Best Strength Training Apps for Women Over 50: 10 Apps Worth Considering

If you’re a woman over 50, there’s a good chance you’re seeking a strength training app that actually meets the needs of a woman your age. There are plenty of apps available, but not all of them are designed with the needs of women 50+ in mind. At this stage of life, most women are seeking a program that helps them build and maintain muscle, support bone health, stay mobile, and get stronger without feeling like every workout is leaving them exhausted.

The goal is to find a program that fits your body, your goals, your schedule, and your current fitness level while also challenging you appropriately so you can build muscle and get stronger through aging.

I've compared 10 popular strength and fitness apps below to help you figure out which one might be the best fit for you.

What Should Women Over 50 Look for in a Strength Training App?

When choosing an app, I recommend looking beyond the number of workouts or how flashy the platform is, as those aren’t good indicators of whether or not the app will meet your needs. Instead, here are the things I recommend paying attention to:

Progressive overload: Does the program actually help you get stronger over time, or are you just doing random workouts?

Strength-focused programming: If building muscle and strength is your goal, strength training should be more than just one category buried among hundreds of cardio workouts.

Exercise modifications: Can you swap an exercise if something doesn't feel right for your body?

Mobility and movement: Does the program encourage you to maintain strength and mobility rather than simply chasing calorie burn?

Realistic workouts: Can you realistically fit the workouts into your life?

Structure: Does the app tell you what to do, or are you constantly deciding which workout to choose? Too many options can feel overwhelming.

That last one is particularly important. A huge workout library isn't necessarily better than a well-designed program.

Best Strength Training Apps for Women Over 50

Here's a quick comparison of 10 popular options, including who each app is best for, the type of training it emphasizes, equipment requirements, progressive overload, and price.

1. Simply Strong

Best for: Women over 50 who want structured, progressive strength training at home

Simply Strong is built around one thing: making strength training simple.

The app offers 3-, 4-, and 5-day strength programs with 30- and 45-minute workout options. The workouts use dumbbells and resistance bands, so you don't need a gym or a large collection of equipment.

One of the biggest differences is the emphasis on progressive overload. You repeat movements throughout the month rather than doing completely different workouts every time you work out, allowing you to practice your form, track your weights and reps, and work toward getting stronger.

The app also includes exercise swaps, form videos, workout tracking, rest timers, and access to a private community and in-app messaging with Tami, the creator and lead personal trainer.

Price: $24.99/month (get 50% off your first month by taking this quick quiz)

Best if: You want a straightforward strength program that tells you exactly what to do without requiring you to plan your own workouts or go to the gym.

2. Peloton

Best for: Women who want a huge variety of instructor-led workouts

Peloton offers so much more than just cycling these days. Its app includes strength, cardio, yoga, Pilates, mobility, meditation, and other workout categories.

The biggest advantage is variety. If you enjoy instructor-led workouts (follow-along videos) and want to switch between different types of exercise, Peloton gives you plenty of options.

The tradeoff is that if your primary goal is progressive strength training, you'll need to be more intentional about choosing and sticking with appropriate strength programs rather than simply jumping between classes. No-repeat workouts aren’t nearly as effective for building muscle and strength as workouts that repeat key movements.

Price: Starts at $12.99/month

Best if: You want variety and enjoy following different instructors.

3. Ladder

Best for: Women who want structured, coach-led strength training

Ladder takes a more program-focused approach than a traditional workout library. There are tons of different coaches to choose from, all of whom have their own training styles and programs.

You follow a specific training team and receive structured workouts designed around progression. This makes it appealing if you want someone else to determine what you're doing each day instead of choosing individual workouts.

Ladder is largely strength-focused, which is great, although equipment requirements can vary depending on the program you choose, so be aware if you’re someone who wants to train from home with minimal equipment.

Price: $29.99/month.

Best if: You like coach-led programming and want a clear plan to follow.

4. Sweat

Best for: Women who want lots of workout variety

Sweat has a large selection of women's fitness programs covering strength training, cardio, Pilates, yoga, conditioning, and more.

It's a good option if you don't want your entire fitness routine centered around traditional strength training and enjoy having multiple workout styles available to choose from.

And while Sweat has historically been associated with high-intensity workouts, its strength programming has evolved. There are now dedicated progressive strength programs, including programs designed specifically around building strength and muscle

Price: $24.99/month.

