Best Gymshark Alternative: Exercise.com vs Gymshark

Exercise.com: Your Gymshark Alternative

Why Choose Exercise.com?

Here are five reasons why fitness professionals use Exercise.com vs. Gymshark.

If you’re ready to get started with an easy-to-navigate, all-in-one fitness software, designed to fuel your business, request a demo with Exercise.com today.

And, if you want to see how Gymshark’s additional features stack up to Exercise.com software features, check out our in-depth guide below.

What is Gymshark?

Gymshark is most well-known for its online sales of fitness apparel and accessories and has a very successful online following from these retail sales. They have men’s and women’s apparel, fitness equipment, plus also accessories. The company targeted a niche in the fitness apparel market and has become one of the fastest-growing businesses in the UK.

There is also a Gymshark mobile app that promotes itself as a gym-based or fitness app. This mobile app is available for iOS and Android devices and has an exercise library, workout plans, and tutorials.

The Gymshark mobile app has numerous features for onboarding clients and workout creation, such as workout design and workout logging. The retail side has a robust selection of fitness apparel, equipment, and accessories. Gymshark is also active on social media platforms like Twitter and YouTube and features exercisers that are loyal to their brand.

The features that the Gymshark workout app is missing are gym management, calendars and scheduling, payment processing, performance health assessments, and the ability to sell workouts via the mobile app or online dashboard. Those are important features that fitness professionals would miss out on if they used this mobile app.

Exercise.com offers all of the workout features that Gymshark offers, but they add in the important missing features, like payment processing, gym management, calendars, performance health assessments, sales of your own retail items, and the ability to generate additional revenue streams by selling workouts and memberships online.

Unless otherwise stated, all images and reviews below are of/about the Exercise.com All-In-One Fitness Business Management software platform.

Fitness Business Management Software

All-in-one Fitness Business Management (FBM) software should have key features that provide all the features you need to successfully run and manage a business from your fingertips 24/7. Important FBM features include scheduling features, payment processing features, reporting, and alternate revenue streams.

Gymshark has two main functions within its software offerings. First is the fitness apparel side, but this would not be a benefit to fitness professionals because there is no ability to sell your own products. The only functions that would be useful to fitness professionals are within the mobile app and include the options to onboard clients and create workout plans for those clients. Clients can use the mobile app to follow and log the workout.

The issue that Gymshark mobile app users have is that they would still need another software to fully manage their fitness business because of the missing features like scheduling, calendars, payment processing, reporting, and performance assessments.

With Exercise.com, you will find an all-in-one software option that can be used by managers, staff, employees, clients, and members. The features are endless to grow and manage your fitness business in a way that makes managing or running a successful business possible for anyone.

Client/Class Scheduling

Gymshark has no calendar functions for scheduling classes, appointments, or sessions.

On the other hand, Exercise.com’s business management features allow fitness professionals and personal trainers to set up availability on calendars and schedules so that clients and members can book and manage appointments, sessions, or classes from the mobile app or online dashboard. Clients can also get reminders and notifications for upcoming classes or appointments. Clients can sort calendars by trainer or location, as well as pay for classes or appointments directly from the mobile app or dashboard.

Gym/Facility Management

Gymshark has no fitness business management options, like reporting or staff permissions. However, Exercise.com provides options for generating reports on a variety of features, including revenue, classes, trainers, or other administrative reports. It’s also easy to set staff roles and permissions so each employee and staff member has access to the features they need.

Business Dashboard Reports

Gymshark has no capabilities for business dashboard reports.

Exercise.com’s business dashboard reports are easily customizable, giving you free-range to how you want to analyze your business or filter information. Whether you want to run custom reports on your revenue, staff, or clients, Exercise.com gives you many options to analyze how your business is doing.

The presentation of Exercise.com’s business dashboard helps you keep track of what is going on in your business as well.  As soon as you enter the business dashboard, information such as your schedule for the day, recent clients, messages, and business reports are shown to you.

Client Automation

Client automation makes your software work for you to send reminders and notifications via text, email, or through the mobile app. Gymshark does not have any client automation options available with their workout and fitness planning app.

Exercise.com includes email, text, and mobile app reminders, but also includes options to automate workout and assessment information. For example, Exercise.com allows trainers and fitness professionals to:

• Automate Workout Delivery
• Automate Resource Delivery
• Automate Assessment Delivery

Dedicated Zapier Support

Exercise.com’s partnership with Zapier adds an exciting variety of extra options at your fingertips. Exercise.com gives clients a plethora of integrations – but, sometimes, you want a bit of a boost. Our partnership with Zapier allows you to, in Zapier’s words, “Integrate (link your web apps with a few clicks, so they can share data), Automate (pass info between your apps with workflows called Zaps), and Innovate (build processes faster and get more done – no code required).

