$24.99/month (monthly only; no annual plan) · 5-day free trial · An app-based progressive strength programme for busy women from NASM-certified trainer Tami Smith (simplystrongapp.com), with monthly plans, high-protein recipes and a certified trainer in-app · iOS, Android and web · Dumbbells and resistance bands cover the equipment.
Personally tested: signed up for the 5-day free trial and worked through the app hands-on: followed the 4-week Full Body Program Volume 2, tried three of the Menopause Strong sessions, and looked through the Mobility, De-Load, recipe and video sections. The screenshots here are our own. Prices verified August 2026. Testing status: Sample tested (a hands-on look rather than a full multi-week test, so any rating that depends on long-term use is marked provisional).
How we tested this. We signed up for the free trial and spent time inside the Simply Strong app: we started a monthly plan, completed sample workouts, tried the Menopause Strong sessions, and explored the mobility, de-load, recipe and video libraries. This is a hands-on look, not a completed multi-week test, so long-term scores are marked provisional. This is education, not medical advice; speak to your clinician, especially about HRT or existing conditions.
Simply Strong Review 2026: Quick Answer
Sample tested: signed up and worked through the app, with our own screenshots. Long-term scores provisional.
Women who already know their way around a workout and want doable, structured strength plans with real macro-based nutrition
You are a beginner who wants coaching cues and modifications, or you want genuine menopause programming
An app-based progressive strength programme for busy women, with monthly plans, high-protein recipes and a certified trainer in-app
20 to 35 min for most plans, 3 to 5 days a week
Dumbbells and resistance bands; home or gym
Low
There is a Menopause Strong track, but it is low-impact strength labelled for menopause, not menopause education or symptom guidance; menopause fit is modest
Silent video demos plus written cues; no in-workout audio coaching or modifications; 1:1 messaging with the founder
iOS, Android and web portal; syncs Apple Watch, Garmin and Fitbit
$24.99/month (monthly only)
5-day free trial (no permanent free tier)
Cancel anytime in the app
Neutral (silent on menopause medicine)
6.6 / 10
Quick Verdict
Worth it for women over 40? As a doable strength app, yes; as a menopause tool, only loosely.
Simply Strong earns 6.6/10 on our hands-on look. It is a well-structured, progressive-overload strength programme with genuinely useful extras: short 20 to 35 minute plans you can actually fit in, a high-protein recipe library with macro tracking, mobility and de-load weeks, and direct in-app messaging with the founder, a certified trainer.
The catch we found in testing is coaching: the exercise videos are silent, with no audio cues and no easier or joint-friendly modifications, so it suits a woman who already knows her form more than a beginner.
It does have a Menopause Strong track, but it is low-impact strength labelled for menopause rather than genuine menopause programming, so its menopause fit stays modest. Start here: use the 5-day trial and follow one monthly plan for a week; if you want coaching cues or true menopause guidance, look at a more tailored option.
Is Simply Strong right for you?
Simply Strong is strongest for nutrition support (7.0 out of 10, against a 4.0 average across the 77 programmes scored) and weakest for starting strength training (4.0 against 6.1).
| Question | Verdict | Rating | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it suits a perimenopausal body | |||
| Is Simply Strong good for pelvic floor problems?Based on pelvic floor support and low-impact design | Low, about the same as mostmost score 4.6/10 | 4.5 / 10 | |
| Is Simply Strong genuinely built for perimenopause and menopause?Based on menopause programming, hormone awareness, education and expert credibility | Low, and worse than mostmost score 3.3/10 | 2.0 / 10 | |
| Is Simply Strong good for painful joints?Based on low-impact design and recovery provision | Strong, and better than mostmost score 6.2/10 | 7.0 / 10 | |
| Is Simply Strong manageable when your energy is low?Based on recovery provision and mind-body support | Low, and worse than mostmost score 5.7/10 | 4.0 / 10 | |
| Is Simply Strong good if you are new to strength training?Based on beginner on-ramp and mind-body support | Low, and worse than mostmost score 6.1/10 | 4.0 / 10 | |
| Is Simply Strong good for building bone density?Based on bone loading and progressive strength | Strong, and better than mostmost score 5.1/10 | 7.0 / 10 | |
| Does Simply Strong help with nutrition?Based on midlife nutrition support | Strong, and better than mostmost score 4.0/10 | 7.0 / 10 | |
| How it performs as a product | |||
| Can you fit Simply Strong into a busy week?Based on time efficiency | Strong, about the same as mostmost score 7.6/10 | 7.5 / 10 | |
| Is Simply Strong worth the money?Based on value for money | Strong, about the same as mostmost score 6.9/10 | 7.0 / 10 | |
Jump to Section
What Simply Strong Actually Is
Which Simply Strong is this? Because the name is common, to be specific: this review covers Tami Smith’s Simply Strong app at simplystrongapp.com, created by NASM-certified trainer Tami Smith. It is not the various unrelated gyms, apparel brands or other apps that share the name.
