determine the user based on weight, so you’ll have to select yourself if your weight is similar to another user registered on the scale. It does require the FitBit app and account, so if you’re not already using Fitbit products, you may want to look elsewhere. Some customers did find the connectivity to be inconsistent.

Product Brand: Fitbit

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 49.95

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
3.8

Fitbit Aria Air Review: FAQs

This is a powerful tool, especially for those of us who train alone in a home gym. But choosing the right app can feel overwhelming, and you don’t want to waste your time trying an app that simply isn’t effective. 

In this Legion Fitness App review, I’ll share an inside look at this personalized coaching app that we tested for a full 12 weeks. I’ll discuss the pros and cons, what it’s like to use the app, how it works, and help you decide whether it’s worth adding to your fitness toolbox. 

Tested by Certified Fitness Professionals

Every review here at GGR starts with hands-on testing. Our testers include certified personal trainers, certified nutrition coaches, gym owners, CrossFit enthusiasts, and even an Olympian—in other words, we know the ins and outs of fitness.

For this review, our tester was Lindsay Scheele, a certified personal trainer, an expert product tester, and the face of the Garage Gym Reviews Everything YouTube channel. Lindsay used her testing experience to assign a score to the most important categories to consider, including:

• App setup
• Ease of use
• Pricing
• Accountability
• Workout variety

Legion Fitness App

Legion Fitness App

GGR Score: 4.61

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Product Highlights

• Customized monthly coaching
• Nutrition coaching included
• App only available to paying clients
• Pricing isn't disclosed and may fluctuate

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Custom workout plans
• Nutrition coaching available
• Responsive coaches
• Accountability and support

Cons

• Expensive
• Pricing not disclosed
• No community support

Bottom Line

The Legion Fitness App allows members of the Legion VIP Coaching Program to interact with their coach, receive custom workouts, and record progress. It's not cheap, but our tester absolutely loved her experience, particularly the level of individual attention she received from her coach.

A Quick Look at the Legion Fitness App

This online coaching program comes from Legion, a company known for high-quality supplements like Legion Pulse pre-workout, Whey+ protein powder, creatine, and more. 

Legion was founded by Mike Matthews, a fitness expert and author of several fitness books, including Bigger, Leaner, Stronger and Muscle for Life. The Legion supplements we’ve tested are high-quality products with no artificial sweeteners, clinical dosing, and clear third-party testing, which set a high bar for our expectations of the coaching program.

Within the Legion app, you’ll be able to record custom workouts provided by your coach, message your coach, see your progress over time, unlock badges and achievements, and even sync the app with MyFitnessPal to record your nutrition. 

Whether you’re focused on weight loss, bodybuilding, weightlifting, or any other fitness goal you can think of, Legion’s expert trainers can help you with a personalized workout routine delivered in a user-friendly app.

While the app itself is great, you’re really paying for online coaching rather than a feature-packed app, and access is provided to current coaching clients. This isn’t really an app to consider if you’re looking for pre-made programs to follow on your own. Plus, there’s no free coaching.

Note: There’s a free app available from Legion called Stacked, which allows users to track their workouts, but this review is focused on the app for paying clients.

Before You Subscribe

• The Legion Fitness App is designed to work with Legion’s online coaching program, connecting you to an expert fitness coach who will design your training and nutrition program.
• While not cheap, the app’s level of individual attention, support, and program customization impressed our tester. 
• For those looking to work on their nutrition, Legion will provide macro targets, and you can pair the app with MyFitnessPal to automatically import your food diaries for your coach’s review.

Legion Fitness App Video Review

Is the Legion Fitness App Worth It?

Paying for an online coach isn’t cheap, especially if you’re looking for the premium experience Legion delivers. However, our tester stands by the app, and we think many users will love the coaching experience.

Legion Fitness App Specs

Getting Started With the Legion Fitness App

To get started, you’ll first join the Legion Online Coaching program. This begins with a very detailed intake questionnaire, which Lindsay said took about 30 minutes to complete.

From there, you’ll be paired with a coach and set up with the Legion Fitness App. Lindsay said the app is a custom-branded version of Trainerize, but this isn’t a bad thing, as Trainerize is specifically designed for online training. 

Once you’re set up, you’ll be able to start messaging with your coach, and they’ll build your custom training plan tailored to your goals, preferences, and equipment access. Whether you’re training at a commercial gym, in a home gym with barbells and dumbbells, or with your own body weight, Legion’s coaches can build a perfect plan for you.

Experience With the Legion Fitness App

For this review, Lindsay Scheele, a certified personal trainer and the face of Garage Gym Reviews Everything, spent 12 weeks using the coaching services and Legion app to test the functionality and coach interaction before assigning a score.

She wasn’t sure what her goals would be, but discussed this with her Legion coach, and decided to focus on body composition, aiming to lose fat while building strength and muscle.

During her coaching experience, she lost 12 pounds on the scale, while increasing her squat, bench press, and deadlift. This shows that Legion’s programming can help users build muscle and strength, even in a calorie deficit.

Lindsay was so impressed with the program that she continues to use the app on her own, and has been training with Legion for the past 6 months.

The App Experience

Setting up the app was very simple, receiving a 5-out-of-5-star rating. Even the tech integration was very easy for Lindsay, who said, “I was able to connect my Apple Watch to it with no problem, which is saying something, because I have no gifts when it comes to understanding how technology works.”

One of her favorite features is the ability to earn badges for reaching various fitness milestones. As someone who loves earning things, she found the quest for badges provided a bit of extra motivation and enjoyment along her journey. 

The Legion Coaching App allows users to chat with their coach with the built-in messaging system, view and record workouts (with video demos), track progress via measurements and photos, and even import nutrition data from MyFitnessPal. 

RELATED: 8 Best Online Workout Programs

When you open the app, you’ll receive a daily checklist of action items for the day, helping you stay on track to reach your goals. If you’re trying a new exercise and aren’t sure if you’re using the correct form, you can upload videos of yourself performing the movement, and your coach can provide feedback.

That said, this isn’t an app you can go download and use without the Legion coaching team adding you as a client. 

Coaching and Accountability

Overall, Lindsay was very impressed with the coaching experience, especially the attention and support she received. She was able to message her coach any time she had questions or concerns, and usually received a response within a couple of hours. 

RELATED: 8 Reasons an Online Trainer Can Be Great for Beginners

Her coach regularly checked in to see how she was doing, noticed if her performance was suffering, and could help modify the plan on the fly. She gives the coaching and accountability a 5-out-of-5-star rating.

Progressive Overload

The Legion Fitness App automatically records your lifting sessions, as you’ll record your sets and reps as you’re going through each workout. This is a great way to focus on progressive overload. The app will automatically fill-in your workout with the weights you used last time, allowing you to increase the weight or try to complete more reps. 

We give the Legion Fitness App a 5 out of 5 for progressive overload.

In addition to lifting stats, the app allows users to record body measurements, scale weight, and upload progress photos, with various charts that display your progress over time.

Lindsay said, “I love being able to see what weight and how many reps I lifted the week before, and it helped challenge me to do more the next week. I liked the chart it used to show my weight and progress, and didn’t feel like anything was harmful or unhelpful.” 

Pricing and Subscription Options

One of Lindsay’s biggest callouts is the lack of clear pricing, which isn’t disclosed anywhere on the sales page. We reached out to Legion, and were informed that while there are several tiers of coaching available, one-on-one coaching ranges from $250 to $700 per month, depending on which tier you choose. 

Overall, we have to give this a 3 out of 5 for pricing. The service is fantastic and in the same price range as hiring a personal trainer, but we know this is still a significant investment for many.

Trial Period

Since the app provides personalized coaching from a certified fitness professional, there’s no free trial period, but Legion’s money-back guarantee allows you to request a refund within the first month if you’re not satisfied. 

Lindsay did point out that her coach gave her an extra week to try the workouts and see if she had any feedback or wanted to change anything, but this was after she’d paid to get started.

Legion Fitness App vs Future App

Future App

Future

GGR Score: 4.3

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Product Highlights

• Virtual training from qualified coaches
• Personal plan designed to help reach your goals
• Great interface
• Use our link for 62% off your first month

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Incredible user interface; very well designed and intuitive
• Choose your own coach based on your personal preferences and goals
• Lots of variety in your workouts

Cons

• No real-time coaching from your trainer
• $199 per month membership cost

Bottom Line

An online training program that's staffed by real-life humans, and one of our favorite fitness apps.

If you want to try online coaching, but Legion isn’t your cup of tea, the Future app is another great option to consider. 

Future also connects users with a personal trainer who delivers custom workouts and support, and can check your workout form if needed. Everything is delivered in an app. 

The main difference is that Future doesn’t provide nutrition coaching, and a few negative reviews mentioned that the workouts didn’t feel personalized.t However, these negative reviews were few and far between. Future is also significantly cheaper than the Legion Fitness App, especially when you use our Future coupon code.

Overall, while both choices are great, Future is better for people who only need programs and don’t care about nutrition coaching. The Legion Fitness App is better for those who want help with both training and nutrition, and are willing to spend more. 

For more, be sure to read our in-depth Future App Review.

Customer Experience 

The Legion Online Coaching Program is a premium experience, and there are no free trials, though the customer experience still earns a 4 out of 5. Lindsay was extremely impressed with how helpful and responsive her coach was, and users can request a new coach if they don’t enjoy their current coach. 

While you can’t complete a 12-week program and ask for your money back, you can stop during the first month and receive a full refund. 

We’re not surprised to see this, as Legion offers one of the most generous return policies in the industry for its supplements. It seems the customer service for coaching is also excellent. 

Customer Reviews

Since this is a paid coaching program, there aren’t many public reviews, though the coaching sales page is full of testimonials and transformation photos.

The Legion Coaching App has a 4.9-out-of-5 rating on the Google Play store with 22 reviews, though no reviews are available on the App Store. 

The three comments had positive things to say about the app itself, but nothing about the coaching. 

Final Verdict of Our Legion Fitness App Review

If you’re looking for an app that connects you with a certified coach who provides support, custom programs, nutritional advice, and accountability, it’s hard to beat the Legion Fitness App. 

Our tester found the coach to be extremely helpful and responsive, she loved using the app, and she lost 12 pounds in 12 weeks while significantly increasing her strength. This isn’t a cheap experience, but for those who want an online coach, this is one of the best optins we’ve seen. 

• The Legion Fitness App is only available to paying clients.
• Pricing isn’t disclosed on Legion’s website and may fluctuate, depending on the time of year. When we reached out to Legion, they said the monthly fee can range from $250 to $700.
• If you’re not happy with the service, you can request a refund within the first month or change coaches if you don’t feel your current coach is a good fit. 

Full Rating

Legion Fitness App

The Legion Fitness App allows members of the Legion VIP Coaching Program to interact with their coach, receive custom workouts, and record progress. It's not cheap, but our tester absolutely loved her experience, particularly the level of individual attention she received from her coach.

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 250

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.61

Legion Fitness App FAQs

Along with Garmin, quite a few large companies specialize in wearable fitness trackers, like Polar, Samsung, Apple, and Fitbit. This means choosing the right option for your goals and preferences can be very confusing. 

In this in-depth Garmin Forerunner 965 review, we’ll take a closer look at Garmin’s premiere running watch. This watch is absolutely packed with features and has a battery that can easily last more than a week. But is it the right watch for you? Let’s find out.

Tested by a Certified Fitness Professional

Every GGR review is based on extensive hands-on testing from our team of expert testers, which includes certified personal trainers, athletes, gym owners, and more. We spend plenty of time with each piece of equipment, carefully assigning a final score using our equipment testing methodology. 

For this review, GGR Senior Editor Amanda Dvorak, ISSA-CPT, spent several weeks wearing this watch, assigning scores to the most important categories, including:

• Aesthetics
• Tech capabilities
• Durability
• Value
• Customer service

Garmin Forerunner 965

Garmin Forerunner 965

GGR Score: 4.4

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Product Highlights

• Garmin running watch
• Color AMOLED display
• Features multi-band GPS and built-in maps
• Provides suggested workouts and training readiness
• Shows on-wrist running dynamics and training status
• Includes USB C cable and manual

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Available in 3 colors
• Both touchscreen and button control
• Live location tracking and incident alerts with location data
• Built-in maps and multiband maps
• Tracks sleep data and provides a readiness score in the morning

Cons

• Short 1-year warranty
• Expensive at almost $600 dollars
• No ECG heart rate tracking
• No wireless charging capabilities
• Very mixed reviews on the Garmin Connect App

Bottom Line

The Garmin Forerunner 965 is a running watch with multi-sport functionality. It features an AMOLED display, multi-band GPS, and built-in maps and tracks your activity, recovery, and sleep. Customer reviews for that watch are mostly positive. However, multiple customers dislike the Garmin Connect interface.