Part of this partnership includes dedicated Zapier support to help you through every step of the process. With over 2,000 apps to choose from, you can rest assured that your company’s website is as efficient and user-friendly as possible.

Dedicated Account Manager

Another feature that sets Exercise.com apart from many other fitness business management software companies is our dedication to customer service and support. This is why we provide our clients with a dedicated account manager to help them through every step of the process.

If you want to redesign your website, your account manager at Exercise.com will get it done. If you want to set up an e-commerce store, your account manager won’t blink twice. Whatever you need, our world-class dev team will come through.

Customized Software

Your fitness business management software should be customized to your preferences to showcase your business. Your website and mobile apps may be the first look that a potential client or customer has of your business, so you want it to stand out. Customization allows consistency among your software online dashboard, mobile apps, website, social media, and any marketing efforts.

Custom-Branded

Gymshark has an app but does not include custom branding because users of its mobile app will actually use their branded mobile app. There is no option to integrate a mobile app for your business and clients and members must download the Gymshark mobile app for use.

Your software should match your branding, logo, colors, and verbiage. This consistency is what customers will recognize and will enable you to build brand loyalty. Exercise.com takes it a step further and offers full custom-branded fitness trainer apps and websites. You will find the security features and marketing integrations to be helpful customizations to help you grow and manage your fitness business with Exercise.com.

iOS & Android Apps

Mobile apps are a vital component of any fitness business management software. Members and clients are always on the go, but we always have our mobile devices with us. These mobile apps allow for workout creation and delivery, access to the exercise library, workout logging, marketing, and communication with clients and members.

The focus of Gymshark’s mobile app is on being a workout tracker and fitness plan app. The Gymshark mobile app is free but offers paid features and offers an exercise library, workout plans, workout tracking, and workout tutorials.

The Gymshark workout app was only available for iOS devices until July 13, 2020. The Android app is relatively new, and the Google Play store states that it is installable yet still in development. The iOS mobile app has a 4.3 out of 5.0 rating in the Apple store.

Now, is the Gymshark app good? The positive Gymshark app reviews on the Apple store focus on the ease of use and free features, while the negative comments focus on the features being too basic and not enough exercise options.

Exercise.com has mobile apps for iOS and Android devices that include all of their fitness business management features and is the best app for gym workouts and gym management. Exercise.com also allows full customization of your mobile apps. Your clients and members can search for your business name in the iOS or Google Play store, not the name of a third-party app.

Websites

The focus of Gymshark’s website is on the retail sales of fitness apparel. Gymshark does not have any options for website customization for users so you must have your own website if you are using Gymshark’s software.

Exercise.com also provides fully customized, SEO-optimized fitness websites. The best features that are offered for websites include:

• Responsive
• Built to convert visitors to leads
• Google Certified Partner

Security Features

In the days where we hear about a data breach or cases of compromised data almost daily, it’s important to make sure your facility’s data and your clients’ data is safe and secure. Exercise.com ensures the safety of your data with these important features:

• SSL Secure
• Privacy Shield Framework
• Google Cloud

Marketing Integrations

Marketing is an important component of any successful business. Social media, email, text messages, and notifications are great ways to stay in touch with your members and clients. Gymshark focuses solely on Gymshark branded fitness apparel/retail items, workout creation, workout plans, and logging of workouts.

Exercise.com understands the important role of marketing and provides integrations that help amp up your marketing efforts. Some of our more popular integrations include:

• MailChimp
• ConstantContact
• ConvertKit
• Zapier
• Google Analytics
• Facebook Pixel

Workout Software

Every fitness business deserves a workout software that enables them to help clients meet their health and fitness goals, plus grow their business with additional revenue streams. This workout software should have all the options you need to create and share workouts, the ability to train any type of client, and extra options to make workouts fun and motivating.

Workout Creator/Logger

Gymshark includes workout plans for a variety of different exercise levels, from beginners to advanced exercisers. They have one-day, three-day, and five-day workout plans with a premium subscription.

Gymshark includes different types of workouts as well as the ability to develop workouts, with options for home workouts or gym workouts. You can also add custom workouts and track progress with its workout software.

Exercise.com has similar options, but with additional features. Our workout software built for fitness professionals provides users with endless possibilities for delivering workouts, tips, and encouragement to clients in any scenario, including one-on-one training, group workouts, and online training.

1-on-1 Training

Gymshark and Exercise.com both allow the option for training with clients one-on-one. This setting allows trainers to create an effective workout plan and develop a positive environment that enables clients to reach their health and fitness goals.

Group Training

If group training is your focus, you can use any mobile device to create or view workouts with Exercise.com. You can follow along to stay on track if you are leading the class or exercisers can view the workout plan if you are dividing the group into smaller groups or allowing them to take the lead for certain parts of the workout. If you also have access to a tv, you can show the workout plan broadcasted on the television.