Simply Strong is a subscription strength-training app for women, built around progressive overload: you follow a structured monthly plan, log your sets, reps and weight, and add load as you get stronger. Founder Tami Smith, an NASM Certified Personal Trainer and Macro Coach, positions it for busy women who want results without extremes, with short home sessions of about 20 to 35 minutes done 3 to 5 days a week using dumbbells and resistance bands.
Alongside the workouts it bundles a large high-protein recipe library with macro and nutrition tracking, mobility and de-load plans, a women-only community, and direct one-to-one messaging with the founder inside the app.
It runs on iOS, Android and a web membership portal, with everything behind a subscription after a short free trial.
One practical thing to know before you download: Simply Strong is currently mid-migration between two app builds. The original SimplyStrong app was last updated in mid-2025, while a newer build on the Trainerize platform is being actively updated through 2026. The product is live and maintained, but the app store you land on may show either version, and social proof is split across the two listings.
Who Is Behind Simply Strong? Credibility
Simply Strong is a single-trainer operation led by its founder, Tami Smith, who holds NASM Certified Personal Trainer and NASM Certified Macro Coach credentials from a recognised certifier. Those qualifications are real and verifiable, and they map well to what the app actually does: general strength programming and macro-based nutrition.
What the app does not have is any clinical layer. There is no physiotherapist, dietitian, pelvic-floor specialist or menopause clinician involved, and no medical advisory board.
That matters for how you read the health framing on this site: Simply Strong is a credible general strength and nutrition coach, not a source of menopause-specific or medical guidance. The upside of the single-trainer model is unusually direct access, since the person who built the programme answers messages inside the app.
Content and Features
At a glance: a well-structured strength app with strong nutrition, mobility and de-load content, and unusual 1:1 trainer access. The coaching is light (silent demos, no modifications), and the menopause track is thin.
| Format | Self-paced, on-demand progressive strength; monthly plans with 3-day full-body and 3, 4 and 5-day split options. |
| On-demand workouts | Yes. Short silent video demos with written form cues and set, rep and weight logging. |
| Live classes | No. Self-paced only. |
| Progression | Progressive overload with planned monthly progressions; you log lifts and build week to week. |
| Menopause / perimenopause | A Menopause Strong track exists (12-week and 3-day plans), but it is low-impact strength labelled for menopause, with no menopause education, symptom or hormone-phase guidance. |
| Recovery / mobility | Yes. Dedicated Mobility programs and scheduled De-Load weeks, which is more recovery structure than most single-trainer apps. |
| Pelvic floor | No dedicated content. |
| Coaching cues / modifications | Silent video demos and written cues only; no in-workout audio coaching and no easier or joint-friendly alternatives offered. |
| Nutrition | Strong. Hundreds of high-protein recipes plus macro and nutrition tracking, from a certified macro coach; not menopause-specific. |
| Community and coaching | Women-only community plus direct one-to-one in-app messaging with the founder. |
| Workout library | Plans only. There is no standalone single-workout library with filters, which we missed in testing. |
What Equipment Do You Need for Simply Strong?
Simply Strong is a minimal-equipment home or gym programme. The plans call for dumbbells and resistance bands, and that really is most of it. A bench adds a handful of movements but is not required, and a mat is a comfort item. Because the whole method is progressive overload, the one purchase worth thinking about is your dumbbells: an adjustable pair that keeps climbing in weight will serve you far better over the months than a single fixed set.
Recommended spec examples. These picks are curated by specification and feature fit, not personally lab-tested for long-term durability. Prices are examples; verify before buying.
Adjustable dumbbells (starter)
~$73
Starter. Light and adjustable to about 20 lb, plenty to begin the progressive-strength plans.
