Real strength work at home, with a coach watching every rep and adding challenge as you get stronger.
This page is for you if you want to get stronger, whether you've never lifted a weight or you used to and stopped. HipTrain is live 1-on-1 personal training over video. You see the same coach every time, from about $14 a session, and your first session is free.
Strength is the part most people skip. The CDC suggests adults do muscle-strengthening work at least 2 days a week, working the legs, hips, back, belly, chest, shoulders and arms. Many people walk but never get to this part. A booked session makes it happen.
It pays off more as you age. Mayo Clinic says muscle mass and strength tend to decline with age, and that strength training can help you keep and even increase both. It also says strength training can help protect bone health, support balance and make everyday tasks easier.
You don't need a gym to do it well. In April 2026, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) updated its resistance training position stand for the first time since 2009. One key point: going from no strength training to any strength training is the biggest step. Bands, bodyweight and home routines all produced real gains in the research it reviewed. Training to failure and fancy programming did not matter much for most healthy adults.
Form is where a coach earns their keep. A video in an app can't see that your knees cave in on a squat or your back rounds on a row. A live coach can, and fixes it before it turns into a sore back. Your coach also tracks what you did last week, so each session is a little harder than the last, at a pace your body can handle.
Here's an example of a 30-minute strength session for someone in their first month. It uses a chair, a sturdy table, a backpack and a resistance band if you have one.
This example is for someone training twice a week, with a day or more of rest between sessions so muscles can recover.
Later, many people move to three 30-minute sessions a week, or two 60-minute sessions that work the whole body each time.
"I have been training with Juan Garcia for about a year now. He is very knowledgeable, and helped me get to a consistent strength training schedule, even though I didn't have any strength training experience when we started." (Manya S., Google review)
"I joined HipTrain a couple of months ago and am already so much stronger. I work with Felipe twice weekly, and he is great: super enthusiastic, supportive, always has a new set of exercises to challenge me." (Emily G., Google review)
The twice-a-week 30-minute plan, a good fit for the 2-day guideline, is $119.99 a month. With a little over eight sessions a month, that's about $14 a session. Your first session is free, and you don't need a card to book it.
HipTrain is HSA / FSA eligible. The IRS (Publication 502) generally counts exercise as a medical expense only when it's for a specific medical condition, so your plan may ask for a Letter of Medical Necessity. Check with your plan first. Our HSA guide walks through the steps.
In person, Thumbtack reports that personal trainers cost $40 to $100 an hour, about $55 on average. Twice a week at that average is about $440 a month.
If your goal is heavy barbell lifting, such as a big squat or deadlift for a meet, you'll want a gym and a coach who can be there in person. Our coaches do teach weightlifting, but they can only work with what you have at home. If you want a written program to follow on your own time, an app-based coaching service fits better, since HipTrain sessions happen live at a set time. We also don't offer in-person sessions, nutrition coaching or a big on-demand library. And our reviews are fewer than the big apps: 29 App Store ratings against their thousands.
Yes. The 2026 ACSM position stand found that bodyweight and band training lead to real gains in strength and muscle. Your coach makes moves harder over time with slower reps, single-leg versions, pauses and household items like a loaded backpack.
The CDC suggests at least 2 days a week for adults, working all the major muscle groups. Two or three live sessions a week covers that. Rest at least a day between hard sessions for the same muscles.
Many of our members start there. Check with your doctor if you have health conditions, then tell your coach. They'll start light and watch every rep. See our page for seniors for more.
Nothing to start. If you want one thing later, a set of resistance bands is cheap and goes a long way. Your coach will tell you if something would truly help.
Want to see how strong you can get at home? Try your first session free. No credit card needed.