Written by Ali Nolan, Fortune Recommends Fitness Writer
As a fitness and health journalist, wellness enthusiast, and four-time marathoner, I have spent the last two decades exploring the best in fitness and wellness. I even wrote the book Master the Marathon to help others reach their own running goals. But when a tennis injury sidelined me from the activities I loved, I needed some help staying in shape and getting strong. I knew that strength training could help me rehab and prehab body imbalances, so I decided to sign up for the Future app. ( 1 )
With years of experience testing various apps, training plans, exercise fads, and gear, I’m a research-driven writer who values science-backed training methods. I used the Future app for 60 days to see how it stacked up compared to the other best workout apps out there. What is Future? Is it effective? Can an app really benefit personal training? Is it enjoyable? Most importantly, is it worth your time and money?
In this objective review, I’ll go over everything you need to know to decide if this personal training app is right for you.
Compare Future App
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| Future | JuggernautAI | Tonal | Peloton | Caliber | Aaptiv | |
| Rating | ||||||
| Price | $149/month | 34.99/month | $59.95/month for membership. Mirror costs $3,995 | $12.99/month for basic plan, $24/month for Peleton+ | Free, $12/month for Caliber Plus, $200+/month for personal training | $14.99/ month, $99.99/ year |
| Platforms Available | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android | iOS, Android |
| Free Trial | 50% one month | Two weeks | One month | One month | 7-day for pro | 7-day with the annual subscription plan |
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.
Key product features
What you should know
Future is a personal training app that employs expert coaches who work with you to achieve your fitness goals.
- Using professional trainers who tailor workouts based on the equipment you have, your abilities, and your schedule, Future seamlessly integrates fitness into your routine.
- Future costs $199 per month for the monthly plan or $149 per month for the annual plan. (Other personal training apps cost about $200 or more. For general fitness apps without personal training, you’ll find options starting at $12.)
- Future is a good option for people looking for trainer feedback and accountability to reach their workout goals.
What is Future?
Future is a personal training platform that emphasizes individualized training through virtual workouts. Thanks to the Future app, you no longer need a massive budget to get a specially designed workout plan. Instead, Future brings personalized training plans to your iPhone, Android, or Apple Watch.
Future is $199 per month for a monthly plan or $149 per month if you opt for the annual plan. While this is expensive compared to other fitness apps, it costs about average for personal training apps and is more affordable than in-person personal training.
Once you sign up, you’ll take a quiz to be paired with a coach. You have the option to change coaches at any time. You’re never locked in and you can go through trainers until you click with the right one.
Future doesn’t require any special equipment or a gym membership. Your coach will tailor the program to you, so they’ll take into account where you’re working out and what fitness equipment you already own.
So really, all you need is your phone to get started. The app is compatible with iPhone, Apple Watch, Apple Health, Bluetooth devices, Android phones, Google Pixel Watch, and Samsung Galaxy Watch.
There isn’t a free trial, but you can try the first month for 50% off. If you decide to cancel Future within the first month, you’ll get a full refund. If you cancel after the first month, you will not be charged again.
Specs
| Price | $149/month with annual membership or $199/month |
| Trial period | 50% off one month |
| Personal training | Yes |
| Gym needed | No |
| Platforms | iOS, Android |
| Nutritionist | No |
| Ability to change coaches? | Yes |
My Future rating: 4.7/5
Future sets itself apart by making consistency a priority. With Future, you’ll be paired with a coach best suited to help you reach your goals, with the option to adjust your programming (or change your coach) as needed.
Future coaches are trained to provide continuous, personalized support for each member. While virtual personal training isn’t new, Future pairs the user with their coach for better accountability and an increased likelihood of results. One recent study shows that virtual training has proven effective in keeping people on track. ( 2 )
I based my rankings on my experience with other workout apps like Peloton and Tonal and my experiences working with trainers in gyms. I took into consideration the price, ease of use, and whether or not it helped me on my fitness journey.
- Overall : 4.7/5
- Value and price point : 3.5/5
- App : 5/5
- Easy of use : 5/5
- Goal attainment : 5/5
- Customer support : 5/5
My experience with Future
Four months before I started using the Future app, my workout routine and fitness life crumbled with one terrible misstep—literally. I went for an overhead while playing tennis, and when I landed, I heard a terrible pop. I had strained my calf, and all my favorite activities—tennis, running, hiking—were put on an insufferable hold.