Adjustable dumbbells (best value)
~$60
Best value. A 5 to 25 lb dial pair that carries most of the full-body and Menopause Strong sessions.
Adjustable dumbbells (our pick)
~$399
Our pick. Adjusts 5 to 52.5 lb, so progressive overload never stalls as you get stronger.
Resistance bands
~$20
Recommended. Band-led starts and accessory work; joint-considerate for early weeks.
Adjustable bench
~$80
Optional. Opens up presses, rows and step-ups; useful once you progress past the floor work.
Exercise mat
~$20 to $40
Optional. For the mobility and floor segments.
Why I suggest adjustable dumbbells here: building muscle over 40 means progressive overload, so you have to keep adding weight as you get stronger. Rather than buying heavier pairs again and again, one adjustable set covers the whole range, which is the most practical option for training at home.
A quick heads-up: some of the buy links we use are Amazon affiliate links, so if you grab something through them we may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. We only point to kit we would happily use ourselves.
Bottom line on equipment: a pair of adjustable dumbbells and a set of resistance bands cover the great majority of the programme; the bench and mat are nice-to-haves, not requirements.
How We Scored Simply Strong: the 6.6 / 10 Breakdown
Scores on our 9 weighted criteria, based on a hands-on look across several workouts and plans plus published information. Because this is a sample-tested review rather than a full multi-week test, any rating that depends on long-term use is provisional. Women Over 40 is our most heavily weighted menopause criterion, and its full 12-capability breakdown follows in the next section.
| Category | Weight | Score | Reasoning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Time Efficiency | 15% | 7.5 | Short 20 to 35 minute plans, 3 to 5 days a week; genuinely easy to fit in, which we confirmed in testing. |
| Muscle Potential | 18% | 7.5 | Progressive overload with dumbbells and bands, beginner to advanced; a solid hypertrophy stimulus if you push the load. |
| Women Over 40 Specificity | 10% | 4.5 | Low-impact and joint-considerate with a labelled Menopause Strong track, but the menopause layer is thin; full breakdown below. |
| Joint Friendliness | 12% | 6 | Low impact, band-led starts and no jumping; but no in-workout modifications for sensitive joints. |
| Recovery Compatibility | 10% | 6 | Dedicated Mobility programs and scheduled De-Load weeks are real recovery structure, confirmed in the app. |
| Programme Structure | 12% | 7.5 | Structured monthly progressive plans with clear splits, rest days and cardio days is a genuine strength. |
| Value for Money | 8% | 7 | $24.99/month bundles programming, recipes, macro tracking, mobility, community and 1:1 trainer messaging. |
| UX and Design | 8% | 5 | Works, but basic and click-heavy: confirming sets and logging weights takes a lot of taps, and the empty-looking start was briefly confusing. |
| Nutrition Integration | 7% | 7.5 | High-protein recipes plus macro tracking from a certified macro coach; strong, but not menopause-specific. |
| Total | 100% | 6.6 / 10 | Our Score (sample tested); long-term rating provisional. |
Is Simply Strong Good for Women Over 40?
As a strength app, Simply Strong is a good fit for a woman over 40. Progressive overload with dumbbells and bands, beginner to advanced, is exactly the kind of training that preserves muscle and supports a midlife body, the sessions are low-impact and short enough to actually do, and there are mobility and de-load weeks built in. The high-protein recipe and macro tools push in the same direction from the nutrition side. So the fundamentals are sound: a woman in her 40s or 50s who follows a Simply Strong plan is doing the right kind of exercise for this stage of life.
What I found using it. I signed up for the 5-day free trial (it is $24.99 a month after that). It took me a moment to work out what to do, because the workout tab looked empty until I realised I had to start my first plan.
Once I was in, I got more and more curious: there is a lot of strength training and even a dedicated Menopause Strong track. What I liked most is how easy the plans are to fit in, around 20 to 30 minutes, three days a week (I followed the 4-week Full Body Volume 2), which for me makes it genuinely doable and something I would stick to.
Tami demonstrates each move on a short video, but silently, and that is a real minus for me: I like to be told how to do a movement, reminded about posture, and offered an easier or more joint-friendly option.
You also log your weights, as in most lifting apps, though you can skip it; I found the constant tapping a bit annoying, and the design is still fairly basic.
The workouts themselves are standard, squats, presses and so on, easy to follow if you already know your form, but this is a plan to follow rather than a coached experience.