A Quick Look at the Garmin Forerunner 965

Garmin specializes in equipment for athletes, outdoor enthusiasts, and those looking for the best possible fitness tracking. It carries a wide range of smartwatches and GPS devices, from high-end watches like the Garmin Epix Pro and Garmin Fenix 7 to minimalist trackers like the Garmin Vivosmart 4. 

The Forerunner 965 is the next evolution of the Garmin Forerunner 955, and the latest (at the time of writing) watch that’s focused on runners.

Some fitness trackers tend to lean into the smartwatch side of things. However, with streaming music, sleek designs, and cellular data plans, the Forerunner 965 is truly meant for those looking to track as many advanced health metrics as possible. 

This watch can track nearly any activity you’d like, the battery should easily last 1 to 2 weeks, and setting up your watch is quick and easy. It’s not the cheapest fitness tracker, but if you’re an endurance athlete who cares about tracking as many health and fitness metrics as possible, this is one of the best options on the market.

Before You Buy

• The Forerunner 965 is certainly geared toward elite endurance athletes. Some of the advanced features may go entirely unused by those looking for a basic fitness tracker and smartwatch. 
• Our tester found that her watch battery easily lasts 1 to 2 weeks with regular use, so you won’t need to charge the watch very often. 
• If you’re used to something like an Apple Watch, know that you can’t use a cellular data plan with this watch. 

Is the Garmin Forerunner 965 Worth It?

With a retail price of $599 at the time of writing, this watch is right in the middle of the pack. It’s not the cheapest fitness tracker, but it’s certainly not the most expensive option either. Here’s who we think would benefit from this watch.

Garmin Forerunner 965 Specs

Using the Garmin Forerunner 965

Our tester, GGR Senior Editor Amanda Dvorak, CPT, wore the Garmin Forerunner 965 for about two and half weeks, using it for her runs, CrossFit workouts, and walks with her dog. She’d previously owned and used the Garmin Venu, and was familiar with the Garmin app and ecosystem. 

Even though the Forerunner 965 is packed with features that may seem overwhelming, Amanda found it quite easy to use after spending a day exploring the features. She said, “It took me a day or so to figure out what all of the buttons do and how to access the screens for starting a workout or looking up my other health stats, but now that I’m used to it, it’s not difficult at all.”

Overall, Amanda was very impressed with the watch’s features, although she mentioned that it is geared toward runners and could be a bit much for those who simply want basic smartwatch features and a step counter. That’s not to say you should avoid it, but if you don’t need all the features, there are plenty of more affordable options, like the Fitbit Charge 4.

Fitness and Health Tracking

The health tracking component is the most important thing to consider with any fitness tracker. Anyone considering a Garmin is probably looking for advanced health and fitness tracking, and on that front, the Forerunner 965 tracks nearly anything you can imagine. 

Amanda said it best in her testing notes: “The amount of stuff you can track with this watch is insane.”

Here are a few of the most notable health metrics you can track with the Forerunner 965:

• Resting heart rate
• Body battery
• Training readiness score
• Sleep insights (including a nap detector)
• Pulse ox (for measuring oxygen saturation in your blood)
• Stress levels
• Daily step count
• Daily calorie expenditure
• Vo2 max
• HRV
• Sleep tracking
• Training load

That’s just the health metric side of things. When it comes to activity tracking, Garmin allows you to track over 80 activities, including running, walking, hiking, HIIT, biking, swimming, SUP, rowing, kayaking, and more.  

RELATED: What is VO2 Max?

As if that’s not enough, Amanda noted that the watch gets even more granular for specific types of activities. For example, rather than simply tracking “running” as an activity, Garmin allows you to choose between running on a treadmill, running outdoors, or trail running, allowing you to record the most accurate data. 

The training effect feature tells you whether a workout should be classified as active recovery or high aerobic training. It can also tell you how long you spent in each heart rate zone after a workout, and the daily morning report will tell you how well-recovered you are for the day ahead.

We’re not done yet—there are a few other unique metrics that aren’t often found in fitness trackers.

“It also measures things I never thought about before, like a heat acclimation score,” said Amanda. “For women and individuals who menstruate, you can also log the dates of your periods in the Garmin Connect app. Eventually, it learns your schedule, and I’ve found that it’s pretty good at predicting when my next cycle will start.”

Durability and Construction

With a fitness tracker like the Garmin Forerunner 965, it’s safe to assume that many users will expose their watch to regular wear and tear.

The AMOLED display has a 454 x 454-pixel resolution, a built-in touchscreen, buttons on the side for additional control, and a durable titanium bezel. You can also choose to use an always-on display screen, though that may impact the battery life.

A good fitness tracker is one that’s built to last, and Amanda gave the Forerunner 965 a 5-out-of-5 rating for its durability and construction. She’s only had the watch for a few weeks but wore the original Garmin Venu for four years, and it worked perfectly the whole time. She expects the same from this watch as well. 

Technology Capabilities

The Garmin Forerunner 965’s technology capability score is a strong 5 out of 5. While most of the technology capabilities were covered extensively in the health and fitness tracking section, there are a few more important things to mention. 

You’ll use the Garmin Connect app to sync your watch and set up your profile, and within the app, you can participate in various challenges and earn badges. The Garmin Connect app can also be used to pair your watch with third-party fitness apps if you want, like Strava or MapMyFitness.

The Garmin Connect app can also be used to install streaming music apps like Spotify or Amazon Music or customize your experience by choosing from a variety of watch faces, widgets, and apps. You can also use Garmin Pay to make purchases anywhere that allows tap to pay. When paired with your phone, you can receive notifications about text messages and phone calls on your watch.

RELATED: 9 Best Running Apps

There is no cellular LTE plan available, but the powerful internal GPS can help you navigate your run. You just won’t be able to make a call or text unless you also have your connected phone with you.

Battery Life and Charging

Garmin claims that the Forerunner 965 battery can last up to 23 days in smartwatch mode, but Amanda found that the actual battery life was a bit less with regular use and activity tracking. 

She said, “When I first got it, I charged it up to 100% then used it to track 6 different activities, and got about 9 days out of it before I needed to charge it. Charging it from 8% to 100% took about an hour and 15 minutes. Since then, I’ve actually gone close to 10 days and have tracked some kind of activity on it every single day, and it’s at 35%.”

This has a very impressive battery life compared to many other fitness trackers and smartwatches, especially with a bright AMOLED screen, though it may not reach the full 23 days. 

Comfort and Style

While comfort and style are secondary to the features for most users, they’re still important, and Amanda gave the Forerunner 965 a 3 out of 5 for aesthetics. 

The watch is available in three colors, and as Amanda noted, certainly has a rugged, “sports watch” look and feel. It’s very sporty and won’t look out of place with casual wear. However, if you’re going somewhere more formal, you’ll probably want to leave this watch behind or wear a more discreet tracker, like the Oura Ring. 

Amanda said the silicon watch band slides around her wrist a bit when sweating, but this would be the case with most watches unless the band is very tight. She also mentioned that certain exercises that bend her wrist back, like front squats, can push buttons on the side, so she has to take the watch off or push it further up her arm.

Garmin Forerunner 965 vs Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch Series 9

Apple Watch Series 9

GGR Score: 4.51

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Product Highlights

• Pricing starts at $399
• 18-hour battery life
• Seamless integration with other Apple devices
• Tracks heart rate and steps
• Can track body temperature and energy expenditure
• Optional data plan available
• Added data unlocks calls and texts without your phone

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Tracks heart rate, body temperature, ECG readings, and more
• Stream music, calls, and texts with a data plan
• Works seamlessly with other Apple products

Cons

• Battery only lasts up to 18 hours
• Sensors don't work well with tattooed skin
• Not much different from previous models

Bottom Line

The Apple Watch Series 9 is a fantastic smart watch with integrated health and fitness tracking, especially for those who use other Apple products. The battery isn't very long, and the design hasn't changed much over the years, but this is a great choice for those who want a smartwatch that functions like a small iPhone.

If you’re looking for the best possible health and fitness tracking, the Garmin Forerunner 965 is hard to beat. However, if you’re more interested in a true smartwatch that allows you to leave your phone behind, you may want to consider the Apple Watch Series 9, which functions like a small iPhone on your wrist. 

The main difference is the ability to add the watch to your cellular plan. I own the Apple Watch Series 9 and have it paired to my cell phone’s data plan for an extra $10/month, allowing me to stream music, make phone calls, and send text messages without my phone.

However, the Apple Watch’s fitness tracking features aren’t nearly as robust as the Forerunner 965, and the battery only lasts about 18 hours when used regularly. The Series 9 battery will last up to 7 hours when using GPS tracking outdoors, something to keep in mind if you’re doing an ultra-endurance event or triathlon. You can also spend more to upgrade to the Apple Watch Ultra, which doubles the battery life.

Overall, the Forerunner 965 is the better choice for those looking for an extended battery life and advanced fitness tracking. The Apple Watch Series 9 may be better suited for those looking for a true smartwatch, who aren’t as worried about the health and fitness side of things.

Customer Experience 

Garmin’s customer experience earns a 4-out-of-5 rating. If you order from Garmin, you can return your watch in its original condition within 30 days, and the watch includes a 1-year limited warranty.

While we haven’t had to contact Garmin support, you can reach customer support via phone, chat, or email. If you purchase your watch from a different retailer, you’ll need to follow that retailer’s return policies. 

Ordering the Garmin Forerunner 965

Ordering the Forerunner 965 is very easy, as Garmin offers free shipping on orders over $25. Amanda was also very impressed with the shipping speed, noting that she ordered her watch on a Wednesday and it arrived on a Friday. 

When you order from Garmin, you’ll also have the option to finance your purchase with Klarna.

Customer Reviews

Garmin doesn’t publish customer reviews on its website, so we turned to Amazon. At the time of writing, the watch has a 4.6 out of 5 rating and 447 reviews.

Customers like the display, battery life, and map features, though a few mention the heart rate monitoring isn’t very accurate. Some don’t like that the watch doesn’t include a wall plug for the USB-C charger.

Final Verdict of Our Garmin Forerunner 965 Review

This is a fantastic watch if you’re looking for a fitness tracker with a powerful battery that can track nearly every health and fitness metric imaginable. The only thing missing is LTE connectivity to make calls and stream music without your phone, but the trade-off is the incredible battery life. 

It’s sporty-looking and may be a bit much for those who are looking for basic smartwatch features, but if you’re an endurance athlete who wants to track as many health metrics as possible, this is one of the best options on the market. 

• The Garmin Forerunner 965 isn’t cheap, but it’s packed with more features than nearly any other smartwatch on the market. 
• Our tester found that her battery lasts about 1.5-2 weeks with regular use, though your battery life may vary. 
• This won’t replace your phone the way other smartwatches might, but you can preload music ahead of time and automatically see text and phone notifications if you have your connected phone with you.

Full Rating

Garmin Forerunner 965

The Garmin Forerunner 965 is a running watch with multi-sport functionality. It features an AMOLED display, multi-band GPS, and built-in maps and tracks your activity, recovery, and sleep. Customer reviews for that watch are mostly positive. However, multiple customers dislike the Garmin Connect interface.

Product Brand: Garmin

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 599.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.4

Garmin Forerunner 965: FAQs

But the question is, is it done well? Our BetterMe review will take a look at the positive aspects and at some of the things we’d like to see improved. At the end, we’ll tell you who we recommend BetterMe for and where to find other apps that might suit you better. 

We’ve Tested More Than 60 Fitness Apps

Your friends at Garage Gym Reviews take testing, scoring, and reviewing fitness equipment and programs seriously. We develop an in-depth testing methodology for every type of product we test and score a variety of categories on a scale of 1 to 5. 

For our BetterMe review, GGR Head of Content and Certified Personal Trainer Nicole Davis put the app to the test. During her testing process, she scored categories like cost, ease of use, trial period, accountability, instruction, workout variety, and progression. 

BetterMe App

BetterMe: Health Coaching App

GGR Score: 3.5

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Product Highlights

• Pilates app
• No equipment required
• Nutrition features
• Step tracking
• AI-powered personalization
• Features mindfulness exercises

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Option to message a coach
• Accountability features
• Beginner-friendly
• Affordable base price

Cons

• No community or leaderboards
• Limited options for progression
• Negative customer reviews on cancellation policy

Bottom Line

The BetterMe app is Pilates-focused workout app aimed toward beginners. It has a nutrition function where you can track calories or gather healthy meal ideas.

A Quick Look at BetterMe

BetterMe launched in 2017 with the goal of helping people create sustainable healthy habits. The brand now offers a fitness app, a mental health app, corporate wellness plans, and an apparel line. 

It’s worth noting that many customer reviews report that the BetterMe workout app is a scam. Some customers even say their credit cards were charged after canceling on their iPhone or Android. While our tester didn’t experience problems with canceling, it’s worth pointing out that more than one customer review mentions this issue.