After I started physical therapy to rehab my calf, I realized I needed to protect my other muscles from injury through strength training. The thing is, I find strength training boring, and I dislike workout classes. My best bet would be to work with a personal trainer . As soon as I got the all-clear from my physical therapist, I started looking at the Future app.
I wasn’t sure if an app could help me stick to a strength training routine. But I did know that I needed peer pressure from a group (not my favorite) or someone by my side to motivate me to do the work. The Future app proved to be exactly what I needed.
Since Future gives you the option to choose a coach who is right for you, I looked for someone who worked with athletes. After looking through coach options, I decided to pick David Eackloff, who has an M.S. in exercise science and fitness certifications in Strength and Conditioning (NSCA), Collegiate Strength and Conditioning (SCCC), Advanced Olympic Weightlifting (AOLC), and many other specializations. Not only does he coach Olympic athletes, but he also plays tennis and is extremely active. I trusted him to help me get back on track and on the court.
My goals were to build muscle and ease into my previous physical activities. David encouraged me to specify my fitness goals, so I made it my mission to get back to running two miles nonstop without pain and to participate in a tennis tournament within three months.
“It has been found that the coach-athlete relationship is highly beneficial in performance success.”
Victoria Burgess, Ph.D., CSCS, CISSN, Fortune Recommends Advisor
To help me accomplish this goal, David programmed three days of strength training per week, two days of cardio, and one full day of rest. This structure showed me what I’d been neglecting in my fitness life pre-injury: balance. Having David organize my workout schedule got me over this fitness hurdle. From the get-go, Future was helping me ace my comeback.
My first month of Future was pretty rudimentary. My body needed to re-learn how to handle lifts, and David and I wanted to ensure nothing would aggravate my injury. I was also in the middle of a cross-country move, and my (already limited) dumbbell supply was unavailable. I had to perform the workouts where and when I was able with only resistance bands. Despite all these limitations, the routines were challenging and fun. And yes, having fun does matter—research shows that fun is the most important aspect of sticking with a fitness journey. (3 )
Most of my notes from the first month were complaints about push-ups and gripes about delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). But, David tolerated my whining and helped me get through the first month with relative ease.
“DOMS is a natural part of starting this or any exercise regimen. Unique exercises, or increasing the weight lifted, reps, or some other form of intensity, can all challenge the muscles in a unique manner. This can in turn cause temporary muscle soreness, usually within 24-48 hours after the exercise and it usually lasts about 24 hours, give or take a few.”
Chris Mohr, Ph.D., RD, Fortune Recommends Advisor
Month two was when I really started to notice changes in my strength, endurance, and muscle tone.
I eventually unpacked the pieces of my home gym, and David incorporated weights into my workouts. When using my 15-pound dumbbells and 20-pound kettlebell got too easy, I splurged on a heavier set. It had been years since I thought of investing in heavier weights, and I truly don’t think I would have made that leap without my experience with Future. These new weights were like a tangible, visual representation of my progress, and I was stoked.
Thanks to David’s accountability, I stayed (mostly) on track with my lifting days and worked to 1.75 pain-free running miles (so far). I am also back on the tennis court and looking forward to a match next month.
What I liked
Overall, I loved Future. It helped me achieve my specific goals, which is exactly how it’s supposed to work.
Personalization
When it comes to fitness, nothing beats one-on-one programming and attention. As an injured weekend warrior, I needed this kind of guidance. “Having someone there who understands limitations with range of motion and specific gear availability is a game changer,” notes Burgess.
I know this would also benefit beginners who need a lot of accountability, as well as advanced athletes with specific performance goals.
Mohr adds, “Accountability is so important to the long-term success of a program.” ( 4 )
User experience
The Future app itself was incredibly easy to use and aesthetically pleasing. The audio and visual instructions were informative without being overbearing.
Quality coaching
I don’t know about you, but I’ve experienced my fair share of subpar coaching. In group settings, I’ve seen HIIT workouts put together like the moves were drawn out of a hat, with no goal other than to get your heart rate up. I’ve also had coaches who preached overtraining and coaches who never pushed hard enough.
Future has a lot of different trainers with different styles and training experiences, but they all share one commonality: They know what they are doing. They put together structured workouts that save time, and research proves that efficient workouts are one of the key elements in helping people stick with fitness programs. ( 5 ) What I really liked about working with my Future coach was how he gave me accountability with just enough autonomy to help me believe in my strength.