I tried three of the menopause workouts. They start gently with resistance-band sessions that were too easy for me as a regular exerciser, but I can see they would be perfect for someone building strength before moving on to the dumbbell workouts, which I also tried and where I would have liked more explanation.
There is a lot of good macro information and tasty recipes, plus her Facebook group, so there is real value here. What I missed was a simple library of standalone workouts with a good filter, and live, in-exercise coaching.
I would still choose this over apps like Fortify or Fitbod, but if I were a peri or menopausal woman just starting out, I might begin with something more tailored and more guiding. She does also include mobility and de-load weeks, so there is a lot of great content in here; you just have to go looking for it.
Who it suits, and what is missing. Where it falls short for this site is menopause specificity and coaching. There is a Menopause Strong track, but it is a low-impact strength block labelled for menopause: there is no menopause education, no symptom or hormone-phase guidance, no pelvic-floor work, and nothing for the days you are not lifting. Combined with the silent demos and the lack of modifications, that makes it a weaker choice for a beginner in perimenopause who wants to be taught and guided, and for a postmenopausal woman whose priority is a bone-specific protocol. For a woman who already trains and simply wants doable, well-structured strength plans with good nutrition, the gaps matter far less.
What the wider picture shows. The app’s positioning is consistent: it markets strength, macros and consistency for busy women, and its founder is a general strength and nutrition coach, not a menopause or clinical specialist. Its approach to bodies is composition and performance focused rather than scale-weight driven, which is a healthier frame for midlife than diet-culture messaging, and it stays neutral on HRT and medical care. Read it as a capable strength app that a woman over 40 can use well, best paired with menopause-specific guidance from elsewhere if that is her priority.
This is the perimenopause and menopause assessment, and it is separate from the overall score. Twelve things a programme either does for a midlife body or does not, each scored out of 10 with my reasoning next to it. Together they produce a single menopause fit score, and that becomes one of the nine categories in the overall scoring below.
How Simply Strong Fits Perimenopause, Menopause & Beyond
Women Over 40 is our most important criterion, and here's the full breakdown behind it.
Simply Strong is strongest for low-impact and progressive strength, and weakest for pelvic floor, hormone awareness, menopause education, mind-body support, menopause programming and expert credibility, in our menopause and midlife capability assessment for women over 40.
At a glance
| Capability | Score | Rating | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right training for a midlife body | |||
| Low-impact | 8/10 | Strong | Dumbbell and band strength, no plyometric or HIIT default; band-led starts are joint-considerate. |
| Progressive strength | 8/10 | Strong | Progressive overload is the core method, structured monthly, but standard movements you self-drive. |
| Bone loading | 6/10 | Some | Real osteogenic loading, but no bone-density-specific protocol. |
| Recovery & deload | 6/10 | Some | Dedicated Mobility programs and scheduled De-Load weeks confirmed in-app. |
| Built for menopause | |||
| Menopause programming | 3/10 | Minimal | A Menopause Strong track exists but is low-impact strength labelled for menopause, not a menopause protocol; far thinner than purpose-built apps. |
| Pelvic floor | 1/10 | None | No pelvic-floor content. |
| Hormone awareness | 1/10 | None | No cycle-syncing or hormone-phase programming. |
| Menopause education | 1/10 | None | No menopause education, symptom or non-training-day guidance. |
| Expert credibility | 3/10 | Minimal | NASM CPT and Macro Coach only; no clinician, pelvic PT or menopause specialist. |
| Whole-woman support | |||
| Mind-body support | 2/10 | None | No meditation or breathwork; community and messaging are human support, not mind-body practice. |
| Beginner on-ramp | 6/10 | Some | Begin to Lift plan and band-led starts help, but silent demos and no modifications limit beginner guidance. |
| Midlife nutrition | 7/10 | Strong | High-protein recipes and macro tracking from a certified macro coach, not menopause-tailored or RD-led. |
ScaleBest-in-classStrongSomeMinimalNone
What the sources say: Sample-tested (several workouts including Full Body Vol 2 and 3 Menopause Strong sessions, iOS, Aug 2026), cross-checked against the official pages and NASM credentials.