RELATED: Best Free Workout Apps

Before You Buy

• For workouts, the app features mostly Pilates and bodyweight-focused movements. Our tester says there is also a limited number of dumbbell workouts. 
• BetterMe can be found in Google Play and the Apple App Store, and it can be used on Apple Watches. 
• BetterMe also has a mental health-specific app (called BetterMe: Mental Health), which is separate from the one we’re reviewing. 

Is BetterMe Worth It?

When it comes to price and overall value, Nicole scores the BetterMe app at 3 out of 5 stars. Pricing is $20 per month, which is pretty average, but there are premium features and in-app purchases that can add up. 

For example, Nicole used the chat feature to talk with a BetterMe coach and it cost $3.99 to send a message. She also noticed that fitness and wellness challenges required additional payment. 

“If you’re a beginner and want to focus on Pilates workouts, it’s probably worth it,” says Nicole. “However, when you add on the cost of challenges and talking to a coach, you’re looking at $30 or $40 per month, which may not be worth it.”

RELATED: Nike Training Club Review

BetterMe App Specs

Using the BetterMe App

GGR tester Nicole is a casual runner and weight-training enthusiast. She’s also a personal trainer and has worked with clients of all fitness levels, including pre- and postnatal clients.

That said, she’s no stranger to folks having a hard time keeping up with healthy lifestyle habits. “In theory, the BetterMe app seems great with food tracking, step counting, and workouts all in the same place,” says Nicole. 

“However, it doesn’t seem to be successful yet,” she adds. “I only focused on the workout part of this app, but I read a ton of scathing reviews on the nutrition function.”

RELATED: Best Weight Loss Programs 

Pricing and Subscription Options

BetterMe: Health Coaching offers a 7-day free trial. You’ll have the option of paying for a weekly, monthly, or 12-week plan. We noticed the pricing on the BetterMe website is different from the Apple App Store. For example, if you’re signing up on the website the 4-week workout plan is $38.95 without a free trial, but there was a discounted first month (plus, we found it odd this method has you pay via PayPal). In the App Store, it’s only $19.99 with a free trial. 

The BetterMe monthly subscription will auto-renew until you cancel in your account settings or through your device’s settings. As we mentioned earlier in this review, there are in-app purchases for challenges and sending direct messages to a health coach. Both the trial period and pricing earn a middle-of-the-road 3-star rating from Nicole. 

Setup and Ease of Use

After Nicole downloaded the BetterMe: Health Coaching app, she took an extensive quiz about fitness goals (weight loss, improve well-being, build muscle, etc.) and other health and wellness interests including meal plans, calorie counting, intermittent fasting, and workout plans. 

She was also quizzed on mobility issues, daily schedule, sleep schedule, activity levels, diet type, and what her “dream body” looks like. “I like that it guides you through the quiz then populates a plan just for you to follow, but the quiz seemed too long for my liking,” says Nicole.

Nicole gave the setup process as well as the app’s ease of use a 4-star rating. Based on how you answer the quiz, you’ll have daily workouts populated based on your goals and fitness level. 

“The app has a workout library, so you can go off-plan if you want to,” says Nicole. “But you can’t filter workouts, you can only filter by workout type: yoga, sofa yoga, wall Pilates, Pilates, and ‘busy mom’ workouts.” 

She notes you may have to do a bit of digging through the app if you want to, for example, do a core-specific workout. “But once you look around things are clearly labeled,” she says. 

RELATED: Best Workout Apps for Women 

Coaching and Instruction 

When you’re ready to complete a workout, you’ll have a video to follow along with, showing all the exercises, offering coaching audio, and providing rest periods. “The cuing and instruction is pretty good,” says Nicole, who scored the coaching category 4 out of 5 stars. 

She notes not to expect on-demand workout videos like you’ll find in iFIT or Peloton, but a video compilation of the app’s library of exercises. It’s AI-powered but Nicole reports it’s well done. “You follow along with the entire video, but it’s not like a Peloton class where the instructor is doing the workout with you,” says Nicole. 

RELATED: Peloton vs iFIT

Accountability and Community 

When it comes to accountability, you’ll be able to schedule your workouts and opt to receive push notifications for additional encouragement. As we’ve mentioned previously, you can participate in fitness challenges and engage in conversations with a BetterMe coach for an additional cost. 

Although Nicole wasn’t impressed with the added costs, she likes that these features are available. Overall, she scored accountability 4 out of 5 stars. “I submitted a question and a BetterMe coach responded back in one day. It seemed like they knew what they were doing, but my questions were not complicated or too in-depth.” 

RELATED: Best Personal Training Apps

Equipment Demands and Workout Variety 

You may like knowing that you won’t have to go out and buy the best home gym equipment on the market to utilize the BetterMe app. Nicole says the app offers mostly bodyweight exercises, some workouts requiring a wall, and a limited number of strength workouts that can be done with dumbbells. For equipment demands, Nicole gives the app a 5-out-of-5-star rating because it’s accessible whether you have a home gym or not. 

If you’re looking for an app with a ton of variety and different styles of training (like iFIT, Peloton, or Nike Training Club), this is probably not the best app for you because it only scored 3 out of 5 stars in this category. “This is predominantly a Pilates app,” says Nicole. “You will find a face yoga section, though.”

Speaking of variety, when we test apps, we’re also looking for some amount of progression. Variety is great, but you’ll need to come back and practice certain exercises and skills to make progress. Nicole scored the app 3 out of 5 stars in the progressive overload category because without paying for the added challenges, it doesn’t appear as though the app progresses exercisers into more challenging movements. 

BetterMe App vs Aaptiv 

Aaptiv

Aaptiv

GGR Score: 4.13

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Product Highlights

• Audio-guided workout app
• Over 2,500 workouts 
• New workouts each week

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Audio-based classes
• Thousands of workouts
• New classes each week
• Goal-based programs
• Free trial for annual plan

Cons

• Fewer coaches than competitors
• No information on nutrition
• Must sign up for annual plan to get the free trial

Bottom Line

Aaptiv is a great option for people looking for an alternative to video-based workout programs.

BetterMe versus Aaptiv is not an apples-to-apples comparison, but we haven’t tested many Pilates-specific apps with the addition of calorie counting and meal planning. However, if you’re interested in an app focused on strength training and meal planning, we suggest reading our CENTR app review.  

Aaptiv is a beginner-friendly workout app also powered by AI to create customized workouts based on your fitness level and goals. The main difference is that Aaptiv offers more than Pilates. You’ll be able to choose from cardio, strength, yoga, Pilates, and mobility workouts. Another notable difference: Aaptiv doesn’t have a nutrition feature. 

Former GGR tester and personal trainer Amanda Capritto reported that the Aaptiv workout programs offer 4 to 6 weeks of simple progressions. “They’re definitely basic programs, but would suffice for a beginner,” she says. That said, if you’re looking for a program that offers progression (at no extra cost) check out our in-depth Aaptiv Fitness app review. 

Customer Experience 

Nicole signed up for BetterMe through the App Store and was able to cancel her subscription in her phone’s settings. If you sign up via the website, you may have to log in to your account settings to cancel your subscription. 

If you have issues with your account or cancellation, there is only one method to contact the brand (which we don’t appreciate): via email at support@betterme.world. Because of this, Nicole scored BetterMe 3 out of 5 in the customer experience category. 

Customer Reviews

The reviews on the BetterMe app are all over the place. There are multiple reviews stating the app is a scam or complaining about poor customer service. But there are also tons of glowing reviews and happy customers.

On Trustpilot, the app has a 3.9 average rating, while it has a 4.7-out-of-5-star average rating on the App Store. 

Final Verdict of Our BetterMe Review

Nicole wanted to get on board with the BetterMe app’s all-in-one platform for nutrition, workouts, and mindfulness, but it missed the mark. Between the funky pricing variations, in-app purchases, and harsh customer reviews it’s not an app she recommends to most exercisers. 

Instead, Nicole recommends reading our best beginner workout app roundup for our top picks for newbies that feature strength training, yoga, and running apps. 

Full Rating

BetterMe

The BetterMe app is Pilates-focused workout app aimed toward beginners. It has a nutrition function where you can track calories or gather healthy meal ideas.

Product Brand: BetterMe

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 19.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
3.5

BetterMe Review: FAQs

In this Down Dog app review, we’ll dive into what you can expect from this app and cover everything we liked and some aspects we’d like to see improved. Let’s get started—namaste. 

Yogis and Fitness Professionals at Your Service 

Garage Gym Reviews is staffed with fitness industry experts ranging from certified personal trainers to certified nutrition coaches (and everything in between). For this Down Dog app review, GGR editor, expert product tester, and yoga enthusiast Frieda Johnson put the app to the test. 

Frieda is also a NASM-certified nutrition coach and an ISSA-certified specialist in exercise therapy. At the time of writing this review, Frieda practiced yoga with Down Dog for four months. She used our in-depth testing methodology to score and review the price, setup, ease of use, workout variety, and more.

Down Dog App

Down Dog

GGR Score: 3.6

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Product Highlights

• Over 60,000 configurations for a personalized yoga practice
• Beginner-friendly with a Beginner 1 Level in Vinyasa, Hatha, and Restorative
• Multiple practice types, including Vinyasa, Cardio Flow, Hatha, Gentle, Restorative, Yin, Ashtanga, Chair, Yoga Nidra, Hot 26, and Sun Salutation
• Available in multiple languages, including six different English-speaking voices and nine other languages.

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Auto-generated workouts so it is a different workout every time
• Fits all experience and fitness levels
• Download classes to use offline
• Configuration of poses and practices is immense
• Clear instructions

Cons

• Some reports of the app freezing
• Music is reported to be mediocre
• Pricing is not listed on their website

Bottom Line

For those who prioritize variety in their yoga practice, Down Dog offers over 60,000 ways to personalize your yoga practice, beginner-friendly options and various practice types. The pricing on their website is unclear.

A Quick Look at the Down Dog App

The Down Dog brand has more than one app to explore. In this review, we’ll dive into our experience with the yoga app only. But if you’re feeling adventurous, your login and membership on the Down Dog yoga app will give you access to the brand’s HIIT, Meditation, Barre, and Prenatal Yoga apps. Each discipline has its own downloadable app and platform, but you’ll have access to everything. 

RELATED: Benefits of HIIT Training

Before You Buy

• There is no free trial with the Down Dog app—your subscription starts immediately. 
• The Down Dog website offers the most current membership rates and promotions and may be slightly less than what you see in the App Store or Google Play.
• You’ll have voiceover options with different languages to choose from, including English, French, German, Spanish, and more. 

Is the Down Dog App Worth It?

Based on our experience, the Down Dog app is worth it for anyone who wants to practice yoga. The app offers tons of beginner level sessions and multiple ways to filter and sort your yoga workouts to customize your practice or make it more challenging. 

The app is priced at $9.99 monthly or $59.99 with an annual recurring subscription. You’ll find these subscription rates on both Google Play and the Apple App Store. However, the Down Dog website typically offers a discounted rate of $7.99 per month or $39.99 per year if you sign up directly through the website and not the app. 

Compared to many other top-rated yoga apps on the market, Down Dog offers affordable pricing and quality instruction. Our tester Frieda Johnson scored the app 5 out of 5 stars for price and value. 

RELATED: Best Free Workout Apps

Down Dog App Specs

Workout Experience with the Down Dog Yoga App

Our tester, Frieda, downloaded the Down Dog app with the intention of testing, using, and eventually deleting it. However, she enjoyed it so much during testing that she still uses it regularly. “I really enjoy Down Dog and it may be the best yoga app I’ve used,” she says. 

Frieda notes the app allows you to filter and select yoga workouts from an impressive number of categories, including music, instructor, time, and muscle focus. 

“I like how easy it is to customize based on what you want on any given day,” she says. “My yoga workouts are continuously challenging but attainable for my experience level.” 

Pricing and Subscription Options

You’ll have the option to either sign up for monthly or annual billing (($9.99 or $59.99, respectively) to access the Down Dog app. However, we noticed the app is often on sale if you purchase directly through the Down Dog website versus the app in the Apple Store or Google Play. 

Frieda signed up for a monthly subscription at $7.99 per month and noticed the annual membership was reduced to $39.99 per year. She rated the price and value of this yoga app 5 out of 5 stars. “I think this is a good price for what you get,” says Frieda. “In addition to the yoga app, Down Dog also gives you access to its HIIT, barre, prenatal yoga, and meditation apps.”

Frieda’s main callout with the pricing is the lack of a trial period. “The app charged my credit card right away when I signed up,” she says. 

After digging through the FAQs, Frieda noticed two mentions of a “brief free trial” but no mentions of how to get access to a free trial. We even read through a thread on Reddit about other users also being confused about the free trial. 