Best if: You want strength training alongside a broad selection of women's fitness programs.

5. Trainwell

Best for: Women who want personalized 1:1 coaching

Trainwell is different from most apps on this list because you're paired with an actual personal trainer who creates and adjusts your workouts. It’s more of a 1:1 experience.

Your coach can take into account your goals, equipment, experience, and feedback and modify your program accordingly.

The biggest downside is cost. Personalized coaching is significantly more expensive than a traditional workout app.

Price: Approximately $149/month, billed in three-month intervals.

Best if: You want individualized programming and direct access to a personal trainer.

6. Fitbod

Best for: Women who want AI-generated workouts

Fitbod uses AI to create workouts based on your goals, equipment, training history, and previous workouts.

It can be a good option if you like the idea of having technology determine your workout rather than following a fixed program.

It's also useful for people who train with different equipment or move between home and gym workouts.

Fitbod is great for women who want a customized workout, but don’t want to pay for a human personal trainer to program it.

Price: $15.99/month.

Best if: You want adaptive, AI-generated strength workouts.

7. SilverSneakers GO

Best for: Women 65+ who want accessible fitness programming, community, and potential Medicare-covered benefits

SilverSneakers is a little different from the other apps on our list. Rather than being primarily a traditional workout subscription, it's a broader fitness program for older adults that includes gym access, live classes, on-demand workouts, community activities, as well as access to the SilverSneakers GO app.

The GO app offers 4- and 12-week programs, including strength and walking, and allows users to adjust exercises to their fitness level. One of the biggest advantages is the cost, as SilverSneakers is included at no additional cost for those who have a Medicare Advantage or Medicare supplement plan that includes this benefit.

It's worth noting that SilverSneakers has a broader "stay active and independent" focus rather than being specifically centered around progressive strength training and muscle building. I would say this app is geared more toward women who are looking for a basic movement plan rather than one that's going to help them build muscle and get stronger. This app is geared toward the 65+ crowd.

Price: Often $0 for eligible members through participating Medicare plans; eligibility varies by plan.

Best if: You want a basic movement plan that helps keep you moving, not necessarily building muscle and serious strength. Also, if you are looking at the possibility of having the program covered through your Medicare plan.

8. WeGLOW

Best for: Women who want a broad fitness and wellness platform

WeGLOW offers a wide range of workout styles, including strength training, functional training, Pilates, HIIT, cardio, yoga, mobility, stretching, and more.

It also offers structured programs and a customizable workout calendar, so you're not limited to choosing individual workouts; this can be a major advantage if you like variety.

However, if your primary goal is specifically progressive strength training, you'll want to choose a program within WeGLOW that aligns with that goal rather than simply jumping between different workout categories.

Best if: You want a broad women's fitness platform with lots of different training styles.

9. Over Fifty Fitness

Best for: Women who specifically want a fitness platform designed for women over 50

The entire Over Fifty Fitness platform is built specifically around the needs of adults 50+. Its focus includes strength and muscle building, bone health, metabolic health, mobility, and maintaining fitness while aging.

The platform offers more than 1,500 on-demand workouts and over 60 programs, which can be a pro or a con, as too many options can be confusing and overwhelming.

Workouts can be done at home with minimal equipment, and the platform includes everything from strength training to low-impact cardio, Pilates, yoga, barre, mobility, and recovery sessions.

Price: $32.99/month

Best if: You want a fitness platform specifically created for the 50+ population, with strength training plus a broader range of fitness, wellness, and nutrition content.

10. Menovation

Best for: Women specifically looking for menopause-focused fitness and wellness support

Menovation takes a broader approach to midlife fitness, combining exercise with menopause-focused education, nutrition, symptom tracking, and other wellness resources.

If you're looking for an app that specifically acknowledges the transition through perimenopause and menopause rather than simply giving you a generic workout program, this is one worth considering.

Price: $28.99/month.

Best if: You want fitness programming combined with menopause-specific education and wellness support.

Why Progressive Overload Still Matters After 50

One misconception I wish women would let go of is that getting older means you should stop challenging yourself. No, you don’t need to train like you’re 25, but you also don’t need to spend the rest of your lift being overly cautious, lifting the lightest weights possible. Your muscles still respond to resistance training.