These are evidence-informed suitability ratings, not clinical measurements. They combine exercise science with product-specific research and, where indicated, hands-on testing, alongside multi-source verification, and are approximate. Individual response varies. A starting point, not medical advice. How we score menopause fit
What the sources say: scores combine our hands-on testing of the app with the official pages and the creator’s stated NASM credentials. The “built for menopause” group scored low because, although a Menopause Strong track exists, in use it is low-impact strength labelled for menopause with no education, pelvic-floor, hormone or symptom guidance, so it is far weaker than purpose-built menopause programmes. Recovery scored up because the Mobility and De-Load content is genuinely present. Progressive strength and midlife nutrition scored high because both are core, verifiable features.
These are evidence-informed suitability ratings, not clinical measurements. They combine exercise science with hands-on testing and multi-source verification, and are approximate. Individual response varies. A starting point, not medical advice. How we score menopause fit.
What the Research Says: Simply Strong’s Claims Checked
The training Simply Strong offers is well supported by evidence for midlife women. Progressive resistance training reliably increases strength and muscle in women, and specifically counteracts the muscle and strength loss that accelerates through the 40s and 50s.[1] A 20-week trial in middle-aged women found resistance training improved lean and fat mass, with the response shaped by menopause status, so the body-composition promise is credible.[2] The app’s format is also realistic: minimal-dose research shows meaningful strength gains from as few as two sessions a week with low volume, so short home sessions are effective for strength.[3] And a moderate, sustainable prescription of roughly two strength days a week is what menopause and public-health guidance recommends, which supports the results-without-extremes positioning.[4][5]
Two important caveats matter for our audience. First, bone. Resistance training does support bone health, but the strongest measured bone-density gains in the trial evidence come from heavy, high-intensity loading; a home programme using dumbbells and bands provides a real osteogenic stimulus but may not reach the intensity used in the strongest bone studies, so read the bone benefit as helpful rather than guaranteed.[6] Second, the macro and nutrition features are sensible general practice rather than menopause-tailored, and they are not dietitian-led. As a bonus, some trial evidence suggests resistance training may itself ease vasomotor symptoms and improve sleep and mood in postmenopausal women, so the exercise is worthwhile even though the app makes no menopause claim.[7]
What Users Report: Verified Sentiment
Rating snapshot: ratings are strong but the sample is small and split across two app builds, so confidence is low. The original SimplyStrong app holds about 4.9 stars from roughly 40 App Store ratings, with 5.0 from a handful of Google Play reviews; the newer Trainerize build shows 5.0 from only 3 Apple ratings and is not yet rated on Google Play. There is no Trustpilot profile and no substantive Reddit discussion. Treat the near-perfect scores as directionally positive rather than statistically solid.
Consistently praised
- Short, time-efficient sessions that finish on schedule, matching the busy-women pitch.
- Structured monthly progressive programming that removes daily decision fatigue.
- Clear guidance: demo videos, written form cues and set, rep and weight tracking.
- A real human coach plus community, explicitly contrasted with AI-only apps.
- The high-protein recipe library and macro tools.
Consistently criticised
- Few genuine criticisms surface, which at this sample size is itself a caution flag rather than proof of none.
- The app migration has reset visible social proof; the current build shows almost no ratings.
- Value leans on engaging with the coach and community, so it likely delivers less for a passive user.
- No permanent free tier; essentially everything sits behind the subscription after the trial.
Source and credibility note: ratings were read from the Apple App Store and Google Play across the legacy and new builds. The most detailed positive write-up is a disclosed affiliate review by a registered dietitian, and several Google Play five-star reviews cluster on the same day with immediate developer replies, consistent with a review-request push. None of this is evidence of fake reviews, but the tiny counts, affiliate-heavy praise and the mid-migration reset all mean the sentiment picture is thin and skews positive. We report the counts openly rather than blending them into a single figure.
Devices, Platforms and App
Simply Strong is available on iOS and Android, plus a web membership portal you can use in a browser on a laptop. The newer build adds an Apple Watch app and syncs with Garmin, Fitbit, Apple Health, MyFitnessPal and Withings, which is useful if you already track activity on a wearable. In testing the app worked reliably but felt basic and click-heavy: you tap through to confirm sets and log weights more than you would in a slicker app. We did not find offline downloads, casting to a TV or subtitles. The main platform caveat remains the dual-build migration: make sure you download the current, actively updated version rather than the older listing.