Based on our sleuthing, the app was free prior to 2018, so the price change may have caused lingering confusion. You can technically download the app for free (but you won’t have access to yoga classes or sessions) and make in-app purchases. For this reason, the app earns a 1-out-of-5-star rating in our trial category. 

RELATED: Nike Training Club Review

Down Dog App Setup and Ease of Use

Frieda scored the Down Dog yoga app 5 out of 5 stars for both setup and ease of use. She says getting started was easy. Even if you sign up through the website, it’s easy to log in once you download the app. 

Frieda went through a brief assessment to assess her fitness level and preferences on duration, type of music, and voice prompts. Once she finished that, she found the user interface easy to navigate. 

“It’s very simple. There are only a few basic aspects to the app: The home screen, journey, and history,” she says. “The journey tab tracks your yoga frequency, and history shows your past sessions and even provides a yoga pose list.”

Frieda explains the home screen is where you can customize your yoga classes by a variety of factors, including: 

• Skill level (Beginner 1 Level, Beginner 2 Level, etc.) 
• Music and playlists
• Yoga teacher or instructor voice
• Muscles used or body part focus 

Frieda also notes there is an account settings tab where you can access your account information and an extensive FAQ page within the app. 

RELATED: Best Workout Apps for Beginners 

Coaching and Instruction 

The Down Dog app earns a 4 out of 5 stars for instruction. While you’re not getting in-depth coaching, cueing, and reasoning for every pose or muscle worked, you will have instructional videos with helpful voiceovers for each session. 

“Don’t expect live classes,” says Frieda. “All sessions are patchwork videos of pre-recorded poses. Basically, each video session combines different poses together in different configurations depending on what you choose to focus on any given day.” 

Frieda says you’ll be able to look up and reference the video at any point during your session or listen to the coaching cues. “Most sessions also include breathing cues and tips,” she adds. 

RELATED: Aaptiv Fitness App Review

Accountability and Community 

When it comes to accountability in a workout app, our testers look for features like push notifications, structured workout schedules, or the ability to add your workout to your personal calendar. Some apps even offer group challenges, forums, and coach check-ins. 

Frieda scored the Down Dog app 1 out of 5 stars in this category because there are no accountability features. However, she notes there is a feature where you can set a goal of how many days per week you want to practice yoga. You can use the “Journey” tab to see your yoga practice streak and set that goal. 

Frieda thinks it’s worth mentioning you can also use the History tab to see which yoga sessions you’ve completed or add certain sessions to your Favorites to practice again. 

RELATED: Future App Review

Equipment Demands

While strength training apps like Caliber and CENTR require dumbbells and barbells, a yoga app doesn’t require much in the equipment department. Frieda gives the Down Dog app 5 out of 5 in this category. 

“You just need one of the best exercise mats and yourself,” says Frieda, which she finds especially important as a fitness professional and a tiny home dweller. She says some folks may want yoga blocks or a strap, but she opts to keep it simple with just a yoga mat. 

Workout Variety 

When it comes to variety, the Down Dog app earns a middle-of-the-road 3 out of 5 stars. Frieda says she wasn’t expecting a ton of variety since it’s a yoga-specific app. 

“Because it’s centered around yoga, many of the workouts will be similar,” she says. “However, you will have the ability to customize your practice enough to avoid getting bored.” 

And bored she is not. Frieda continued to use the Down Dog app after her official GGR testing period. As of this writing, Frieda is on her fourth consecutive month of using Down Dog multiple times per week. 

If you’re still concerned about variety, rest assured that your membership also gives you access to other Down Dog apps (all downloaded separately), including Down Dog HIIT, Barre, and Mediation. 

RELATED: Best CrossFit Apps

Down Dog App vs Daily Yoga

Daily Yoga

Daily Yoga

GGR Score: 2.9

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Product Highlights

• Over 100 yoga asana and meditation classes for all users of all levels
• Daily and weekly challenges along with a beginner-friendly tutorial series
• Smart Coach feature to streamline class selection and generating a 28-day schedule displaying a new class each day
• Personalized yoga plans and progress tracking

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Receives multiple awards and accolades
• Variety of routines offered to meet all fitness-levels and available timeframes
• Beginners do find the beginner series a great introduction to yoga
• Detailed pose library
• Good community

Cons

• Reports of the app being glitchy
• Free to download but subscription is required
• Pricing is very unclear on the website

Bottom Line

The Daily Yoga app is a comprehensive yoga and meditation app appreciated by millions of yogis worldwide. However, there are complaints about the app being glitchy and pricing is very unclear so it may not be for everyone.

If you’ve been researching yoga apps, you’ve probably landed on the Daily Yoga app as a popular contender. It’s highly recommended on social media. However, Frieda tested both Down Dog and Daily Yoga and preferred to stick with Down Dog to carry into her daily practice. 

While neither app offers live classes, she preferred the Down Dog sessions. She says the AI Coach in the Daily Yoga app is pretty chaotic and just throws you a bunch of random workouts adjacent to your goals. 

During the app setup process for Daily Yoga, Frieda said her goal was to focus on strength and flexibility. She then proceeded to get “arm toning” and “thigh toning” workouts, which seemed like a half-step away from traditional yoga and mobility exercises. 

One aspect Frieda liked about the Daily Yoga app was the “skills” section, where you can work on advanced yoga skills like splits and handstands. 

Customer Experience 

The Down Dog app allows you to cancel at any time directly from your smartphone. There is an extensive FAQ section on the Down Dog website outlining the steps to cancel whether you purchased your membership on the Down Dog website, Apple App Store, or Google Play. 

Frieda says there is also a support messaging feature within the Down Dog app. Overall, she gives the customer experience 3 out of 5 stars because she was neither blown away nor ticked off by the company support. 

Another thing we liked about the app is that you can share your login with other family members. The app isn’t supported by Apple Family Sharing, but the website notes you log in with the same account information with your family. Just keep in mind you’ll be sharing one shared profile and workout history. 

Customer Reviews

Between the Apple App Store and Google Play, there are nearly 600,000 customer reviews on the Down Dog app. Both platforms have a 4.9-out-of-5-star average rating. Most customers appreciate the solid yoga instruction and easy-to-use interface. 

The negative reviews centered around the setup process and the app lacking a free trial. 

Final Verdict of Our Down Dog App Review

The Down Dog app is an ideal workout app if you enjoy yoga or are new to exercise and not sure where to start. The app offers a wide variety of beginner-friendly sessions and ways to customize your sessions to make them more difficult. You’ll enjoy the Down Dog app if: 

• You don’t want to spend a ton of money on a monthly subscription.
• You’re limited on home gym equipment.
• You have experience or interest in yoga poses (asana) and styles.
• You want to take advantage of the other Down Dog apps for HIIT, guided meditation, and more.

Full Rating

Down Dog App

For those who prioritize variety in their yoga practice, Down Dog offers over 60,000 ways to personalize your yoga practice, beginner-friendly options and various practice types. The pricing on their website is unclear.

Product Brand: Down Dog

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 9.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
3.8

Down Dog App: FAQs

But we’re here to help.  We’ve tested over 60 workout apps searching for the best of the best. 

In this Street Parking review, I’ll be taking a closer look at one of the most value-packed apps we’ve used yet. I’ll tell you the pros and cons, what you can expect as a member, who the app is meant for, and everything else you need to know.

Tested by Certified Fitness Experts

Here at GGR, our team of expert testers has extensive experience testing all sorts of fitness and nutrition apps. In addition to being fitness enthusiasts, our team includes certified personal trainers, gym owners, and registered dietitians, and we know how to tell the good from the bad when it comes to fitness apps. 

As with all workout app reviews, we paid careful attention to specific features of Street Parking during our testing, including:

• App setup
• Pricing and trial period
• Workout variety
• Accountability
• Equipment demands

Each category is assigned a rating on a scale of 1 to 5, and we use these scores to calculate our final score. 

Street Parking

Street Parking

GGR Score: 3.76

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Product Highlights

• Affordable at-home CrossFit-style programming ($19/month)
• Membership pricing goes down if you commit to a longer time frame
• Can achieve a lot with basic fitness equipment
• Great for conditioning
• Very metcon-focused and less strength-focused
• No individualized training

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Doesn’t require a lot of equipment
• Workouts usually don’t take longer than 30 minutes to complete
• Price goes down if you commit to a longer time frame

Cons

• Strength and skill work aren’t part of the main programming
• No individualized coaching

Bottom Line

Street Parking is a CrossFit-centric online programming option for people who want to achieve general physical fitness.

A Quick Look at Street Parking

Street Parking is a digital training community that provides accountability, virtual programming, and a library of workouts. Users can also pay an additional fee for a customized nutrition template. Two former CrossFit Games athletes, Miranda Alcaraz and Julian Alcaraz, created and launched Street Parking in 2016.

While Street Parking is popular with CrossFit enthusiasts, the app is packed with workout programs to choose from, including endurance training, strength training, bodyweight programs, daily workouts, and more. Whether you’re a runner, working out at home with limited equipment, or you’re a bodybuilder training in a fully-equipped gym, Street Parking has a program for you. 

RELATED: 8 Best Crossfit Apps

In addition to having plenty of workout programs, Street Parking has an active community that provides support and encouragement; users often train together on video calls, and may even plan local meetups.

Overall, if you’re looking for an app and community to help you reach nearly any fitness goal, all for under $20 per month, Street Parking is a great deal. 

Before You Subscribe

• Even though Street Parking was founded by CrossFit Games athletes and many of its coaches are CrossFit certified, the app includes programming for all kinds of goals.
• While paid coaching is available, Street Parking’s strongest feature is the community support you’ll receive when you join. 
• The extra programs are a nice feature, but it’s not always clear how to incorporate them into your regular workout schedule.
• Active service members can join Street Parking for just $15 per month. 

Is the Street Parking App Worth It?

With a low cost that ranges from $15-$19 per month depending on your plan, it’s hard to beat the value provided by Street Parking. However, just because it’s a good deal doesn’t mean it’s the right choice for everyone. 

Street Parking App Specs

Workout Experience with Street Parking

Amanda Dvorak, Senior Editor at Garage Gym Reviews, has been using Street Parking for several years, so she has plenty of experience testing this app. 

Amanda originally started using Street Parking in April 2020, but when she started, the program offerings were limited, so she didn’t use it very consistently. However, she’s been using it consistently since January of 2023, following the workouts three to five days a week.

In addition to daily workouts, the app now offers many different strength training and endurance programs, so Amanda was able to mix and match different workouts to create a balanced weekly training schedule for herself.

RELATED: How to Program Your Own Home Workouts

Overall, she loves the variety of classes and the Street Parking community, especially for those who train at home and want to feel connected to others. She also mentions that while there are plenty of daily workouts and structured programs to choose from, it’s not always clear how to combine them in a given week, which could be challenging for those who are new to fitness.

While nutrition coaching and nutrition templates are available for an extra fee, Amanda didn’t test those services herself, so this review will cover everything included with the standard membership.

Pricing And Trial Period

The most expensive Street Parking membership is the one-month membership, which costs $18.99 per month. This is still very affordable, especially for the number of workouts you’ll have access to, and if you pay for a 12-month membership upfront, you can bring that monthly cost down to $15 per month. 

Overall, the price earns a 3.5 out of 5 rating. 

The only drawback? There’s no free trial available, so you can’t explore the app before signing up. So unfortunately, Street Parking earns a 1 out of 5 rating for the free trial category. 

If you’re not ready to spend money on a fitness app, you may want to try one of the best free workout apps instead.

App Setup And Ease of Use

Setting up the account is easy and earns a 5-out-of-5, as you simply need to set your login information, select a payment plan, and you’ll be able to access the daily workouts, as well as the large selection of training programs, which include endurance plans, strength training plans, and plans designed for specific milestones, like achieving your first pull-up. 

However, once you get past the initial setup, using the app on a daily basis is where most of the problems start to show.

Amanda noted that the app is a little glitchy at times, which she was able to fix by logging out, and then logging back in. She also saw many complaints in the community about the workout selection process, as choosing from the large library of programs can feel overwhelming, and while Street Parking provides some educational material about building a program, many users found it confusing.

Another thing she didn’t like, and many community members agree with, is the built-in checkmark feature. When you complete a workout within a program, the app automatically highlights it and gives it a green checkmark.

This is great for tracking your progress, but the checkmarks never go away, so if you want to repeat the program once you’ve finished it, you’ll need to find a different way to remember where you left off. 

For ease of use, Street Parking earns a 3-out-of-5 rating.

Trainer Instruction and Equipment Demands

For equipment demands, Street Parking earns a 5-out-of-5. There’s a plan for everyone, including runners, those who want bodyweight workouts, those who want dumbbell-only workouts, and even those who have access to a fully equipped home gym. So regardless of the equipment you have access to, you’ll be able to get in a great workout. 

Sure, many of the plans do require things like a barbell and a pull-up bar, but those aren’t mandatory for every workout. 