For example, if you are leading a TRX training workout, you could have the workout pulled up on a few mobile devices around the room for either you to view or for the clients to work out with a partner. You can also broadcast the workout plan for everyone to see on the bigger television monitors.

Online Training

Online training is a great way to grow your business for a number of reasons. For one, you can train your current face-to-face clients if they are out of town on business or traveling on a vacation. Second, you can add new clients to your client base no matter where they are located. Third, it gives you more flexibility for training clients in a hybrid format, partially online and partially face-to-face.

Exercise.com works for you to allow you to train clients one-on-one, in groups, online, or hybrid. All of these options give you a ton of flexibility to maximize your time and revenue.

Exercise Library

Gymshark has an exercise library built into their workout mobile app software. The library includes videos, instructions, and photos. You can add in your own sets, repetitions, and notes to the workout planner.

Comments about the Gymshark mobile app exercise library are mixed. Some note that it is easy to use and has great options for exercises, while others mention the exercises are too basic. This could be positive or negative depending on the knowledge of the users of the app.

Exercise.com also includes an exercise library, which is an important component of any workout software. An exercise library includes instructions, descriptions, videos, photos, or tips that help exercisers understand how to complete an exercise or movement with good form and technique. This full exercise library includes options to build various workouts with intervals, sets, pyramids, supersets, or other functions.

Personal trainers and fitness professionals can use exercise libraries to design workouts and help their clients fully understand how to do an exercise correctly, what muscles are being worked, and tips to make the most of the exercise or movement.

Custom Exercises

Gymshark users must use the exercises from the exercise library to build their workout plan. There are no options to add custom or additional exercises. You can customize the sets, repetitions, or weights, or add notes to your workout planner.

Exercise.com allows you to add custom exercises so you have everything you need at your fingertips to design and deliver the most effective workouts for your clients to help them meet their health and fitness goals. You can add your own videos or photos featuring your staff and trainers.

TV Workouts

Exercise.com provides clients with the ability to watch demos of the exercises within their workout plans on television screens; gyms can also use the exercise library to cast exercise demos onto gym television screens during group classes or one-on-one training sessions. You can also stream the workout plan on a screen for group training sessions.

Gym Ecommerce Software

Ecommerce features are a must-have for any fitness business management software. The ecommerce features provided by Gymshark only offer users the ability to purchase workout plans and video tutorials from their offerings. There is no way to sell your own workout plans, memberships, or retail items.

Exercise.com provides fitness businesses with gym ecommerce software options to enhance or add additional revenue streams. Safe and secure payment processing, the ability to sell your retail or other products, and options to sell memberships, packages, or sessions. You can also sell workout challenges, membership plans, or workouts online.

Payment Processing

Gymshark does not include payment processing options, so fitness professionals would need a separate software or program to collect payments for training sessions. On the flip side, Exercise.com makes payment processing easy, safe, and secure. Clients can send payments through the mobile app, online dashboard, or pay in person.

Sell Products

Gymshark does not allow users to sell their own merchandise or products online. They have a vast selection of retail items available from their own collection, such as fitness apparel for men and women, accessories, water bottles, and fitness equipment. A fitness business could not sell its own products online if it used Gymshark.

Exercise.com allows fitness businesses to sell their own products on their website or on the mobile app. Selling your own branded products and retail items is a great way to boost brand loyalty and generate additional revenue for your business.

Sell Workout Plans

Gymshark sells 1-day, 3-day, and 5-day workout plans with their premium subscription. The important distinction here is that these are workout plans they have designed, not your workout plans that you have designed and would like to sell via the mobile app. You cannot generate revenue from their workout plans even if your clients are using them.

Exercise.com allows you to design and customize workout plans that you can then sell via the mobile app or website. Let’s say you created a successful 8-week workout plan for busy moms that only takes 30-40 minutes and uses minimal fitness equipment so it can be done at home during naptime. Exercise.com makes it easy for you to sell this customized plan and create an additional revenue stream for your business.

Offer Online Workout Memberships

Online workout memberships are a great way to grow your business. Exercise enthusiasts may have access to a gym in their home or may travel for business with access to a hotel gym. If you have a great reputation in the fitness industry, you may want to take that to the next level by marketing yourself, your skills, and your knowledge online outside of your local area.

To get the complete range of Gymshark’s workout features, you would have to pay a monthly fee which in a way serves as a workout membership.

Exercise.com gives you the ability to grow your online clientele by giving you the option to offer online workout memberships and automate your clients’ schedules. These memberships allow for exercises to be sent automatically at a designated time/situation in which clients can perform these exercises at any location. Any personal trainer can and should take advantage of this feature to try something new and build your business.

