# Software for Strength and Bodybuilding Coaches (2026)

> Strength-first programming tools versus all-in-one coaching apps for strength and bodybuilding coaches: what to test in a trial, what a physique check-in should collect, and real prices at 10, 30 and 75 clients.

*Author: Trainera Team  |  Published: 2026-10-12  |  Reading time: 9 min*

## What software should strength and bodybuilding coaches use?

If your service is mainly load programming for athletes or teams, a strength-first tool such as TrainHeroic, TeamBuildr or CoachRx fits best, because they are built around programs, maxes and athlete groups. If you coach physique and bodybuilding clients, where the weekly check-in and nutrition matter as much as the program, an all-in-one coaching app such as Kahunas, Everfit, ABC Trainerize or Trainera fits better. Prices below were checked October 2026 on each vendor's own pricing page.

Most coaches do some of both. The trick is to decide which half of your week is harder to run, and buy for that half.

## What the software has to do for strength and physique coaching

Good strength software lets you write progression over weeks, log what the lifter actually did, and see it against their history without opening a spreadsheet.

| Need                                  | Why it matters                                                                  | How to test it in a free trial                                                                     |
| ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Progression across a block            | Strength and size come from adding load, reps or sets over time                 | Build a real 4-week block for one client and copy week 1 to week 2 with a change in load           |
| Loads from a max, RPE or RIR          | Many strength programs prescribe by percentage of a tested max or by effort     | Enter a client's max and see if the app works out the working weights, or if you type them by hand |
| Set-by-set logging on the phone       | You coach from what was lifted, not what was planned                            | Log a session as the client, including a missed rep, and see what you get back                     |
| Exercise history and personal records | Shows progress at a glance and catches stalls early                             | Open one lift's history after two logged sessions                                                  |
| Form review                           | Technique feedback on the main lifts is part of what lifters pay for            | Have a client send a video and reply to it                                                         |
| Check-ins and nutrition               | For physique clients, body weight trend and food adherence drive most decisions | Send a weekly check-in and a macro target, then review the answers                                 |

If you want a refresher on the programming side itself, our guide on [how to write a training program](/blogs/how-to-write-training-program-coaches-guide) and the piece on [progressive overload](/blogs/progressive-overload-principle-building-muscle-strength) cover the principles. The [National Strength and Conditioning Association](https://www.nsca.com/) runs the CSCS certification for strength and conditioning coaches, if you want a formal framework behind your programming.

## Strength-first programming tools

These tools put programming, athletes and teams first; nutrition and check-ins are lighter or absent.

* **TrainHeroic** describes itself as the home for "performance-minded coaches" and lists teams and 1:1, video review, a customizable library, real-time chat and a marketplace for selling programs. Pricing runs by athlete count, from $9.99 for 1 athlete to $34.99 for up to 15 and $99.99 for up to 100 ([TrainHeroic pricing](https://www.trainheroic.com/pricing/), checked October 2026). There is no white-label app; you add your logo and exercise demos.
* **TeamBuildr** is priced per organization with unlimited coaches: Silver $90 a month for 50 athletes, Gold $150 for 250 ([TeamBuildr pricing](https://www.teambuildr.com/pricing), checked October 2026). Its pricing page lists custom 1RM, max and PR tracking, a Weight Room View for TV and tablet, leaderboards and wellness questionnaires, with VBT integrations on Platinum Pro. It is built for team and organization strength programs more than 1:1 online coaching.
* **CoachRx** charges by active clients: $29 for 1-5, $79 for 6-50 and $199 for 51-150 ([CoachRx pricing](https://www.coachrx.app/pricing), checked October 2026; the vendor's homepage FAQ shows a different figure for 51-150, so confirm at checkout). It lists AI program design, a calendar covering exercise, nutrition and lifestyle, and video coaching and messaging, and it aims at coaches who write individual programs rather than templates.
* **Hevy Coach** costs $25 a month for 1-10 clients and $90 for 26-50, monthly only ([Hevy Coach pricing](https://hevycoach.com/pricing), checked October 2026). It offers a workout and training plan builder, progress tracking and chat, with clients logging in the Hevy app. It suits coaches whose clients already log there.