Fun features
One feature that put me over the moon was the ability to share my screen over Bluetooth to any device, like my big-screen TV, for a more immersive experience. You can also choose in-app music to jam out to or easily navigate from the app to your Spotify account to have your own music playing during your workout. Compatible watches will let you receive audio cues about your heart rate, which is excellent feedback.
Accessibility
You can use the app anytime, anywhere. Your workouts will be designed to match the equipment you already have, so no one will be trying to sell you a gym membership or a special set of dumbbells.
What could be better
While there are many benefits to Future, there are also some improvements the app could make.
Price
There’s no way around it: The Future app is expensive. Future costs $149 per month if you sign up for an annual membership, and that can prove to be an obstacle for many people. But just because Future is pricey doesn’t mean the value isn’t there. If you compare it to in-person personal training, which can range from $65 to $100 per hour, it’s a bargain.
Connectivity
One major gripe people had with the Future app was its exclusivity with Apple products. The integration with the Apple watch is seamless, but if you’re wearing a Garmin watch, your activities aren’t automatically loaded into the app until you sync in the Garmin app. It’s certainly not a deal-breaker, but it is annoying.
I asked Rishi Mandal, the Future co-founder and CEO, via email if there are solutions on the horizon.
“Future recently launched on Android,” Mandal said, which is welcome news for non-Apple users. “This offers compatibility with Android wearables and any watch that operates on Wear OS 3.0 or above, such as the Google Pixel Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch for workouts and activity monitoring. We’re hopeful that tracking all activities in Future with all types of devices is the next wave.”
Real-time feedback
The option of filming yourself and sending tape for analysis works pretty well. That’s probably the best way to get feedback on your form for virtual training. “Being able to provide your coach with side and front angle videos will help them analyze your form to see if its proper or what might need to change,” Burgess comments.
For those who need on-the-spot corrections to learn, a virtual coach may not be the right fit.
Nutrition
If you’re looking for an app to help you with insights into your diet and nutritional needs, then it would be better to download a nutrition-based app like Noom or MyFitnessPal, as Future is more fitness-focused. While some coaches may be able to help you with diet (depending on their area of expertise), there are better options in the app store for support, community, and food tracking. But that’s for right now. Mandal hinted that the next iteration of Future could have more holistic features, such as health and wellness coaching.
How Future works
Take the coach quiz and find your ideal match
Before you make an account on the Future app, you’ll be asked to take a quiz to pair you with your coach. The questions dig into your current fitness levels, your personal vision of success, gender, weight (you don’t have to answer if you don’t want to), goal weight, and any obstacles preventing you from your goals.
Next, the quiz asks what you’re looking for in a coach. It takes into account if you want a coach who’s high-energy, relaxed, or somewhere in between. It also goes through the basics, like if you prefer a male or female coach. Based on this information, you’ll get matched with four coaches. You can read their bios and specialties then choose one.
According to studies that compared personal training to self-directed workouts, those who used a trainer saw significantly more improvements than those left to their own devices. ( 6 ) Future takes this science-based approach and gives its clients an ultra-personalized workout experience.
When you choose your coach, you’re choosing your buddy for the next few months. They program a weekly workout routine tailored to your needs, abilities, schedule, and goals, and they check in with you every weekday to see how it’s going. They’ll have you send videos of yourself working out to ensure proper form. You’ll also have video calls every month or so to chat about your progress.
What sets Future apart from other apps is this individualized approach. In addition to the hyper-focus on personal training, your Future coach will factor in your other fitness classes or activities and consider them as they build your programming.
Help your coach craft a customized plan
After you select your coach and sign up for the app, you will choose a time to speak with them via FaceTime. In this initial call, you should expect to go over your quiz answers in more detail. Your coach will ask about your goals, setbacks, personal preferences, and limitations. They will also ask about how frequently you want to exercise, what days work for you, and what at-home gym equipment you own or if you have a gym membership. Don’t worry—no gym membership is required! Your Future coach can set up workouts for people using only body weight if needed.
From there, they’ll use your information to create a customized workout plan. The workouts are released weekly, and you can preview the routines and your weekly workout schedule in the app.
Press play and start your workout
Your assigned warm-up and workouts will vary based on your fitness level and goals. You will likely start with some fundamentals to help your coach gauge your capabilities and correct any form issues.