Simply Strong specifications
- Free trial
- 5-day free trial
- Cancellation
- cancel anytime in the app
- Session length
- 30 or 45 min
- Who makes it
- Tami Smith, CPT (NASM-certified PT + macro coach; brand Fit Healthy Macros); women's progressive strength + macros; not a clinician
- Still maintained
- Active; delivered via Trainerize (train.simplystrongapp.com), no dedicated branded App Store app for Tami's program
- What is included
- On-demand classes: yesLive classes: noRecovery content: partlyMenopause education: noStructured programmes: yesMeditation: noNutrition guidance: yes
- Women over 40
- Pelvic floor work: noMenopause clinician involved: noInjury modifications: partlyBone-health focus: partlyModified progressions: yesCycle syncing: noPrenatal options: partly
- Devices and access
- Offline downloads: partlyCasting to TV: noSubtitles: noWearable sync: partly
- Support
- Clinical advisory board: noCommunity: partlySupplement upsell: no
- Last verified
- 12 August 2026
Simply Strong Price 2026: What You Actually Pay
| Plan | Cost | Includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free tier | None | No permanent free tier; a 5-day free trial gives full access before billing. |
| Monthly | $24.99/month (US) | Full access: monthly plans, recipes and macro tracking, mobility and de-load plans, community and 1:1 in-app messaging. |
| Annual | Not offered | No annual plan advertised as of August 2026; membership is monthly only. |
| Free trial | 5 days | Full access before the first charge. |
Cancellation and Billing
Membership is billed monthly and you can cancel anytime in the app; if you join through the App Store or Google Play, manage or cancel it in your device’s subscription settings. To avoid being charged, turn off auto-renew before the 5-day trial ends, then check your statement. UK and other non-US pricing is not officially published and is charged in local currency at the store’s rate, so confirm the exact figure at checkout.
Will You Actually Stick With It?
Structured monthly plans with rest and cardio days tell you exactly what to do; we never had to think about it.
New monthly programming and mobility weeks keep it fresh, but it is strength-focused with little variety beyond lifting.
20 to 35 minute sessions three days a week are genuinely easy to fit in, which is the app’s biggest adherence strength.
Silent demos, no modifications and a click-heavy logging flow make it harder for a nervous beginner to stick with than a coached app.
Simply Strong Pros and Cons
Pros
- Genuine progressive-overload strength programming, beginner to advanced
- Short, doable 20 to 35 minute sessions, 3 to 5 days a week
- Structured monthly plans with rest and cardio days built in
- Mobility programs and scheduled de-load weeks for recovery
- Minimal equipment: dumbbells and resistance bands
- Strong nutrition side: high-protein recipes and macro tracking from a certified macro coach
- Unusual direct access: 1:1 in-app messaging with the founder
- Women-only community for accountability
- Low impact and joint-considerate, with band-led starts
- Transparent single price with a 5-day trial and easy cancellation
Cons
- Silent video demos with no in-workout audio coaching cues
- No easier or joint-friendly modifications offered inside workouts
- Menopause track is thin: low-impact strength labelled for menopause, no education, pelvic floor or symptom guidance
- Plans only; no standalone single-workout library with filters
- Basic, click-heavy UX; lots of tapping to confirm sets and log weights
- No clinician, dietitian or menopause specialist; single-trainer model
- Monthly only; no annual plan and no permanent free tier
- Thin, positive-skewed review base split across a dual-app migration
How Simply Strong Compares to Similar Platforms
If you are deciding between women’s strength apps, this is how Simply Strong sits against the four most likely alternatives. Scores come from our independent reviews and update automatically as each is scored; Pvolve is included as the menopause-built contrast.