Sell Workout Challenges

Workout challenges are an excellent way to motivate members, enhance loyalty, and generate additional revenue for your business. Workout challenges among exercise enthusiasts create an environment of healthy competition and motivate exercisers to meet their individual fitness goals. Exercise.com provides the option of creating workout challenges for participants near and far.

Personal trainers and fitness professionals can create regular workout challenges that can occur monthly, a few times a year, or any time you desire. You can also determine the duration of the workout challenges to be four weeks, six weeks, or any length you choose.

Let’s say you have a good online following on Instagram and Twitter. You could create a workout challenge in the spring to get everyone’s swimsuit ready. Or you could create a six-week healthy competition at the beginning of the fall and have members set goals before the busy holiday season.

Fitness Assessments

Gymshark does not have any features for performance health assessments or nutrition tracking. The only somewhat similar performance assessment options are to track weight training personal bests (PBs), but that is the only feature related to assessments offered by the Gymshark mobile app.

Personal trainers and fitness professionals would need another software to use these features or would need to conduct assessments with pen and paper (the old-fashioned way). There are online tools to help you with conducting and using assessments, but who has time to use different websites to keep track of all of that information for your clients?

Exercise.com has robust fitness assessment software. Health assessment software should allow you to:

• Turn leads into clients
• Engage clients through assessments
• Gather baseline data about clients
• Plan effective fitness programs to help clients meet their health and fitness goals
• Track measurement data, injuries, etc.
• Optimize the delivery of personalized workouts and nutrition
• Use to compare to normative data of similar age and sex

Assessments

Assessments can be used for a variety of reasons to help determine a baseline, to increase motivation, as a comparison to fitness norms, and to enhance loyalty. Assessments are used to test various fitness aspects, like cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, balance, and body composition.

You can use the results of those assessments to get a baseline measurement of your client’s current level of fitness, which can be used to plan an appropriate exercise program that also uses progressive overload to see results from their hard work. The assessment results can be compared to normative values that represent different levels of fitness for a comparable age and sex.

Performance & Measurement Reports

Gymshark does allow you to track progress with your workouts, but not with performance assessments. You can track sets and repetitions, add notes to workout plans, and track personal bests for weight training exercises.

Assessment reports are important to determine if there has been any progress over time toward goals. Exercise.com allows you to set up delivery of these reports to share information with your clients either manually or automatically.

For example, let’s say one of your female clients wants to improve their cardiorespiratory endurance and you have this client complete a 12-minute walk/run for distance assessment. This client gets 1.0 mile the first time, 1.07 miles after three months of training, and then 1.13 after another three months of training.

With performance and measurement reports, now you have solid data showing improvement in your client. Research shows that the 12-minute walk/run test is correlated to aerobic or cardiorespiratory endurance, so you and your client know they are working toward their goal.

Nutrition

Nutrition and healthy eating is a key component of any health and fitness program. If a client is working hard during their personal training sessions but does not have good eating habits, it will slow their progress. By using a diet tracker like MyFitnessPal, personal trainers using Exercise.com can view their clients’ nutrition and can make basic recommendations for them to improve their eating habits.

Gymshark Pricing

Gymshark’s fitness apparel pricing ranges from $15 for t-shirts to $90 for coats. The apparel is a very reasonable price because men can get an outfit for less than $50 and women for less than $75. Accessories range in price from $8 for a keychain to $65 for a gym bag.

There are two pricing options for Gymshark’s workout software, either free or premium ($4.99 monthly). The premium version has additional features that exercisers might find useful with additional workout plans and video tutorials. The table below shows the features available with the free and premium plans for Gymshark’s mobile app.

Gymshark Alternatives

Alternatives to Gymshark include Mindbody, Trainerize, and TeamSnap.

The Bottom Line: Pros and Cons

Gymshark has built a successful online business selling its branded retail items and followed up with a mobile app that offers workout planning and fitness tracking. The downside is that the mobile app doesn’t have all the features needed to successfully manage and grow a fitness business.

Gymshark Cons

Gymshark only focuses on retail items and a basic workout mobile app. There are no options for calendars or scheduling, no options for payment processing, and no gym management features. For fitness businesses that want to use Gymshark, they would need separate software with those features in order to fully manage and grow their business.

Exercise.com Pros

Exercise.com truly is an all-in-one fitness business management software platform that will help you manage and grow every aspect of your business. Investing in reputable and effective fitness business management software is an investment in your business.

You can build your client base locally, nationally, or even internationally with the e-commerce and workout creation/delivery features. You can enhance client loyalty with performance assessments, mobile apps, workout creation/delivery, and e-commerce features. Exercise.com makes your life and your clients’ lives happier and healthier.

This comparison has described the all-in-one software features of Exercise.com. Which features would be most helpful to you?

Ready to schedule a demo to get a visual picture of all the features of Exercise.com? Click here to get started!