As for the actual coaching and trainer instruction, Amanda gave this a 2-out-of-5 star rating. When you sign up, you’ll be assigned a coach and can email them whenever you want. Amanda never needed to reach out to her coach, but noted that she’s seen people in the Facebook community complain about not getting responses from their coaches. 

For the workouts, there are detailed instructions and video demonstrations for all exercises. The video shows the coach doing the movement and then breaks it down step by step with specific cues on the screen.

Many of the coaches are former CrossFit staff members or competitive CrossFit athletes, but they don’t make it clear which certifications, if any, the coaches actually have, so there’s no guarantee that you’ll be interacting with a certified personal trainer.

RELATED: What is CPT Certification?

Variety And Progression

When it comes to variety, Street Parking earns a solid 5 out of 5. With daily workouts and over 50 programs to choose from, there’s no shortage of options, and you’re sure to find a program you enjoy. 

Each daily workout is available in four options. Program A only requires a pair of dumbbells, Program B requires a barbell and a pull-up bar, Program C is meant for those who train in a fully-equipped gym, and Shift is meant for beginners, seniors, pregnant or postpartum moms, or those returning from injury.

Street Parking members can also choose from additional programs, like Suns Out Guns Out, a kettlebell series, programs to master your first push-up or pull-up, deadlift programs, and even postpartum plans.

However, within the daily workouts, which are similar to CrossFit WODs, Amanda found that Street Parking often felt a bit stale. She noted that in some weeks, entire workouts had no more than two movements in them.

RELATED: Beginner’s Guide to CrossFit Exercises

We still give this a 5-star rating because daily workouts are only one aspect, and you’ll still be able to access the large library of programs in the Street Parking app. 

For progression, Street Parking earns a 3 out of 5. There are strength and bodybuilding programs built into the app, but it’s difficult to track your progress over time. You have to go back and manually look at old workouts to see the weight you lifted last time, rather than being able to access a graph or have the daily workout pre-load the weight you used last time.

Amanda felt that the bodybuilding and powerlifting workouts were meant mostly to add on to the daily workouts, rather than being used as a standalone program to help you hit PRs.

Accountability and Interactive Features

Amanda gave Street Parking a 5-out-of-5 rating for accountability. Members receive access to a private Facebook group, and many members have Instagram pages specifically for Street Parking, where they follow each other and post their workout videos. 

Some members also workout together every day on video calls, local members often form meet-ups, and Street Parking holds large community gatherings periodically. 

There’s not much accountability from the coaches however, and even though they periodically offer focus groups or small-group nutrition coaching, Amanda found that her coach wasn’t very active or helpful in the focus group she joined. 

Interactive features also earn a 5-out-of-5 rating. The Street Parking Program includes detailed instruction videos for most movements, badges you can earn, and a large library of resources covering topics like mobility, nutrition, and recovery. 

Street Parking vs Caliber

Caliber

Caliber Strength Training

GGR Score: 4.68

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Product Highlights

• Strength training and nutrition app
• Personalized, data-driven workout programs
• Expert habit coaching
• Free and paid versions
• Private 1:1 coaching available
• Weekly lessons, metric tracking, nutrition syncing

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Scientifically-based training plans
• Individualized coaching for both fitness and nutrition with paid subscriptions is reported to be very thorough
• Free version offers a library of curated workout plans
• Reportedly easy-to-use

Cons

• Personalized macronutrient goals only available with paid versions

Bottom Line

Caliber Strength Training is a fitness coaching program grounded in scientific principles designed to increase strength and improve body composition. The app offers both group and individual training plans which are written and modified by a certified coach based on progress.

If you like the idea of a community and an affordable monthly program with the option to pay for personal coaching, Caliber is a great alternative to Street Parking. 

Caliber has a group coaching program that costs $19 per month, but you’ll choose one of four programs and have the workouts selected for you, while Street Parking provides all the workouts at once, and you have to choose your own. 

With Caliber, you can hire a coach to create customized workout programs, though coaching starts at $200 per month. Caliber also offers a free plan, allowing users to create and track their own custom workouts within the app.

Overall, Street Parking is better for those who want a strong community and prefer to choose their own daily workouts, while Caliber is best for those who want a clearly structured program with the option to hire a coach in the app.

To learn more about Caliber, be sure to read our detailed Caliber app review.

Customer Experience 

When it comes to the customer experience, Street Parking earns a 3-out-of-5 rating. The community is great, service members pay only $15 per month without requiring an annual commitment, and there’s a whole team of coaches leading the classes. 

However, there’s no free trial, so you can’t test the waters before spending your money, and the only support option is via email at support@streetparking.com, so you can’t speak to a live person. 

Customer Reviews

Street Parking has 295 reviews on the App Store with an average rating of 4.8, and the Android app is very new, so there are no reviews yet. 

Most reviews love the community and programming, and the complaints are generally about the app glitches, as the app often freezes and crashes, especially when viewing workout videos.

Final Verdict of Our Street Parking Review

While the app may experience technical difficulties at times, and new users may find the sheer volume of programs overwhelming, Street Parking is still a great app that many people will love.

It’s affordable, there’s a strong community, and no shortage of workouts to choose from if you want to add on to the daily workouts. Those who want personal coaching and support may need to choose a different option, but if you’re mostly looking for a community and programs to follow, Street Parking is a great choice.

Full Rating

Street Parking FAQs

Street Parking Full

Street Parking is a CrossFit-centric online programming option for people who want to achieve general physical fitness.

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 19

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
3.76

With home gyms on the rise for fitness enthusiasts, quite a few online personal trainers have developed as mobile apps, being able to connect you with a virtual trainer. One such app is FlexIt; this app can connect you to a one-on-one session with a virtual trainer based on your training interests and fitness goals. It’s flexible as well, since you can buy sessions in bulk or one at a time, then book them later.

This app may help you accomplish your goals, but is this virtual personal training app worth your money? I took a look at this app recently, and we’ll discuss its pros and cons in this FlexIt Fitness review.

Flexing Our Review Muscles

In the world of fitness and health and wellness, Garage Gym Reviews has made a name for itself. We take pride in providing honest and expert reviews on fitness equipment, supplements, and the best workout apps. Unlike other review sites, the overwhelming majority of products we recommend have had hands-on testing done by our team of certified personal trainers, lifting coaches, and lifelong athletes.

For FlexIt Fitness, I connected with a virtual personal trainer (VPT) for a 30-minute session. After my session, I explored the fitness app and all it had to offer. I rated FlexIt from 1 to 5 in categories based on our fitness equipment testing methodology:

• Trial period and price
• App setup and ease of use
• Level of instruction
• Accountability and interactive features
• Workout variety
• Equipment demands
• Overall value

FlexIt

FlexIt

GGR Score: 4.1

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Product Highlights

• FlexIt offers live 1-on-1 personal training and nutrition coaching online or via their app
• Take a goals assessment, choose a personal trainer, and customize your training schedule 
• Flexible gym access with participating gyms that eliminates memberships and contracts
• Sessions can be purchased via monthly membership or pay-as-you-go plans
• Sessions are available in 30, 45, and 60 minute increments

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Live virtual coaching
• Individualized
• Variety of membership options
• Convenient
• Comprehensive wellness plan
• Mix-and-match trainers

Cons

• Reports that the app is finicky
• Some users felt the initial assessment lacking

Bottom Line

As an alternative to in-person training, FlexIT offers live virtual coaching. Each training plan is fully customizable and sessions are available in 30, 45, and 60 minute increments.

A Quick Look at FlexIt

Headquartered in New York, FlexIt started in 2019 as a way for people to gain gym access across the nation, paying on their phone through the app—and only paying for the time they spent on their workout routine. In 2020, the company made a major shift to bring personal training to the consumer. Fitness training sessions with a virtual personal trainer can be bought and performed one-on-one online in the comfort of your home.

Originally starting with personal trainers and general strength training, FlexIt has branched into other health and wellness fields: weight training, yoga, Barre, mobility, TRX training, HIIT, functional fitness, meditation, Pilates, boxing, and nutrition coaching, to name a few. 

All coaches are certified in their respective fields, and you can find coaches to suit your needs. For example, if you’re looking for nutrition coaching, you can find a nutritionist to work with or a registered dietitian who can give you more involved coaching and meal plans. You can find a coach to challenge you, regardless of your fitness level.

Before You Buy

• Although the app is available on mobile devices, FlexIt recommends doing your virtual training sessions on a laptop with Google Chrome, or on a SmartTV.
• You can buy sessions in bundles and schedule them later, or you can subscribe to a monthly plan, which will save you money on each session. However, you’ll have to make a two-month commitment as well. You can purchase 30-, 45-, or 60-minute sessions with trainers, as single sessions or in bundles of 4, 8, or 12 sessions.
• While FlexIt virtual personal training sessions connect you with a certified specialist, FlexItPRO will connect you with a “premium” trainer. This trainer has worked with elite-level athletes or celebrities. Spots are limited, though, so you have to fill out an interest form to check availability.

Is FlexIt Worth It?

Prices vary for sessions based on the length of time and number of sessions, but you can expect around $40 per 30-minute session and around $80 for a 60-minute session. This cost is pretty expensive when compared to other health and fitness apps, but those other apps usually aren’t offering a one-on-one session with a virtual personal trainer. 

This pricing is toward the lower cost of an in-person trainer, so you can still save money compared to most live personal trainers. You’re not saving a whole lot compared to an in-person session, but with the added benefits of working out in the convenience of your home, there is some decent value in this product. I rate the value a 3.5 out of 5, as it’s worth the price, but some may prefer in-person sessions if they have access nearby.

Android users may have a different experience than Apple users, as well. We’ll go over the reviews later on, but many Android users had difficulty with the app interface, so this may be something to hold off on if you’re using an Android device.

FlexIt Specs

Using FlexIt

I worked with Chris Pabon, AAPT-CPT, in my 30-minute session through FlexIt. Chris is a good example of the coaches on the app, as he is a certified personal trainer with 10 years of experience, specializing in strength training and athletic performance.

Honestly, I was a bit nervous trying this app out when I did; as an elite athlete, I was just a few weeks out from a major international competition and I didn’t want to do anything that might throw off my training. Having not used the app before, I was worried I would get paired up with a drill sergeant who’d kick my butt for 30 minutes straight.

This wasn’t the case at all. After discussing with Chris a little bit about my upcoming competition, we talked about my current fitness routine and decided on a light bodybuilding session, focusing on the upper back and shoulders with dumbbells. We ended the session with some split squats, which were a great warm-up to my front squat session later in the day.

RELATED: Exercises for Upper Back

All this to say, I was very impressed with the professionalism and expertise during my virtual training session. Chris was knowledgeable and was able to suit the workout to my needs.

Let’s take a look at the app now, along with a deeper dive into training sessions.

Pricing and Trial Period

If there are weak spots to the FlexIt app, I’d say the price is one of them. Most online personal training apps can save you money when compared to an in-person training session. However, at about $80 for a 60-minute session, it’s only comparable to in-person training pricing—albeit it’s on the cheaper end of personal training. Because of that, I rate the pricing a 1 out of 5.

You get one trial session through FlexIt, but it’s not free. It’s heavily discounted, at only $5 for your first session. Along with this, new users also have a small library of 4-week programs available, which is a nice addition. Because the trial period is limited to one discounted session, though, I rate the trial a 2 out of 5.

App Setup and Ease of Use

In my testing, I used both the online portal and the Android version of the app. Setting up my account and getting started was a breeze; just fill out a short survey on your fitness goals (weight loss, muscle gain, etc.), and you’re ready to connect with a virtual trainer. I give the setup a 5 out of 5.

I found navigating the app fairly easy, as you can search for coaches based on schedules and training routines. The check-in feature for gym access is also available, although you’ll be limited if you’re in the wrong area—I had no gyms available in the Charlotte area. I give the app a 4.5 out of 5 for ease of use, only because FlexIt recommends using a laptop or TV for actual training sessions.

Instruction

My virtual trainer was knowledgeable, flexible, and willing to work with me based on my schedule and fitness goals. During our one-on-one session, he demonstrated each movement and gave coaching cues during each set of my workout. Getting real-time feedback is a priceless tool on a fitness app. Plus, each trainer you work with is a certified professional, earning FlexIt a 5 out of 5 in the level of instruction.

RELATED: What Is a Personal Trainer?

Interactive Features

FlexIt pairs you up with a virtual coach, meaning you get accountability during your workouts. During sessions, a timer is displayed to give the trainer and athlete a time frame on your rest periods, as well as your training session in total. Along with that, the app has achievements to earn, based on time spent on the app and the number of trainers you’ve worked with. I could see this being a very motivating app, earning it a 4 out of 5 for interactive features.

Equipment and Workout Variety

Because you’re working with an actual trainer, FlexIt training sessions are completely tailored to the equipment you have available and the types of workouts you want to do. My workout needed an adjustable weight bench and dumbbells, but trainers can accommodate with resistance bands, barbells, or even bodyweight movements.

