Comparison

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan vs Gym Exercises & Workouts

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

This app guides you through a proven barbell strength training program with no guesswork. It plans every exercise, set, and weight for you, allowing you to focus on lifting and see consistent progress. Ideal for beginners or those returning to strength training.

Highlights
  • Proven 3x/week strength program
  • Automated progression
  • Guided workouts with timers
  • Progress charts
  • Simple interface
Features
Read full description

Get stronger with the world’s simplest, most proven barbell program: the 5×5 workout. No guesswork. Just follow along and see real results, in just 3 workouts a week. StrongLifts is made for lifters starting or returning to barbell strength training. The app removes all confusion and complexity by guiding you through every 5×5 workout. It plans every exercise, set, and weight so you always know exactly what to do. The time-tested 5×5 workout gets you stronger, week after week. No experience needed. ▸ Proven 3×/week strength program: Structured workouts, all planned for you. ▸ No guesswork: Fully automated progression for consistent strength gains. ▸ Just follow along: Simple interface with timers. Focus on lifting, not fiddling. ▸ Stay motivated. See your strength go up every week with clear progress charts. ▸ Easy to stick with. Simple, guided 3×/week program. No decisions, just results. Over 3 million lifters worldwide have started or restarted their strength journey with StrongLifts since 2007. The app has been featured and reviewed in the British Journal of Sports Medicine. StrongLifts is the best strength app, with more than 200,000 five-star reviews worldwide. StrongLifts is built on the classic 5×5 workout made famous by legends like Reg Park, Bill Starr, and Glenn Pendlay. For more than 70 years, the 5×5 workout has been proven to get new and returning lifters stronger, quickly and safely. Download StrongLifts today and join millions getting stronger. StrongLifts is free to download, but requires a subscription to use. All new users get a 7-day free trial for the yearly plan. Monthly and quarterly plans are also available without a free trial. Subscription renews automatically unless canceled at least 24 hours before the end of each period. Manage or cancel your subscription any time in your App Store account settings. https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

About

Gym Exercises & Workouts

Create and log unlimited custom workouts with a vast library of exercises. Track your progress with detailed history and graphs to build strength and confidence. Perfect for beginners and experienced lifters alike.

Highlights
  • Create custom workouts
  • 140+ predefined workouts
  • Exercise library with instructions
  • Workout history and graphs
  • Custom exercise creation
  • Adjustable rest timer
Features
Read full description

Create and customize your own unlimited workouts, add super sets or search over 140 predefined workouts to help improve fitness, gain muscle and strength, get ripped, or tone up. Gym Exercises & Workouts helps beginners understand the mechanics of each exercise so walking into a gym doesn’t seem so daunting, and refreshes a veteran’s memory of training routines they may have forgotten. Every movement has been written by a seasoned lifter and state level powerlifter with over 20 years' experience. Ditch the pen & paper, log your workouts, add your super sets, create custom exercises and track your progress, all with an easy to use interface. Apple Watch support! Control your workout from your wrist - see your exercise, adjust reps and weight, use the rest timer with haptic feedback and view your workout summary, all synced seamlessly with your iPhone. Track your training history with the built-in workout log calendar while the graphs help you to identify trends and show how much weight you have lifted this week, month or even 12 months. Use training insights to see what's working - PRs, strength changes on every exercise, your best training day and how your volume compares to before. Your training, explained. View, add and edit your workout logs and compare your statistics, exercise volume and history. Create your weight-lifting plan & get in shape - Build a stronger & more confident version of yourself. Browse or search hundreds of exercises for the home or gym, separated into targeted muscle groups with detailed offline videos highlighting the activated muscles without having to wait for slow videos to load. Create your own custom exercises to use in your gym workouts - if you have a unique exercise that isn't in other apps you can add it. During a workout you can swap, add, edit and skip exercises or adjust the built-in rest timer. Summary of Gym Exercises & Workouts features: * Over 140 predefined workouts to do at home or the gym * No accounts or login required * Training Insights - personal records, strength change per exercise, best day and volume trends * Apple Watch support – log sets, adjust reps & weight, rest timer with haptics and workout summaries * 300+ Simple, animated figures highlighting the activated muscles during an exercise * Create and customize your own workouts * Swap, add and skip exercises during a workout * Track your workout history with a built-in calendar * Add Workout Notes to your training * Workout Graphs - Total Weight Lifted, Workout Duration and Muscles Worked * Search exercises and filter by equipment * Adjustable rest timer in-between sets during a workout * 1RM (one-rep max) calculator * Create and use your own custom exercises in workouts * Create a favorites exercise list for quick reference * Regional weight selection – kg or lb, with full decimal keyboard support * Clear instructions how to perform each exercise * Premium upgrades available to remove ads and add watch support Gym Exercises & Workouts does rely on an internet connection to download predefined workouts and new exercises, in-app images may change. The app is free to download and use without limits. A premium upgrade is available to unlock Apple Watch support and remove ads. Terms of Use: https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/

Screenshots

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan4 screens
Gym Exercises & Workouts4 screens