For head-to-head detail, see [Trainera vs TrainHeroic](/blogs/trainera-vs-trainheroic-comparison), [Trainera vs CoachRx](/blogs/trainera-vs-coachrx-comparison) and our list of [TrainHeroic alternatives](/blogs/best-trainheroic-alternatives).

## All-in-one coaching apps with nutrition and check-ins

All-in-one apps add nutrition, check-ins and habits to the program builder, which is what physique coaching runs on.

* **Kahunas** Essentials ($35 a month, up to 25 clients) includes custom check-in forms, habit tracking, unlimited workout and nutrition plans, a food database it describes as 1.6 million verified foods, micronutrients and a TDEE calculator ([Kahunas](https://kahunas.io/), checked October 2026; the page shows "$" without naming a currency).
* **Everfit** lists a workout builder, an advanced program builder, a food journal with macro tracking and habit coaching; Pro costs $29 a month for 10 clients, and meal plans and recipe books are a paid add-on ([Everfit pricing](https://everfit.io/pricing/)).
* **ABC Trainerize** lists an AI workout builder and client meal and macro tracking; Pro costs $50 a month for 15 clients, and advanced nutrition coaching is an add-on ([Trainerize pricing](https://www.trainerize.com/pricing/)).
* **TrueCoach** lists a program and workout builder with nutrition and habit tracking through MyFitnessPal, at $29.98 a month for up to 5 clients or $69.98 for up to 20 ([TrueCoach pricing](https://truecoach.co/pricing/)).

## What each option costs at 10, 30 and 75 clients

For 1:1 coaching, the all-in-one apps are often no more expensive than the strength-first tools, and TeamBuildr's organization pricing only pays off with large teams.

| Tool                 | Best fit                                     | 10 clients | 30 clients | 75 clients       |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------------- | ---------- | ---------- | ---------------- |
| TrainHeroic          | Strength teams and 1:1, program sales        | $34.99     | $59.99     | $99.99           |
| TeamBuildr           | Team and organization strength programs      | $90        | $90        | $150             |
| CoachRx              | Individual program design                    | $79        | $79        | $199             |
| Hevy Coach           | Clients who log in Hevy                      | $25        | $90        | $160             |
| Kahunas              | Physique coaching with check-ins             | $35        | $69        | $99 (unlimited)  |
| Everfit (Pro)        | Mixed online coaching                        | $29        | $75        | $120             |
| ABC Trainerize (Pro) | Mixed online coaching                        | $50        | $79        | $180             |
| TrueCoach            | Program-led 1:1 coaching                     | $69.98     | $164.98    | Price on request |
| Trainera             | Training, nutrition and check-ins in one app | $19.99     | $49.99     | $99              |

Monthly billing, cheapest plan that fits, no add-ons, checked October 2026\. TeamBuildr and TrainHeroic count athletes, the others count clients. Payment fees differ: CoachRx adds 2% to Stripe's fees, TrueCoach takes 5% per transaction, and TeamBuildr says you pay only Stripe's processing. Our [TrainHeroic pricing](/blogs/trainheroic-pricing) and [CoachRx pricing](/blogs/coachrx-pricing) pages break those two down plan by plan.

## What a bodybuilding check-in should collect

A physique check-in works when it collects the same few numbers every week, so you compare trends instead of single days.

| What to track                          | Why                                                                                   |
| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Average body weight for the week       | Daily weight swings with water and food; the weekly average shows the real direction  |
| Waist measurement at the same spot     | Separates fat change from scale noise during a cut or a gaining phase                 |
| Top sets on two or three main lifts    | Tells you whether strength is holding in a deficit                                    |
| Nutrition adherence, in days on target | You cannot judge the plan if it was not followed                                      |
| Steps and sleep                        | A drop in daily steps can explain a stall; poor sleep shows up in training and hunger |
| Hunger, energy and one free note       | Early warning before a client stalls or quits                                         |

A check-in prompt you can paste into any app: "Send your average weight for the week, your waist at the navel, your top set on squat and bench, how many days you hit your macros, and one line on hunger and sleep." Keep the questions the same every week, so the answers line up and comparisons are fair.