Trainers specialize in different modes of training, so you can choose your trainer based on the mode of workouts you want to perform. They vary broadly from weight training to yoga and meditation, so FlexIt gets a 5 out of 5 for workout variety.

FlexIt vs Future

Future

Future

GGR Score: 4.3

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Product Highlights

• Virtual training from qualified coaches
• Personal plan designed to help reach your goals
• Great interface
• Use our link for 62% off your first month

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Incredible user interface; very well designed and intuitive
• Choose your own coach based on your personal preferences and goals
• Lots of variety in your workouts

Cons

• No real-time coaching from your trainer
• $199 per month membership cost

Bottom Line

An online training program that's staffed by real-life humans, and one of our favorite fitness apps.

Another online personal trainer that connects you to a personal coach is Future. Although similar, Future is priced differently, with a flat monthly fee of nearly $200. While that seems like a lot, Future connects you with a coach who you can communicate with outside of training sessions, and they’ll message reminders about workouts, as well.

Because of the flat rate, Future will probably cost less (unless you do a 4-session monthly plan on FlexIt). However, if you’re interested in multiple modes of training, FlexIt might be a better option since you can hop to different types of trainers with prepaid sessions.

Check out our in-depth Future app review for our full thoughts on this app.

Customer Experience 

Not to make a pun, but FlexIt is pretty flexible with its purchase options. You can buy sessions and book with a trainer later, or you can purchase a monthly subscription plan of four, eight, or 12 sessions each month. If you go this route, you’ll have a two-month commitment, though. You can cancel or reschedule a session up to 12 hours prior to the start of the session.

If you’re looking to cancel your monthly plan, after the initial two months you can send an email to customer service and they’ll help you cancel your subscription. There are multiple ways to contact them, either by phone, email, or a contact form.

Customer Reviews

Reviews on the Apple version of FlexIt are fairly high, as they average 4.7 stars out of 5 at the time of this writing. The Android version, however, has fewer positive reviews, earning only 3.8 stars.

The Apple reviews mostly talk about the gym access, and being able to just pay as you work out. The Android reviews go into the virtual trainer aspect of the app. The reviews are generally positive on the coaching and interaction; the lower ratings are based on the Android interface itself. Many users struggled to navigate the app, as hitting send on a message was hard to do because of the location of the button.

Some of the reviews are older, and it seems that FlexIt has worked on fixing most of these bugs since I have an Android phone and didn’t have any major issues with the app.

Final Verdict of Our FlexIt Fitness Review

The FlexIt Fitness app has a ton of options for just about any fitness enthusiast. For people in the right area, you can venture and try out new commercial gyms—but the big feature is the interaction with a virtual trainer. With a variety of specialists, you’re sure to find the right fit and method of training for your needs and fitness goals.

The trainers are certified professionals who you can trust to help you achieve your fitness goals. Although the pricing is higher than some may want from a fitness app, the flexibility and expert coaching may be enough for you to consider it to spice up your training program.

Full Rating

FlexIt App

As an alternative to in-person training, FlexIt offers live virtual coaching. Each training plan is fully customizable and sessions are available in 30, 45, and 60 minute increments.

Product Brand: FlexIt

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 36

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.1

FlexIt Fitness App: FAQs

The best workout apps are easy to use and provide great value with high-quality instruction and ways to hold you accountable, providing a more affordable alternative to individualized or in-person training with a professional. The Ladder app, which launched in 2020, has quickly been gaining steam, taking home workouts to a new level with strength training plans from knowledgeable coaches that take the guesswork out of your workout routine. 

I write about fitness and test fitness equipment for a living, so when I feel the need to sing the praises of a product, I know it’s the real deal; Ladder has earned that praise. Find out why in my Ladder app review. 

I’ve Been Working Out With Ladder for 7 Months (and Counting)

I’m a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach, and along with the whole GGR content team—which includes other CPTs, CrossFit Level 1 Trainers, runners, and even an Olympian—we’ve tested almost 60 fitness apps. The Ladder app is one that I’ve personally been using for seven months now because I think it’s that good. You’ll be able to see exactly why, too, as we give each app we test a score based on our proprietary testing methodology in categories like: 

• Pricing and value
• Variety
• Progressive overload
• Quality of instruction 
• Equipment demands

I’m relying on my professional experience as a certified personal trainer and fitness junkie, as well as my real life as a working mom of three, to form my evaluation of Ladder, and I’m laying it all out below.

Ladder App

Ladder

GGR Score: 4.3

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Product Highlights

• Progressive strength training app
• Train in 5-6 week blocks
• 1:1 coaching options
• 7-day free trial period
• Bodyweight training available

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Daily training options
• Uses progressive overload
• Affordable
• Tracks progress

Cons

• Must be on one workout track at a time
• Available on iOS only

Bottom Line

Ladder is a fitness app with daily strength training workouts. You'll pick your preferred training style and stay in that track for 5 to 6 week blocks, which gradually get more challenging.

A Quick Look at the Ladder App 

If you’ve been on TikTok recently, odds are you’ve seen Ladder pop up on your “For You Page.” The app was created with the idea of bringing personal training to people who wanted results without the cost typically involved (just one personal training session can cost anywhere from $25 to $100 per hour, depending on your area.) Ladder solves for that with a competitively priced app that allows people to work out from anywhere with minimal equipment.

RELATED: Best Personal Training Apps

The app currently offers 14 strength training programs from coaches with unique training styles—everything from strength x yoga to kettlebells to bodybuilding to HIIT workouts—all with a centralized goal: to help you get stronger over the course of six-week cycles. 

You’ll join a team, hit play, and follow along with the full video as your coach takes you through a pre-programmed workout complete with in-ear coaching. 

Before You Buy

• You should take advantage of the free, 7-day, no-credit-card-needed trial period so you can get a feel for Ladder and the different programs available. 
• Ensure that you have access to the minimal pieces of equipment you’ll need for the program you choose.
• Even if you’re an endurance athlete, you can still find value in Ladder as there are only 3 “must-do” workouts each week. 

Is the Ladder App Worth It?

I’ve had my hands and feet and eyes on a lot of fitness stuff, and I 100% believe that if your goal is to get stronger, the value you get from Ladder is unbeatable; I’m giving it a 5-out-of-5 rating in value because of this. 

For $30 a month, you get a multi-week series carefully planned and pre-programmed for you. You’d pay hundreds to get an online plan like this from a qualified CPT, and although you’re missing the personalization aspect of working with a trainer 1-on-1, I still think it’s well worth it for the average person who doesn’t have any specific concerns and just wants to get in better shape. There’s also a top-notch community aspect for a fitness app, which adds to the value as well. 

Ladder Fitness App Specs

Workout Experience With Ladder

I’ve been using Ladder for about seven months at the time of this writing. I’m no stranger to fitness, but after having my third baby, I needed a way to re-enter strength training in a way that was engaging, and most importantly, didn’t require me to think. Enter Ladder, which I was introduced to by following personal trainer Lauren Kanski on social media. 

I initially started with EMPWR, a strength x pilates program no longer available, to help me ease back into strength training. After about two months, I transitioned to Lauren’s Body & Bell kettlebell program and haven’t looked back. 

One of the things I like most about Ladder—and the thing I think most users will benefit from, plus what sets Ladder apart from other workout apps—is that it provides a foolproof way to achieve progressive overload. 

Although I’m fitness-obsessed, I don’t have time at this stage in my life to think about what kind of workout I should do or to write my own program. Although there are six workouts available in Body & Bell each week, Lauren indicates which three are the most important, which is another win—I’m currently getting back into running as well so I work in two to three Ladder workouts per week and have felt better than ever.

I love that I can track my stats, “take what I need,” as Lauren says—sometimes a work meeting calls or a kid is crying and I have to pause or skip a section of the workout, which is easy to do—and also sync my playlist seamlessly in the background. 

Pricing and Trial Period

Ladder offers a seven-day free trial, and you don’t have to put in your credit card information to take advantage—we like this! After the trial you’ll have to pay $29.99 per month for the Pro Plan, which includes up to two team changes per month. You can also join the Pro Plan on an annual basis for $179.99 (which works out to about $14.99 per month); this gives you all the benefits of the monthly Pro Plan, but also allows unlimited team changes as well as access to all Ladder teams and workouts. 

This earns Ladder a 4 out of 5 in the Trial category and a 2 out of 5 in the Pricing category. While the most affordable apps come in at $10 a month or less, I’ll emphasize again that I still think there’s huge value in what Ladder offers.

App Setup and Ease of Use

I give Ladder a 5 out of 5 in both setup and ease of use. When you download the app you’ll take a quiz about your demographics, goals, and equipment availability and it will help narrow down who may be the right coach for you. You can then join a team and start your free trial. 

I’ve personally tried many different workout apps over the years and this one has been the easiest to navigate and stick with because it takes the guesswork out of the equation. After you choose your program, all workouts for the week are pre-programmed for you. Once you’re ready for a workout, the app preps you with what equipment you need, allows you to sync Spotify and your Apple Watch, plus allows you to pause if you need more time to complete a set or have to take a break. It also allows you to record your weights/reps as an easy way to help achieve progressive overload

Trainer Instruction/Equipment Demands

Since this is a strength training app, you will need some equipment, like dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells, and resistance bands; it all depends on what program you choose. However, even for people who work out at home, most of this home gym equipment is easily attainable, which is why I rated Ladder a 4 out of 5 for equipment demands.

No machines or huge pieces of equipment like racks are needed for a majority of the programs. Coaches will also provide alternatives in their verbal explanations, like using dumbbells instead of a barbell for deadlifts; most people should have no problem finding an option that works. 

RELATED: How to Deadlift With Dumbbells

For instruction, I also gave Ladder a 4 out of 5. The coaches are knowledgeable and passionate, and that comes through. The video of each exercise plays on a loop while you’re doing it, and the coach will provide quick cues on form and effort before you start each set. I like the intro and outro videos that the coaches do for each workout and think it provides a nice personal touch. 

I will say though, that with both Body & Bell and EMPWR, I lean into my fitness experience for form. Some of the movements might be hard for true beginners to execute effectively without getting real-time feedback. This is my gripe with workout apps in general, not necessarily just Ladder—they can’t replace what an in-person fitness experience with a great trainer can provide. 

Variety and Progression

Ladder earns a 5 out of 5 in Progressive Overload. If you’re looking to gain muscle or get stronger, progressive overload is key. And this is one of the ways that Ladder really shines—it’s not a bunch of random workouts that you can choose from each day. Instead, all programs follow a series schedule, designed to help you gain strength in six weeks, followed by a deload week or two. 

RELATED: How to Increase Strength

For instance, when I open up my app this week, I see KB City, a conditioning and full-body strength workout, on Wednesday, and Thru The Roof, a lower-body and upper-body strength session on Thursday. You can swap the days of the workouts, but all you can complete for a specific week are the six workouts scheduled. 

For variety, Ladder earns a 3 out of 5. There isn’t a lot of variety once you get into a program, but that’s kind of the point—if you want to gain strength, you need to be doing a lot of the same exercises, but challenging yourself to lift heavier or add reps each time

This is also a strength-focused app, so if yoga or traditional cardio like running is solely your jam, then this app isn’t it. There’s some variety with programs in terms of modality—kettlebells, strength x pilates, strength x HIIT, bodybuilding, power/endurance—but you have to be committed to strength training to find use in this app. 

Accountability and Interactive Features

The best fitness apps provide maximum accountability: You can interact 1-on-1 with a coach who knows your goals. I give Ladder a 4 out of 5 for accountability, because although they seem to have gotten rid of their Elite Plan, which did give you 1-on-1 access to a coach, the Pro Plan still offers quite a bit in this department. 

For one, you can allow push notifications for motivation. There’s a group chat in the app where you can communicate with others doing the same program as you—the coach of said program is in here as well, answering questions as they can. You can also post proof to your social media after you complete a workout by taking a selfie through the app. There’s also a Badges section, where you can earn badges for weekly streaks, which helps with motivation, and you can give others on your team “Cheers.”

All of these features also earn Ladder a 5 out of 5 in the Interactive Features category. 

Ladder vs Caliber

Caliber is another strength training app that we love. It also focuses on progressive overload and mastery of the basics over something new each week, and the app itself is also easy to use.

The main difference is in structure—Caliber offers a free-forever version without a coach, the Pro version for $19 per month, which provides access to group coaching, and the Premium version starting at $200 per month, which provides individual coaching.  

Ladder and Caliber Pro are comparable in offerings (and we did do a Caliber app review that focuses on the Premium version of coaching if you’re interested in learning more about it.) Caliber does provide a bit more flexibility in equipment—there are even bodyweight options available—so it may be a better option for those who don’t have access to a lot, and also beginners who need to build a foundation. You won’t go wrong with either option, though. 