Verdict

The call

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan and Gym Exercises & Workouts both sit at 4.9 stars, but that hides the real split: 89% of Gym Exercises & Workouts's written reviews are positive against 63% of Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan's. Gym Exercises & Workouts also leads on iOS requirement (16.0 vs 18.0). Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan's advantage is ratings volume (77K vs 3.8K) and chart position (#174 vs unranked). On price, rating, update cadence and ads there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan sells 8 in-app purchases, starting at $4.99 per 7 days and Gym Exercises & Workouts sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per month. Whichever you choose, the download price is not the number that matters.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

On the App Store both sit at effectively the same score — 4.9 for Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan against 4.8 for Gym Exercises & Workouts. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan has 77K ratings behind it against 3.8K, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews are what separate them: 63% of Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan's written reviews are positive against 89% of Gym Exercises & Workouts's.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan ships an update every 2 weeks, Gym Exercises & Workouts every 3 weeks. The most recent releases landed on November 5, 2026 and November 2, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard4 real differences · 7 level
Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan versus Gym Exercises & Workouts: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterStronglifts 5x5 Workout PlanGym Exercises & Workouts
PriceFreeFree
Rating4.9 (77K ratings) — better4.8 (3.8K ratings)
Positive reviews62.6% of reviews89.0% of reviews — better
Number of ratings77K — better3.8K
Update frequencyEvery 2 weeks — betterEvery 3 weeks
AdsNoNo
In-app purchasesYesYes
MonetizationFree with in-app purchasesFree with in-app purchases
Best chart rank#174 — better—
DevicesiPhone, iPad, Apple WatchiPhone, iPad, Apple Watch
Requires iOS18.016.0 — better
Further details — not scored
Size172 MB68 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperStrongLiftsAdam First

Customer experience

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

All ratings76,863 ratings
Positive97.6%
Neutral1.1%
Negative1.3%
Written reviews1,428 reviews
Positive62.6%
Neutral3.9%
Negative33.5%

Gym Exercises & Workouts

All ratings3,754 ratings
Positive95.9%
Neutral2.3%
Negative1.8%
Written reviews264 reviews
Positive89.0%
Neutral6.8%
Negative4.2%

User reviews

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

From 77K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 💪 Effective strength-building program
  • 📈 Tracks progress and helps with consistency
  • 🤖 Automatic weight progression and plate calculation
  • ⏱️ Convenient timer and rest period tracking
  • 📚 Helpful exercise form videos

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional bugs and syncing issues
  • 💰 Subscription model can be expensive for some
  • 🔒 Limited customization options in free version
  • ⚠️ Weights may not be accurate for all users
  • 🕰️ Workouts can be time-consuming for some

Gym Exercises & Workouts

From 3.8K App Store ratings

What we love

  • 👍 Helpful exercise demonstrations
  • 🚀 Comprehensive exercise library
  • 💪 Effective workouts
  • 🆓 Completely free app
  • 📚 Detailed exercise instructions

Room to improve

  • 🐛 Occasional app crashes
  • 📵 Inability to use app offline
  • 🔍 Difficulty finding/accessing custom exercises
  • 🙄 Ads blocking functionality
  • 🔀 Inability to change exercise order in workouts

Bugs and requests

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • Workout data loss and reset issues
  • Inconsistent Apple Watch connectivity
  • Inability to edit or delete custom exercises

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to customize core exercises
  • Menstrual cycle tracking and programming
  • More pre-built program options
  • Integration with other fitness apps and devices
  • Recommended meal plans and nutrition guidance

Gym Exercises & Workouts

Reported bugs

3 issues
  • App crashing on launch after recent update
  • Custom exercises not saving properly
  • Rest timer not functioning correctly

Requested features

5 requests
  • Ability to view targeted muscle groups for each exercise
  • Option to download/export workout history
  • Integration with Apple Watch
  • Calorie estimation feature
  • Ability to share custom workouts with others

In-app purchases

8 purchases

Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan

Subscriptions6
  • Pro Weekly$4.997 Days
  • Pro Monthly2 variants$11.991 Month
  • Pro Quarterly2 variants$29.993 Months
Show 3 more
  • Pro Yearly$59.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly1 Year trial$59.991 Year
  • Pro Yearly7 Days trial$59.991 Year
One-time2
  • StrongLifts Pro 5 Years$199.99
  • StrongLifts Pro 5 Years$239.99
3 purchases

Gym Exercises & Workouts

Subscriptions2
  • Monthly Subscription$2.991 Month
  • Yearly Subscription$19.991 Year
One-time1
  • Gym Exercises Lifetime Subscription$49.99

Questions

Is Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan free?
Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Is Gym Exercises & Workouts free?
Gym Exercises & Workouts is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan or Gym Exercises & Workouts?
Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan is rated higher. Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan averages 4.9 out of 5 from 77K ratings, while Gym Exercises & Workouts averages 4.8 from 3.8K ratings.
Do Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan or Gym Exercises & Workouts have ads?
Neither Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan nor Gym Exercises & Workouts shows ads.
Which is updated more often, Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan or Gym Exercises & Workouts?
Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan ships an update every 2 weeks, and Gym Exercises & Workouts every 3 weeks. Most recently, Stronglifts 5x5 Workout Plan was updated on November 5, 2026 and Gym Exercises & Workouts on November 2, 2026.

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