It can go toe-to-toe with some paid apps—but it doesn’t cost anything.
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This year, I’ve been focused on finding ways to maximize my at-home workouts, and a big portion of that undertaking has involved apps. For guided workouts and to track my activity, I love Peloton, but I also think Les Mills+ has a lot to offer—but both require paid monthly subscriptions.
A few weeks ago, I learned about Nike Training Club. I was already familiar with (but not a user of) Nike Run Club, but learned that Nike Training Club is something altogether different: Not only does it stand apart from Nike Running Club, but it can serve as an alternative to Peloton, Les Mills+, and other guided workout apps in many ways, and it’s available for free on iOS and Android. Here’s why I think it’s worth checking out.
A ton of variety
The first thing I noticed when I logged on to Nike Fitness Club is the sheer breadth of content available. The screen showed a menu of routines, like Fast Fundamentals (sample program: “5-Min Bodyweight Burn”), and Strength Starts Here (sample program: “30-Min Strength & Cardio”), plus a selection of other categories, including:
HIIT
Strength
Yoga
For the Gym
Pilates
Below that, there’s an easy-access menu of saved, scheduled, and completed workouts so you can pre-plan your exercise or review what you’ve already done.
The menu along the bottom has three options: Workouts, Activity, and Programs. Workouts is where you’ll find all those menus and categories. Activity houses more detail on your workout history and achievements, and Programs is where you’ll find structured programs that last a few weeks. Right now, for instance, you could join Flow for Growth, a stretching program that spans two to three weeks; or Pilates Primer, an introductory Pilates workshop that takes place over that same timespan.
You can enter into any program you want, but you can only be in one at a time.
Credit: Nike Training Club/Lindsey Ellefson
With so much variety, you might think finding a program would be overwhelming, but I had no trouble. Every class preview clearly states its difficulty level (like intermediate or advanced) and what equipment, if any, is needed to complete it, before you even tap on it. You can also use filters to refine your searches. You can filter by duration, level, intensity, equipment, and format, plus sort based on all those factors, as well as whether or not a class is new.
The variety also extends to class types, which isn’t true of other apps I’ve tried. You can choose from two kinds of class styles: Regular classes shows an instructor leading a few other people through the workout, and Whiteboard classes lists out the steps you need to do and shows you short videos of someone demonstrating the motion. In a class, you have to go at the pace the instructor dictates, but with Whiteboard, you choose how long you spend on each movement.
How Nike Training Club compares to other apps I’ve tried
I expect a paid app to give me a lot for my money. For example, Peloton offers up walking, yoga, meditation, running, and even games, just to name a few. Given it’s a free app, I’m impressed that Nike Training Club offers much of the same, and has a deep library of on-demand classes. I particularly love the Whiteboard option, because sometimes, you really do just want to go at your own pace.
What do you think so far?
Quality classes
With this free app, you’ll still get guidance from credentialed, experienced trainers, just like you do with other apps, but you won’t have to pay for it. There are definitely fewer classes (a few hundred per category, though more are added often), where Peloton has thousands, but that’s not too surprising.
It’s particularly great for beginners, as it’s immediately obvious what level of athlete each class is designed for, and what equipment will be used. I have some equipment at home, but I hardly have a full gym setup, so that’s a big plus for me—but there’s also an entire category of workouts designed for when you’re at the gym. Like Peloton and the strength training, Strong, you can sync the app to your Apple Watch so all your workouts get logged in Apple Health. (I’m a fiend for tracking all my fitness data).
Missing community
One downside of this app: There isn’t a super strong community element. Peloton has its infamous leaderboard, and all sorts of options for working out with or collaborating with other people; and Les Mills+ is an extension of a global, in-person class phenomenon. But when you use Nike Training Club, you’re kind of on your own. Some of the videos feature instructors and students, sure, but that’s about it—there’s no way to connect with or take classes with friends from within the app. (Unsurprisingly, the Whiteboard classes are especially independent.)
Also less welcome is the fact that Nike Training Club can be a little glitchy. Sometimes when I leave the app (say, to check a text) and then try to go back into it, the screen will freeze, requiring a force close.
Who should try Nike Training Club
Overall, I think anyone who is building a fitness routine should at least give this app a try. I mean, it’s free. There’s no downside to testing it out and it has the programs, classes, and functionality to keep you engaged.
Ultimately, though, I think it’s best for a few kinds of people:
Anyone who doesn’t mind (or prefers) working out solo and who has the self-motivation to do so consistently.
Anyone with a specific fitness goal that aligns with one of the Nike Training Club programs.
Anyone who has access to a gym and is looking for routines to run through between classes.
Anyone who needs detailed instruction but prefers to go at their own pace.
The bottom line
Though Peloton will remain my go-to fitness app, I’m keeping Nike Training Club on my phone—which is honestly saying a lot, given it’s a free app competing with one that carries a hefty subscription price.
The Whiteboard feature is what puts it over the top—I often work out at home, and I appreciate having a structured routine to follow on days I don’t feel like making up my own.