| Feature | Simply Strong | EvolveYou | Fitbod | Sweat | Pvolve |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Our score | 6.6 / 10 (hands-on) | 6.1 / 10 | 5.8 / 10 | 7.3 / 10 | 8.3 / 10 |
| Monthly price | $24.99/mo (no annual) | ~$22.99/mo · ~$119.99/yr | ~$15.99/mo · ~$95.99/yr | ~$19.99/mo · annual varies (verify) | $24.99/mo · equipment from $199 |
| Free trial | 5 days | 7 days (annual) | 3 free workouts | 7 days | 14 days (card required) |
| Best for | Doable structured home strength with real nutrition and coach access | Women lifting for strength | Equipment-flexible AI-progressed lifting | Structured women’s strength and Pilates | Low-impact functional strength, menopause, joints |
| Equipment required | Dumbbells and bands | Gym or dumbbells | Bodyweight, dumbbells or gym | Gym or dumbbells | Bundle recommended; bands and dumbbells work |
| Session length | 20 to 35 min | 30 to 45 min | User-set 30 to 60 min | 28 to 45 min | 5 to 60+ min |
| Coaching cues | Silent demos, written cues, no modifications | Trainer-programmed | Algorithm only | Programme-guided | Verbal throughout, demos alongside |
| Perimenopause content | Thin: labelled Menopause Strong track only | None | None | Some hormonal-health content | Best in class: Menopause Strong, pelvic floor |
| Nutrition included | Yes, recipes and macros | Yes, macro plan and recipes | None | Yes, meal plans | Not in streaming |
| Community | Yes | Yes | None | Yes | Yes |
| App Store rating | ~4.9 (~40 ratings, legacy build) | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.6 | ~4.9 (Streaming app) |
| Best suited to | Women who already train and want doable structured strength | 30s to 40s women lifting for strength | Equipment-flexible home or gym lifters | Women wanting structured strength programmes | Women ~35+, perimenopause, joint issues |
Competitor prices are approximate; verify on each platform’s website. Scores reflect our independent reviews. See each full review for methodology.
Simply Strong vs EvolveYou: Which Is Better for Women Over 40?
These two overlap more than any other pairing here: both are women’s strength apps that pair progressive lifting with macro-based nutrition, and neither is menopause-built. The practical difference is scale versus access. EvolveYou is the bigger, more established platform, with a large library of trainer-programmed guides, several training styles and a mature meal-plan system, plus an annual plan that brings the monthly cost down. It suits a woman who wants a deep, varied catalogue to explore on her own.
Simply Strong is smaller and more personal. It is a single-trainer programme, so the library is narrower, but it offers something EvolveYou does not: direct one-to-one messaging with the founder, who programmes the workouts and answers members inside the app. For a woman who wants a clear monthly plan and a real person to check in with, rather than a large catalogue to self-navigate, that access is the draw, and the 5-day trial with monthly-only billing is a low-commitment way in. For strength results either app will serve you well; for a coaching relationship, Simply Strong; for library depth and annual value, EvolveYou. For menopause-specific programming, neither is the answer, and a purpose-built platform such as Pvolve goes considerably further.
If Simply Strong Is Not Right for You: Best Alternatives
Simply Strong nails progressive strength, but coaching is light and the menopause track is thin. If that is your sticking point, here is where our other reviews point:
- Best for a more polished strength app: EvolveYou offers structured progressive lifting for women with stronger in-app guidance.
- Best AI-adaptive strength: Fitbod builds and adjusts your lifting plan automatically around the equipment you have.
- Best for menopause-specific design: Pvolve adds clinically informed, low-impact perimenopause and menopause programming.
Simply Strong FAQ
Simply Strong is a subscription strength-training app for women, founded by certified trainer Tami Smith. It gives you structured monthly progressive-overload plans of about 20 to 35 minutes, 3 to 5 days a week, using dumbbells and resistance bands, plus mobility and de-load weeks, high-protein recipes, macro tracking, a women-only community and direct in-app messaging with the founder. It runs on iOS, Android and a web portal.
Tami Smith is the founder of Simply Strong and a NASM Certified Personal Trainer and NASM Certified Macro Coach. She personally programmes the workouts and answers members inside the app. She is a qualified fitness and nutrition coach rather than a clinician, and the app has no medical or menopause specialist on the team.
Simply Strong is $24.99 per month in the US, verified in August 2026. It is a monthly-only membership with no annual plan advertised, and there is a 5-day free trial. UK and other non-US pricing is not officially published and is charged in local currency through the App Store or Google Play, so confirm the exact figure at checkout.
Only loosely. There is a Menopause Strong track, but in use it is low-impact strength labelled for menopause: there is no menopause education, no pelvic-floor work, no hormone or symptom guidance and nothing for non-training days. The training itself is menopause-appropriate, but as a menopause programme it is far thinner than a purpose-built option like Pvolve. Treat it as menopause-suitable strength, not a menopause protocol.
Partly. It has a Begin to Lift plan and band-led starts, and the sessions are short and low-impact. But the exercise videos are silent with no audio coaching, no easier or joint-friendly modifications are offered inside workouts, and the logging is click-heavy, so a nervous beginner who wants to be taught and guided may prefer a more coached app. It suits a beginner who is comfortable following a plan more than one who needs cueing.