In the app, you’ll press play on your workout, and then it will take you through each move with visual and audio cues. Your coach’s voice will pop in with specific instructions on some exercises or general encouragement. Research has found that coach vocal encouragement increases positive mood, physical enjoyment, lower heart rate, and better performance. ( 7 )
It takes you through the whole workout as though it is an exercise video, but you log your number of reps and weight in the app.
Your coach will also enter your non-Future fitness activities into the app. For example, if you have a yoga class each Saturday, it will be on your calendar. Similarly, if cardio is part of your plan, your coach can schedule that on non-lifting days.
Get daily feedback (and encouragement) from your coach
One of the most beneficial parts of Future is the level of accountability you’ll get from your coach. They’ll check in daily to psych you up for the workout or see how your recovery day is going. If you miss a day, they’ll slide into your DMs with a “hey, what’s up?” Mandal notes that coaches exchange an average of four daily messages with clients, including daily check-ins, instructions, and feedback.
Our team loves that Future gives you the ability to film yourself as you complete a move and send it to your coach. That way, if you feel unsure about your form or need a weight adjustment, your coach can give you specific guidance. ( 6 ) While they are not there in real-time, they will get back to you within 24 hours.
How Future chooses its coaches
According to Mandal, Future has credentialed trainers with varying backgrounds, including lifelong coaches and Olympic and former Division I athletes. But what’s most important to Mandal when hiring coaches is how they will diversify the current staff to provide a coach for everyone who wants to try Future. The emphasis is on building partnerships, which has been proven in studies to play a huge role in athlete success. ( 8 )
“The relationship with the trainer, just like a colleague, neighbor, friend, or anyone, is based on connection. Even if the trainer was at the top of their craft, if a person doesn’t connect with them, it won’t work out in the long run. It’s great that Future has many different options, personalities, and coaching styles to work with.”
Chris Mohr, Ph.D., RD, Fortune Recommends Advisor
When I tested out the introductory quiz, I found this wasn’t just lip service. For example, you can enter that you’re a 50-year-old male with an injury looking to lose weight and interested in an intense coach, and the results will be very targeted to your request. Similarly, if you enter that you’re a 35-year-old female with the goal of improving athletic performance and need a cool-headed fitness mentor, your results will be completely different.
Finally, all of the coaches are full-time employees of Future, which means this isn’t their side hustle. They are fully dedicated to their Future clients.
Future app vs alternatives
Future app vs. Peloton app
Looking at the Peloton app versus Future is comparing apples to oranges. Peloton only offers group classes—you don’t get a personalized coach. And, while it’s not totally necessary, it’s nice to have the Peloton equipment (rower, treadmill, or bike) to get everything out of the app experience. If you’re looking for a more customized experience with more accountability, Peloton won’t cut it. That said, the Peloton subscription is more affordable than Future’s. Peloton is just $44 a month, and you can get a free trial month. But you will need to purchase Peloton equipment to make the most out of it, whereas Future doesn’t require any.
Future App vs. Tonal
Tonal prides itself as the world’s smartest gym, and (without a doubt) it is pretty cool. If you’re unfamiliar, Tonal is a complete smart home gym machine in the form of a large mirror that can be installed in a compact space. When comparing Future versus Tonal, there are quite a few differences. First, Tonal requires you to buy its equipment, which costs around $3,995. You’ll also have to pay the monthly membership fee of about $60.
With Tonal, you get a complete home gym setup (comparable to a functional trainer ) and access to countless workout programs. But if you are looking for one-on-one coaching, Future comes out on top. While you can get personal training with Tonal, it’s for an additional fee and can be difficult to navigate.
Future customer reviews
Overall, customers seem satisfied with the Future app.
“Future’s app is smooth, easy to use, and illustrates techniques well with video. Even as someone who has worked out for years, the trainers in the videos use impeccable form and allow you to introspect on your movement. The coaches are the stars. My coach is incredibly knowledgeable, has a track record of athletic success, and has tailored my schedule to my own goals. He pushes me, and I’ve seen substantial progress. I recommend Future to anyone that’s serious about getting fit,” wrote reviewer Patreek K. on Trustpilot.
“I have some injuries and some changes to my body after pregnancy, but [my trainer was able] to work around them and help me get my strength back.”
Mashka L., Apple App Store
But, not everyone has had a seamless experience. An Apple App Store customer with the screenname Turtle shared that their Future journey started well, but soon took a turn.