## How to pick in one trial week

Run one real client through the app for a week before you move your roster.

1. Build your hardest program: a 4-week block with supersets, percentage or effort targets and a deload.
2. Assign it to a real client, or a second account you control, and log two sessions on a phone in the gym.
3. Send a check-in and a nutrition target, then review both as you would on a Sunday night.
4. Check what a client sees on their phone. Lifters judge an app by the logging screen, not your dashboard.
5. Price the plan at the client count you expect in a year, including payment fees.

Common mistake: choosing on the program builder alone. For physique coaching the slowest part of the week is usually reviewing check-ins, so time that part.

## Where Trainera fits

Trainera is an all-in-one coaching app, so it sits with the second group: training and nutrition plans, check-ins, habits, chat and payments in one place.

For lifters, the web plan builder has drag and drop and supersets, the exercise history flags a new personal record, and the library has more than 1,800 exercises with video. Clients with an iPhone can log sets on the Apple Watch with a rest timer and heart rate. For physique work there are nutrition plans, more than 1,100 recipes, and food search from the USDA FoodData Central database and Open Food Facts. Clients can connect Apple Health, Health Connect, Fitbit or Polar so steps, heart rate and sleep show up for you.

In US dollars, plans are Starter $19.99 for 10 clients, Pro $49.99 for 30 and Business $99 for 75, flat per plan, not per client; yearly is about 10 times monthly and prices differ by country. See the [trainer platform](/platform) for the full feature list.

Where another tool is the better pick: if you run a team or facility weight room with a TV view, max-based team programming and VBT, TeamBuildr is built for that. If selling programs on a marketplace is your main channel, TrainHeroic's marketplace is built for that.

## Your shortlist for strength and physique clients

Coaching teams and athletes on load-based programs: trial TrainHeroic and TeamBuildr. Writing individual programs with lifestyle coaching: trial CoachRx. Coaching physique and bodybuilding clients where check-ins and macros drive the week: trial Kahunas, Everfit and Trainera side by side with the same client and the same check-in.

_See how Trainera handles programs, check-ins and nutrition in one app on the [trainer platform page](/platform)._

## FAQ

### What is the best app for strength coaches to program for athletes?

For team and athlete programming, TrainHeroic and TeamBuildr are built for it: TeamBuildr lists 1RM, max and PR tracking and a weight room view, and TrainHeroic adds a marketplace for selling programs. For individual 1:1 programs with lifestyle coaching, CoachRx is another option.

### What software do online bodybuilding coaches use for check-ins?

Physique coaches usually need an all-in-one app with check-in forms, nutrition and chat, such as Kahunas, Everfit, ABC Trainerize or Trainera. Test how fast you can review ten check-ins before you choose.

### How much does TrainHeroic cost for coaches?

As checked in October 2026, TrainHeroic coach plans run from $9.99 a month for 1 athlete to $34.99 for up to 15, $59.99 for up to 35 and $99.99 for up to 100, billed monthly.

### Is TeamBuildr good for online personal trainers?

It can work, but it is priced per organization with unlimited coaches, starting at $90 a month for 50 athletes. It suits teams and facilities more than a solo coach with 10 online clients.

### Can I coach strength and nutrition in the same app?

Yes, all-in-one coaching apps combine program building, logging, nutrition plans and check-ins. Trainera, for example, includes training and nutrition plans, check-ins, habits, chat and payments, from $19.99 a month for 10 clients in US dollars.

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Source: https://trainera.fit/blogs/software-for-strength-and-bodybuilding-coaches