Progressive overload simply means gradually increasing the challenge placed on your muscles over time.

That might mean:

• Increasing your dumbbell weight
• Doing more reps with the same weight
• Improving your technique
• Increasing your range of motion
• Using a more challenging variation
• Increasing your training volume

It doesn't have to mean adding weight every single week, which can be difficult to accomplish, especially when working out at home with minimal equipment.

That's one reason I prefer structured programming over random workouts. If you do a completely different workout every time you exercise, it's much harder to see whether you're actually progressing. In order to gauge progressive overload and ultimately improve your strength, you’ll need to track your reps and weights and repeat the movements.

What Should Women Over 50 Actually Be Doing?

The good news is that you don't need to spend hours in the gym to build a strong, stable body. For most women, three to four strength workouts per week is an excellent place to start. From there, your routine can include other types of movement you enjoy, including walking, cardio, mobility work, or recreational activities.

Your strength workouts should focus on strength training foundations, which include your major muscle groups and movement patterns, including squatting, hinging, pushing, pulling, lunging, and core work. Your workout program should be challenging enough to create progress while still allowing you to recover well between sessions.

And that last part matters a lot for women over 50 - the goal isn’t to see how much exercise you can survive; it’s to find the right amount of training that allows you to get consistently stronger while still recovering well. That last part matters.

What About Muscle, Bone Health, and Mobility?

Strength training becomes increasingly valuable as you get older because maintaining muscle and physical strength can help you stay capable and independent. But bone health deserves attention, too. Resistance training and other weight-bearing activities can be part of a broader approach to supporting healthy bones through aging.

Mobility matters for women over 50, too. The older we get, the more important it is to protect our joints. But “joint-friendly” workouts don’t mean they have to be easy. You can still challenge your muscles and see incredible strength gains by choosing exercises, loads, and ranges of motion that work well for your body at this stage of life.

A good strength program will provide you with exercise modifications when necessary rather than making you feel like you’ve failed because you can’t perform an exercise exactly as demonstrated.

Which Strength Training App Is Best for Women Over 50?

There isn't one perfect app for every woman; it really depends on what you want from your workouts and what you think you’ll be the most consistent with.

Best overall for structured strength training: Simply Strong

Best for women who want progressive, dumbbell-based strength training at home with 30- or 45-minute workouts.

Best for variety: Peloton

Best for women who want strength alongside a huge selection of cardio, mobility, Pilates, yoga, and other classes.

Best for coach-led strength programming: Ladder

Best for women who want a structured training team and progressive workouts.

Best for personalized coaching: Trainwell

Best for women who want individualized workouts and direct 1:1 coaching.

Best for AI personalization: Fitbod

Best for women who want technology to build workouts around their equipment and training history.

Best for menopause-focused support: Menovation

Best for women who want fitness combined with menopause-specific education and wellness resources.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can women over 50 still build muscle?

Yes, absolutely they can! Women can continue to build and maintain muscle after 50 through appropriately challenging resistance training, adequate nutrition, and recovery. Your training may need to be adjusted based on your individual experience and goals, but 50 is definitely not too late to get stronger.

How many days a week should women over 50 strength train?

I recommend women over 50 strength train 3-4 days per week for a good balance between strength, recovery, and other cardio or leisure activities. A good 4-day dumbbell workout plan is often the sweet spot for many women.

Should women over 50 lift heavy weights?

Yes, women over 50 can and should lift heavy weights. Keep in mind that the term “heavy” is relative to the individual. The goal is to use a weight that challenges your muscles while still allowing you to use good form and control.

Is progressive overload important after 50?

Yes, progressive overload is an important part of building and maintaining muscle and strength at any age. Progress can come in many forms and is very achievable for women training from home with minimal equipment if following a plan that accounts for that.

The Bottom Line

You don't need to completely reinvent your workouts just because you're over 50; you simply need to be more intentional about choosing a strength training app that suits your current goals, lifestyle, and preferences.

There are plenty of options to choose from, 10 of which we highlighted in this article. Whether you want a simple, structured training program that takes all the guesswork out, like what you’ll get with Simply Strong App or Sadie Active, or you want access to a whole library of workouts to choose from across multiple modalities, like Peloton or the SWEAT app, there’s a program out there that’ll meet your needs.