Customer Experience 

I haven’t had to contact customer service while using Ladder, but their policies seem pretty good. If you want to cancel, you need to do so at least three business days before your next billing date, and you can handle this through the app or by sending an email to hello@joinladder.com. This email is also open for any other questions you might have.

There’s also a support function in the app where you can submit a request for help as well as provide feedback. 

Customer Reviews

With more than 26,000 reviews in the Apple App Store at the time of this writing and a 4.9 overall rating, people seem to love using Ladder. 

Users praise the programming aspect of this app, liking that you just have to open it up and hit play and the workout is there waiting for you. People also love the team chats and the accountability that their team provides, and they appreciate that you can switch teams until you find one that speaks to you and your goals. 

Final Verdict of Our Ladder App Review

If you want to get stronger, and you like the flexibility and pricing of an app over in-person training, Ladder is worth a shot. 

• Ladder focuses on progressive overload, leading to real results in strength and muscle gain.
• Different modalities within Ladder, including kettlebells, bodybuilding workouts, and even strength infused with yoga and pilates, provide an option for many people. 
• The app is easy to use, and the community aspect provides real camaraderie among teammates.
• A 7-day free trial allows you to try the app out, and the $30 monthly cost is nominal compared to the value Ladder provides. 

Full Rating

Ladder App

Ladder is a fitness app with daily strength training workouts. You'll pick your preferred training style and stay in that track for 5 to 6 week blocks, which gradually get more challenging.

Product Brand: Ladder

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 29.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4.3

Ladder App: FAQs

Today, not only can you hire an online personal trainer, but you can also find medical care without leaving your house. Telehealth is thriving, allowing patients to speak with physicians, order bloodwork, and even receive medications and supplements from the comfort of their homes.

There’s no shortage of options when it comes to telemedicine, so it’s important to choose carefully when selecting a new provider. In this OPT Health review, I’ll be explaining how the service works, who it’s best for, and what our tester thought of his experience working with the team of providers.  

Tested by a Certified Fitness Professional

Here at Garage Gym Reviews, our team of testers is made up of fitness professionals, nutritionists, gym owners, and even an Olympian. We take testing very seriously, and do our best to provide unbiased reviews based on hands-on experience. 

While our team hasn’t tested many men’s health services at the time of writing, our tester (who will remain anonymous as we’re sharing medical information) has worked with similar companies over the years, and, like many of us, has experienced plenty of visits with doctors and healthcare providers over the years. 

For this review, we scored OPT Health based on several of the most important categories to look for in a medical provider, including:

• Subscription cost
• Consultations
• Treatment options
• Bloodwork requirements
• App features

Editor’s Note and Medical Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider. 

OPT Health

OPT Health

GGR Score: 4

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Product Highlights

• Online men's telehealth provider
• Specializes in testosterone replacement, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, and peptide therapy
• Monthly fee includes most supplements and prescriptions
• OPT Dashboard tracks your biometrics, lab work, and treatment plan

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Very thorough consultations with physicians
• Wide variety of services and treatments
• Most supplements and prescriptions are included in the membership fee
• Prescriptions shipped to your doorstep

Cons

• Expensive compared to other options
• The coaching program isn't very personalized
• Only offers services for men

Bottom Line

OPT Health provides telemedicine services for men who want to optimize their health, offering treatments for low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, and anti-aging. The monthly fee includes all supplements and prescription medications, but the advertised coaching is only a pre-made online course.

A Quick Look at OPT Health

OPT Health is a telemedicine platform designed to help men optimize their health and wellness through nutrition, lifestyle changes, supplementation, and prescription medication when needed. The company is run by a team of men’s health experts and takes pride in offering thorough, detailed coaching and treatment for a variety of men’s health concerns. 

What sets OPT Health apart from your regular physician is the level of interaction you’ll receive with your medical team, which comes in the form of a quarterly 60-minute consultation with your OPT Health doctor, as well as a dashboard that tracks important health metrics over time. 

At the time of writing, OPT Health currently offers testosterone replacement therapy (TRT), anti-aging medications, peptide therapy, and treatments for hair loss, erectile dysfunction, and insulin resistance—everything you need to get started on your health optimization journey. 

RELATED: Best Health Apps

OPT Health emphasizes health span over lifespan, which is the number of years you’re enjoying optimal health, rather than simply staying alive. The ongoing monthly membership fees include all consultations and most prescriptions, which are mailed directly to your doorstep if your doctor prescribes any treatments.

Before You Subscribe

• OPT Health only works with men and ships any prescribed medications and supplements to your doorstep after thorough bloodwork and a 60-minute consultation with a physician. 
• The membership includes most medications, your bloodwork, and doctor’s consultations. 
• This isn’t the cheapest men’s health service, but the doctors really take their time going over every part of your bloodwork and health profile, which is a great experience. 

Is OPT Health Worth It?

OPT Health has a high monthly cost of $95 to $695 per month along with initial lab fees of $195, so before you sign up for a membership, you’ll want to make sure they can offer what you’re looking for. If you think you need monthly medications, this may be a good choice, but you should still think carefully before committing to anything. 

OPT Health Specs

Getting Started With OPT Health

Getting started with OPT Health was an easy process. First, our tester created an account and was then prompted to order the initial bloodwork, which costs $195 at the time of writing. The lab order will be sent to your email address, and you can schedule an appointment with Labcorp at your earliest convenience, or even schedule an in-home lab visit. 

After the company receives your bloodwork, your results will be uploaded to your patient dashboard. Here you’ll fill in some personal information, including recent biometrics like your height, weight, and blood pressure, and you’ll be able to see your lab results once they’re available. 

RELATED: Best Weight Loss Program for Men

Once you’ve completed your bloodwork, you’ll have an initial 60-minute consultation with an OPT Health physician, who will make recommendations on what to do going forward, including helping you choose a membership plan if you move forward with the program. 

Experience With OPT Health

Once you’ve created your account and received your lab order, you’ll be well on your way to beginning your OPT Health membership. Here’s how the experience went for our tester.

Labs and Testing

The initial bloodwork was quite comprehensive, testing even more factors than many physicians will order for general bloodwork. The lab order arrived via email to be done at a Labcorp location, and our tester was able to schedule an appointment within a few days. We give the labwork a score of 5 out of 5 stars.

Labcorp also offers in-home blood testing at the time of writing for an additional fee, so you can have a technician come to your house and draw your blood if you don’t have time to get to a Labcorp. 

Virtual Consultation

The initial consultation was extremely thorough, earning a rating of 5 out of 5. After the initial blood test results are received and uploaded to the patient dashboard, you can view your health metrics, progress, biological age, progress photos, recent labwork, and more. 

The consultation was scheduled for 60 minutes, and our tester’s consultation went for the full hour. The doctor didn’t rush the consultation in any way and was very friendly. 

Our tester noted that this was the most in-depth consultation he’d ever had with a doctor. The physician went through all of the important information from the bloodwork, explaining what each number meant, which lifestyle factors impact it, and what ranges the doctors like to see. 

Interestingly, while typical lab results provide a large range for acceptable health, OPT’s model was a bit stricter, coloring each result green or red based on whether it was within the optimal range. Even some of the red scores would have been considered normal according to most lab tests, but the physician explained that OPT looks for optimal health for longevity, rather than simply an acceptable range. 

RELATED: Does Creatine Increase Testosterone?

The doctor also spent plenty of time going over lifestyle factors like exercise, sleep, nutrition, and stress, before finally making suggestions on an ongoing plan moving forward. On the nutrition front, the doctor seemed to heavily push the ketogenic diet and encouraged only purchasing grass-fed, organic foods from local markets. This isn’t necessarily bad, but may not fit everyone’s budget, and some athletes may prefer a diet higher in carbohydrates.

The only call-out is the multiple technical difficulties during the video consultation. At one point in the meeting, the tester was logged out of the dashboard entirely, ending the call, and once re-connecting, the call dropped briefly two more times. The doctor offered to move to a phone call if it happened again, but this wasn’t necessary.

Treatment Options

Many online clinics that provide TRT services tend to use standard protocols for most patients, but OPT Health’s plan is very individualized to help improve your health, longevity, and overall well-being. We give OPT Health a 5-out-of-5 score for the variety of treatment options. 

While OPT Health doesn’t publicly list all of the available medications, the company treats low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, and hair loss, and offers epigenetic testing and peptide therapy.

The doctor recommended a few specific supplements, nutritional changes, and prescription medications based on the specific concerns of our tester. He advised our tester to stop taking certain supplements that were unnecessary and suggested that our tester use more magnesium and vitamin D supplements.

The dietary supplements arrived a few days later, sent in OPT Health-branded bottles, and medications arrived in discrete packaging about seven days later from a compounding pharmacy, which makes medications on-demand for doctors who send in prescriptions.

RELATED: Best Testosterone Boosters 

Lifestyle Coaching

While OPT Health advertises lifestyle coaching, our tester wasn’t too impressed with this aspect, scoring it a 3 out of 5. The doctor made a few specific recommendations, including supplements and medications, and spent time talking about nutrition and lifestyle factors during the call. 

However, after the call, the tester received only brief notes from the doctor that summarized what was discussed in the call. The rest of the coaching came in the form of several long documents that seemed very generic, as well as access to an online course that covers various health topics but isn’t customized. 

The content was good, but it didn’t feel very personalized, so you’re mostly getting access to a pre-made online course, rather than coaching. However, you will have quarterly follow-ups with a doctor, where you can discuss your progress and treatment plan, so further coaching may take place during that session. 

OPT Health Dashboard

The OPT Health dashboard is a great tool and provides plenty of information. You’ll be able to track biometrics, lab work, all of your consultation notes, and progress photos along the way. This is also where you’ll access your online course, which is referred to as the coaching program, and you can see your treatment plan and history. 

The dashboard is where you’ll see your OPT Performance Score, which is created from your lab results, monthly check-ins, and any connected wearable devices or health trackers.

You can also see reminders of upcoming appointments when logged in to your dashboard. 

Pricing and Subscription Options

To get started, you’ll pay a $195 fee for the initial labs, which your doctor will use to determine a treatment plan in the initial consultation. 

If you move forward, you’ll be able to choose from one of three membership tiers. The Foundation plan costs $95 per month, the Optimization plan costs $245 per month, and the Longevity plan costs $695 per month. 

All plans include lab work, supplements, follow-up labs, and quarterly physician visits, as well as medications that can be purchased separately. The Optimization plan is for those who will be using hormone replacement therapy, as it includes medication and all necessary supplies. Finally, the Longevity plan also offers epigenetic testing, and the initial test is $645 rather than $195.

RELATED: Best Supplements for Men

Most supplements and medications are included, though the physician who spoke with our tester did suggest a few supplements that would be an additional fee, so it’s not exactly clear which supplements and/or medications may have an extra cost.

OPT Health doesn’t take any insurance plans, so all fees must be paid out of pocket, though you may be able to use your FSA or HSA plan.

Compared to other men’s clinics I checked at the time of writing, the monthly fee for the Optimization plan is higher than some of the more affordable companies that offer TRT. However, you do get long consultations with the doctor, which offsets the cost a bit. For the overall price, OPT Health gets a 3-out-of-5 rating.

OPT Health vs InsideTracker

InsideTracker

InsideTracker

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Product Highlights

• InsideTracker is a service that provides you with personalized training and nutrition advice by analyzing your blood biomarkers
• Each recommendation is backed up by scientific research
• The company will never try to sell you on a particular supplement brand or training plan
• There are several different plans
• There's also a genetic screening option that can show your genetic risk for different conditions and traits

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Price of blood work is included in most packages
• Company doesn’t promote specific products or workout plans
• Evaluates dozens of blood biomarkers in one simple test

Cons

• Not everyone has access to a blood lab or home testing
• Can be costly, but financing plans are available
• The scientific study backing up the test was funded by InsideTracker, which raises some credibility concerns

Bottom Line

A research-backed service that provides you with personalized training and nutrition advice by analyzing your blood biomarkers.

We haven’t reviewed any other men’s health providers at the time of writing, so we’ll compare this to InsideTracker, a similar program that offers insights based on bloodwork, DNA, and your fitness trackers.

The main difference is that OPT Health is centered around your treatment with a physician, who provides in-depth consultations and medications as needed. With InsideTracker, you don’t speak with a physician, but you’ll still receive personalized recommendations from the program, and it looks at more than just your bloodwork. 

Overall, OPT Health is best for those who want to speak with a doctor or are considering TRT, while InsideTracker is best for those who want to track bloodwork, DNA, and fitness activity with detailed suggestions but don’t need specific supplements or prescriptions. 

To read more, check out our complete InsideTracker review.

Customer Service

Our tester found that the doctor himself was great, and customer service was quick to respond via email. However, the OPT Dashboard has a live chat option for support, but our tester never received a response to multiple messages and follow-ups sent via chat. 