“To be fair, I was 100 percent invested in the program when I started,” they write. “Months one and two were good. I was happy and recommended this app to friends. After that, the results were waaaay too slow for my liking. I asked to increase the intensity a little and she went too high for me. She was super nice and really good at switching out exercises, listened to my concerns, and understood my health issues.”
Is the Future app worth it?
I personally found the Future app to be worth the investment. I’d recommend it to anyone who wants to accomplish serious fitness goals.
I believe my relationship with my coach, David, and his expertise helped get me on track to living my best active life. ( 9 ) He, and the app, had me set goals and take ownership of my physical health. In my opinion, Future can do the same for exercise newbies, multisport veteran athletes, and anyone in between.
When you’re signing up, think beyond month one. Give yourself 60 days to assess if you are making progress. If your coach gets you to do your workouts and you start seeing changes, it might be worth the hefty price tag.
FAQs
What comes in the Future welcome kit?
Future no longer sends a welcome kit. Previously, when you signed up for Future, you received a water bottle and the option to lease an Apple Watch. But now that the app is compatible with other devices, they don’t offer this service.
Can you pick up your own coach with Future?
After you take a quiz about your fitness needs and goals, you’ll receive a list of four coaches. You can read their bios and review their credentials and personalities, then choose the one you think is best for your training needs. If you’re not gelling with your coach, you can switch it up.
Do you need any special fitness equipment with the Future app?
You do not need any special fitness equipment to use Future. Your coach will design your program around what you have access to.
What fitness level is the Future fitness app best for?
Future is good for all levels, from beginners to advanced athletes. As long as you can identify your goals and are motivated, the app can help you level up.
Does the Future app help with nutrition?
In short, no. The Future app doesn’t currently offer a nutrition plan in the way that Noom or other weight loss apps might. Your coach can make suggestions, but if you’re looking for help dialing in your diet, a nutritionist or specialized app would be great to use with Future.
How much does the Future app cost?
The Future app costs $149 per month with the annual membership (about $1,800 per year) or $199 per month on the month-to-month plan.
Does the Future app offer a free trial?
The Future app does not offer a free trial, but you can get 50% off your first month.
Our experts
Christopher Mohr, Ph.D., RD
Dr. Christopher Mohr is an internationally recognized subject matter expert and speaker and performance coach. He works closely with some of the largest corporations in the world including Deloitte, Delta Airlines, Johnson & Johnson, and more to help busy executives develop the energy to thrive personally and professionally. Chris was a member of the Men’s Health Magazine advisory board for 10 years, co-authored a NY Times Bestseller with LL Cool J, called LL Cool J’s Platinum Workout, and worked as the sports nutritionist for the Cincinnati Bengals and select WWE wrestlers.
Victoria Burgess, Ph.D., CSCS, CISSN
Victoria uses her extensive nutrition and performance knowledge every day. She has a Ph.D. in Health and Human Performance from Concordia University Chicago and holds her NSCA CSCS and Certified Sports Nutritionist (CISSN). She’s an adjunct professor in the Human Performance and Nutrition department at Concordia University Chicago and Parker University, where she teaches undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral level courses. She also sits on the advisory board for both the International Society of Sports Nutrition and the National Advisory Council of the First Responder Institute.
Lily Moe
Lily is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor with over seven years of experience in health media. As a former Fitness Coach, Lily’s editorial prowess has largely focused on fitness, nutrition, and weight management. She has also spent a fair share of time in testing labs, analyzing everything from protein powders to yoga mats. Her work has appeared in Verywell Fit, Verywell Mind, Health, and more.
Jessica Coulon
Jessica Coulon is a contributing editor and writer for Fortune Recommends™ who specializes in fitness, health, nutrition, and science content. Previously, she was an editor for Popular Mechanics and Bicycling, where she covered pro cycling news, wrote how-to guides, and tested all the latest and greatest bike gear. She was also a regular shoe tester and contributor for Runner’s World. You can often find her skiing or riding her mountain bike, and racing with the F1RE female enduro team.
Kelly Uhler
Kelly Uhler has a multifaceted background in elder care, health care, and copywriting. She has worked for organizations such as A Place For Mom and Homecare.com, which gave her the opportunity to work closely with families, providing reliable information to help them make informed decisions about their loved one’s health, safety, and quality of life.
Ali Nolan
Fortune Recommends Fitness Writer
About Author
Ali Nolan is an Alabama-based writer, journalist, and author of Master the Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide for Women . As the former features editor of Runner’s World, she is active in empowering women and promoting mental wellness in the running world.