No gym is required. The programme is designed for home or gym with minimal equipment: a pair of dumbbells, ideally adjustable, and resistance bands cover most of it. A bench is useful but optional. Adjustable dumbbells are the most practical choice because progressive overload means you keep adding weight as you get stronger.
Yes. Simply Strong offers a 5-day free trial with full access before billing, and you can cancel anytime. If you subscribe through the App Store or Google Play, manage or cancel in your device’s subscription settings, and turn off auto-renew before the trial ends to avoid a charge. There is no permanent free tier.
For a woman who already trains and wants doable, well-structured strength plans with genuine nutrition tools, mobility and de-load weeks and direct access to a certified coach, it is good value at $24.99 a month. It is a weaker choice if you want in-workout coaching cues and modifications, or genuine menopause programming. This is a hands-on look (sample tested); a full multi-week test is still to come.
Final Verdict
Our Score: 6.6 / 10 · sample tested; long-term score provisional
Simply Strong is a well-structured, doable progressive-strength app for busy women, with genuinely useful extras: short plans you can fit in, mobility and de-load weeks, a strong high-protein recipe and macro system, a women-only community and unusually direct access to a certified trainer, all at a single transparent price. Those fundamentals earn it a solid score. The two things that hold it back for our audience, both confirmed in testing, are light coaching (silent demos, no modifications) and a thin menopause layer: the Menopause Strong track is low-impact strength labelled for menopause rather than a genuine menopause programme, so its menopause fit is modest.
Simply Strong is for women who already train and want doable, structured home strength with real nutrition support and coach access. Simply Strong is not for beginners who want to be coached through each move, or women whose priority is menopause or pelvic-floor programming, who would be better served by a purpose-built option such as Pvolve.
Testing Status
Hands-on look complete (signed up, followed a monthly plan, tried the Menopause Strong, mobility and de-load content, with our own screenshots), alongside the official site, the app stores, user reviews and peer-reviewed science. Full multi-week test: pending. A longer run would confirm the strength progression, adherence and how the menopause track holds up, and move this to fully tested. How we score and profile.
Sources and Further Reading
- Nunes, P.R.P. et al. (2019). The effect of resistance training in women on dynamic strength and muscular hypertrophy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Sports Medicine. Available at: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Confirms resistance training significantly increases strength and muscle size in women.
- Isenmann, E. et al. (2023). Resistance training alters body composition in middle-aged women depending on menopause: a 20-week control trial. BMC Women’s Health. Available at: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Resistance training improved lean and fat mass in middle-aged women, with menopause status shaping the response.
- Nuzzo, J.L. et al. (2024). Resistance exercise minimal dose strategies for increasing muscle strength in the general population: an overview. Sports Medicine. Available at: pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Low-volume training twice a week produces meaningful strength gains, supporting short sessions.
- International Menopause Society (2025). IMS recommendations and key messages on women’s midlife health and menopause. Climacteric. Available at: tandfonline.com. Recommends at least 150 minutes of weekly aerobic activity plus two weekly resistance sessions for midlife women.
- NHS. Strength exercises and physical activity guidelines for adults. Available at: nhs.uk. Recommends muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days a week to slow age-related bone and muscle loss.
- Watson, S.L. et al. (2018). High-intensity resistance and impact training improves bone mineral density and physical function in postmenopausal women: the LIFTMOR randomized controlled trial. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. Available at: onlinelibrary.wiley.com. Heavier, high-intensity loading improved bone density in postmenopausal women.
- Berin, E. et al. (2019). Resistance training for hot flushes in postmenopausal women: a randomised controlled trial. Maturitas. Available at: maturitas.org. Resistance training reduced vasomotor symptom severity and improved sleep and mood.
This is a hands-on look (sample tested), not a completed multi-week review. Pricing and features were verified August 2026 and may have changed. Some affiliate links may be present. This site does not accept payment from platforms reviewed. Education, not medical advice; speak to your clinician, especially about HRT or existing conditions.
Related Guides
What To Do Next
- → Take our 2-minute quiz for a personalised recommendation.
- → See our best workouts for perimenopause rankings.
- → Compare with our EvolveYou review and see how we score every programme.