This may be a technical issue, but it seems that email is the only way to reach customer service. There are no refunds, though you can cancel your membership at any time. With only one way to reach customer service and a broken chat feature, we give OPT Health a score of 3 out of 5 for customer service.

Customer Reviews

As OPT Health is a newer service, we couldn’t find reviews anywhere besides the company website. That said, reviews are quite positive, and our tester had a good experience, so we’d assume most users will be happy with their results. 

Final Verdict of Our OPT Health Review

Overall, OPT Health is a great choice for men who want to work with a physician from the comfort of their home, receive detailed labwork and consultations, and have prescriptions and supplements shipped to their homes.

If you’re ready to take control of your health but aren’t interested in any of the medications, the monthly fee is a bit high for bloodwork and consultations every few months considering the coaching is a short online course. 

Full Rating

OPT Health

OPT Health provides telemedicine services for men who want to optimize their health, offering treatments for low testosterone, erectile dysfunction, hair loss, and anti-aging. The monthly fee includes all supplements and prescription medications, but the advertised coaching is only a pre-made online course.

Product Brand: OPT Health

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 195.00

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4

OPT Health FAQs

The Train Hard app was developed by 2008 CrossFit champion Jason Khalipa and is built on good old-fashioned hard work, sweat, and tears. If you’re up to the challenge, buckle up!

We’ve Tested More Than 50 Online Training Programs 

Your friends at Garage Gym Reviews are strength and conditioning experts with more than two decades of collective experience. For our Train Hard app review, Lindsay Scheele, lead reviewer for Garage Gym Reviews Everything, put this CrossFit-style training plan into action. 

Lindsay is not just an expert product tester but an ISSA-certified personal trainer and CrossFit Level 1 Trainer. During her month-long testing experience, Lindsay was tasked with scoring a variety of categories using our in-depth testing methodology. Her testing process focused on the overall programming, progressive overload, equipment demands, user interface, instruction, accountability, and membership price. 

Train Hard App

Train Hard App

GGR Score: 3.75

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Product Highlights

• Virtual training program designed by CrossFit champion Jason Khalipa
• Three programs to choose from
• Flexible payment options
• For iPhones only

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Three workout programs
• Designed by a CrossFit champion
• Flexible payment options
• Community feature for accountability

Cons

• Not the best for fitness beginners
• Not customizable

Bottom Line

Train Hard is a virtual training program designed by former CrossFit champion Jason Khalipa designed to help people get through training slumps and accomplish their fitness goals.

A Quick Look at the Train Hard Fitness App

Jason Khalipa is not only a CrossFit champion, he’s the founder and CEO of the Train Hard app, NCFIT media (podcast), and NCFIT gyms (CrossFit-style gyms sprinkled across North America). Jason lives a life dedicated to strength and conditioning and helps home gym owners take the guesswork out of programming CrossFit workouts at home. 

If you sign up for Train Hard you’ll have three workout tracks to choose from: FORCE, FLEX, and EMOM. All programs run on five workouts per week with two active recovery days. Later in this review we’ll cover what each track entails. 

Before You Buy

• You’ll need a well-equipped home gym or access to a commercial gym to follow this CrossFit-style training program. 
• Train Hard app is now available for both iPhone and Android operating systems. 
• There is no free trial with the Train Hard app. 

Is the Train Hard App Worth It?

Based on our experience with the Train Hard app, this is not the best workout app for beginners. If you’re new to barbell training and strength training in general this is not the best place to begin. At $30 per month, we think this app is worth it for folks who have well-established movement patterns. It’s also meant for folks interested in CrossFit-style training. This is not intended for bodybuilders, powerlifters, or sport-specific athletes. 

And before you sign up, you’ll want to inventory your home gym and make sure you have a basic squat rack, bench, barbell, and dumbbell setup. Plus, you’ll also need to inventory your time: Workouts last between 30 to 60 minutes and run on a five-day program. 

Train Hard App Specs

Using the Train Hard App

Our tester Lindsay Scheele enjoys CrossFit as part of her regular workout routine and was excited to give Train Hard a try. She used the app for a month, making sure to get all five programmed workouts per week. 

Like we mentioned earlier, there are three programming tracks to choose from: FORCE, FLEX, or EMOM. Here’s what you can expect from each track: 

• FORCE: CrossFit-style workouts with functional training, barbell movements, and Olympic lifting. 
• FLEX: A blend of functional training and bodybuilding to aid in building muscle and strength.
• EMOM: Time-efficient EMOM-style workouts with an option for dumbbell-only EMOMs.  

Lindsay followed the FORCE program to a tee for four weeks and found the programming packed with challenging exercises, range of motion, rest periods, and incremental increases to her deadlift, squat, and push press. 

Lindsay notes that while the instruction is pretty high-quality, it may be hard for folks new to Olympic lifting to learn a clean or snatch (even with a dumbbell) from a short video. Because she did CrossFit previously, she has a good foundation for the Olympic weightlifting movements. 

Pricing and Subscription Options 

The pricing structure for Train Hard starts at $29.99 per month with a slight price break if you sign up for six-month recurring payments ($159.99) or annual recurring payments ($299.99). 

Typically we score workout apps fairly low around the $30 per month price range. However, because the other two membership options offer a price break, the app earns 3 out of 5 stars for pricing. 

We also think it’s important to mention there is no trial period, which means the app earns a 1-star rating in this category. In fact, the brand claims it’s an intentional choice by saying, “We want people on the Train Hard app who are ready to commit.”

Train Hard App User Interface

The Train Hard app offers a pretty intuitive user interface. Lindsay says, “Once you know the workout lingo you won’t have to toggle off the screen with the workout program.” 

Within the app, you will have the ability to track your weight and reps for each movement. “You’ll have no doubt what weight you put on the bar,” says Lindsay. “This is helpful because you’ll work through a lot of the same movements during a single training block, which lasts about a month.”  

RELATED: Best CrossFit Apps

Lindsay just has one qualm with the user interface: She would love to see the in-app timer pre-programmed to the workout of the day so you don’t have to reset the timer for every EMOM or AMRAP. 

Another callout she has is the fact the timer turns down the music volume on your phone and doesn’t automatically return it to the original volume. “It got to the point where I was working out and couldn’t hear my music anymore. All I could hear was the timer.” For this reason, Lindsay rates the user interface 3 out of 5 stars. 

Instruction

The Train Hard app earns a 4-out-of-5-star rating for instruction. Lindsay used and appreciated the “prepare” tab in the app that allows you to glance at the programmed movements, demonstration videos, and an estimated one-rep max table to help you gauge what weights you might be loading up on a particular lift. 

“When you go to watch a demo video, the app populates WODStar videos, which are pretty informative,” says Lindsay. 

“There are cases when the demo video is loosely tied to the programmed movement. For example: Alternating dumbbell suitcase lunge. The video provided was just a lunge. While I know how to perform a lunge, I had to hop off the app to google the movement to ensure I was doing it correctly before starting my workout,” says Lindsay. 

RELATED: CrossFit Certification Review 

That said, Lindsay found the group chat forum inside the app super helpful and was able to gain clarity on acronyms and tempo. She also says there is a “start here” tab within the app that offers a cheat sheet for things like workout nomenclature and equipment lists. 

Speaking of training lingo, Lindsay thinks it’s important for folks new to functional training or CrossFit to know that tempo shows up frequently in functional-style training. Tempo has four digits and is expressed with the letter X or the number 0, 1, 2, or 3. The order of the tempo numbers follows a specific pattern: Down, hold, up, pause. For example, if a push-up calls for “30X1” tempo, here is what to expect: 

• 3 – Take 3 seconds to lower into the push-up
• 0 – Zero hold at the bottom
• X – Explode up as quickly as you can
• 1 – Hold at the top for 1 second before the next rep

RELATED: Beginner Push-Up Program 

Lindsay also notes there is a macro view of the Train Hard programming. While it’s super small and not available to download, she notes that it’s helpful to see an overview of the whole year of training and what each phase will focus on. 

Accountability

When it comes to accountability, Lindsay was looking for the option for push notifications, challenges, coaching check-ins, and group forums. While Train Hard doesn’t offer push notifications or coach check-ins, it’s not void of external accountability. Lindsay found that the overall schedule and workout structure led to its own sense of accountability to stay up with the workouts. She also notes the community chat forum felt encouraging. 

RELATED: Best Personal Training App

“The community aspect was fun to read what other members were saying about the workout or cheering everyone on for that day,” says Lindsay. Overall, she gives the app a 4-out-of-5-star rating for accountability. 

“I also appreciate that Jason Khalipa and his team respond to the questions and engage in the comments,” she adds. “I liked this feature because the workouts were challenging and sometimes hard to do alone in my home gym.”

Workout Variety and Progression 

Workout variety exists in the Train Hard app, but within a functional training with a barbell-style environment. However, we often test apps that offer too much variety and not enough progression, which comes from repeating and practicing the same movements from week to week. 

Progressive overload is at the core of the Train Hard program, with four-week training blocks and a year-long macro training overview. Lindsay says she progressed her deadlift and push press in just a month, which surprised her because both of those lifts had been stagnant for months. 

Lindsay says that because Train Hard offers progressive overload, it’s ideal for folks with fitness goals that include not just building muscle but increasing strength and endurance simultaneously because there will be both strength-focused and HIIT-focused segments. 

The app earns 4 out of 5 stars for progressive overload. Lindsay docks a point because the program lacks warm-ups and cool-downs, which she finds an essential part of the workout. 

RELATED: What Is Progressive Overload?

Equipment Demands

While there are three tracks to choose from, you’ll need a fair amount of equipment (or access to equipment) to run the program successfully. 

You’ll need most of the things found in a typical weight lifting gym equipment including a squat rack, bench, barbell, bumper plates, pull-up bar, dumbbells, kettlebells, jump rope, resistance bands, and something stable for step-ups and box jumps. 

You’ll also need a way to run—either on a treadmill or outdoors—and an additional piece of cardio equipment like one of the best exercise bikes or the Concept2 RowErg. 

Train Hard App vs Functional Bodybuilding Persist Program

Functional Bodybuilding Persist

Functional Bodybuilding Persist Program

GGR Score: 4.28

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Product Highlights

• Online strength training programming
• 5 different tracks to choose from
• Vast library of demo videos
• Community board
• Weekly message from Marcus Philly

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Clear instruction
• Quality demo videos
• Weekly emails to overview programming
• Includes quality warm-ups
• Mobility days worked into schedule

Cons

• Website platform, no app
• Not suited for beginners
• 4-5 lifting days might not work for everyone

Bottom Line

The Functional Bodybuilding Persist Program designed by Marcus Filly, former CrossFit games athlete, offers exceptional programming for folks looking to improve mobility and increase muscle mass at the same time. Mobility and recovery is built-in to the warm-ups, cool-downs, and addressed on non-lifting days. It’s also appropriate for folks with limited equipment. There are five different tracks you can choose from and one offers minimal or no equipment and you can still see results.

The Train Hard app is most comparable to the Functional Bodybuilding Persist Program. Both programs focus on home gym-style training, increasing strength, maximizing cardiovascular endurance, and reducing injury. 

Neither app is intended to be used as a beginner workout program. In fact, both programs are designed by former elite CrossFit athletes. The expected weight training and volume—about an hour per workout, four to five times per week—may be a bit much for folks just starting their fitness journey. 

If you’re interested in learning more about this comparable program, we tested it and have in-depth details in our Functional Bodybuilding Persist review. 

Customer Experience 

If you need to contact the Train Hard team with questions or concerns, there is a general inquiry form on the website as well as links to social media sites. Once you sign up, program- and workout-specific questions can be asked and answered within the app and the team responds within a few hours. 

It’s worth noting there is no language on the website about refunds if you’re unhappy with your training program. Without a free trial it may be hard to tell if it’s the right program for you, which is something we’d like to see improved.

Customer Reviews

On the Apple App Store, the Train Hard app has a 4.6-out-of-5-star average rating and a 4.5 average rating in Google Play. Folks praise the community app feature and note it’s like having a taste of the CrossFit community in your home gym and appreciate that Jason Kahlipa and his team actively respond to questions and comments in the forum. 

Final Verdict of Our Train Hard App Review

The Train Hard app is not for the faint of heart, but neither is CrossFit in general. The app offers strength-building, low-repetition sets on movements like squat, bench, deadlift, and push press while also adding in heart-pounding EMOMs, AMRAPs, and HIIT sessions. Plus, if you’re missing the community element of your local gym when you work out at home, the group chat forum may help you fill the void. 

Full Rating

Train Hard App

Train Hard is a virtual training program designed by former CrossFit champion Jason Khalipa designed to help people get through training slumps and accomplish their fitness goals.

Product Brand: Train Hard

Product Currency: $

Product Price: 29.99

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
3.75

Train Hard App: FAQs