How FORMA handles it
Start with Lock In, FORMA's plan builder. Tell it your goal, how many days a week you can train, and what you've got at home — nothing at all or a pair of dumbbells — and it builds a personalized plan in about a minute. Choose bodyweight and every move is something you can do on the floor; add dumbbells and it programs around them. From there you log your sessions and track progress with streaks, so it remembers where you left off and what's next.
Prefer a proven routine? FORMA has 16 ready-made programs, and several run on minimal kit, including bodyweight progressions and home-dumbbell splits. Every exercise links to one of 105 form guides with a demo and an interactive 3D muscle map, so you can check what a movement should look like before you try it in the living room. And if you're training with no one around to watch your form, Form Check uses your phone camera to count reps and flag form issues rep by rep. It covers 32 exercises and runs entirely on your device, so no video ever leaves your phone.
Where it's not the best fit
Bodyweight only takes you so far. FORMA can push you toward harder variations and more reps, but it can't add resistance you don't own, so if you're chasing a heavy squat or deadlift you'll eventually want a barbell. Form Check is a beta assistive tool — it covers 32 exercises, not every home movement, and its form thresholds are first-guess estimates, not a human coach watching you. And it's an app, not a live trainer, so nobody's checking in if you skip a session.
Frequently asked questions
Is FORMA actually free?
Yes. The plan builder, the programs, the exercise library, the calculators and Form Check all have no paywall. There's an optional Premium at about $12 a month that removes ads and helps fund the project, but it doesn't unlock any features. Everything's there on the free tier.
Can it build a plan if I have zero equipment?
Yes. In Lock In, set your equipment to bodyweight and it builds the whole plan from moves you can do with nothing but the floor. If you pick up a pair of dumbbells later, change the setting and it reworks the plan around what you have.
Do I need an account to start?
No account needed to browse the 16 programs, read the 105 form guides or run Form Check. Saving a personalized plan and tracking your progress across sessions does use a free account, and the Food Scan calorie tool needs one too.
What if my form is off with no one to check it?
Form Check uses your phone camera to count reps and flag issues rep by rep, with a skeleton overlay drawn on top. It runs on your device and needs no account, covering 32 common exercises. It's a beta helper rather than a substitute for a coach, but it beats guessing alone at home.