New motivation feature ranks gym-goers on strength, consistency, and activity, then places them in leagues with people at their level
Petach Tikva, Israel (PRUnderground) October 13th, 2026
Petach Tikva, Israel, October 13, 2026, Fitness22, a leading developer of fitness apps with more than 100 million downloads, today launched Leaderboards in its Gymverse app. Leaderboards are designed to keep gym-goers motivated by turning workouts into a continuous system of progress, recognition, and friendly competition.
Leaderboards go beyond raw strength. Users are ranked on performance, consistency, and overall activity. They are then placed in leagues with others at a comparable level, so the next milestone always feels within reach.
"We analyzed millions of user workouts, and the data is clear: most users start strong, but when progress feels invisible, they lose motivation," said Benny Shaviv, Founder of Fitness22. "It's not a willpower issue. It's a feedback issue. We wanted users to feel recognition and momentum immediately, whether they're chasing elite strength numbers or simply showing up every week. Consistency is crucial. Our data shows that missing just one week in a month makes users about four times more likely to take a long break. Don't break the chain"
Outside research supports the approach. A 2017 Stanford University study of more than 3,600 users of a step-tracking app found that their physical activity rose 23% on average during competitions.
Make Every Workout Count
Leaderboards in Gymverse cover two categories:
Strength: performance metrics such as max weight lifted
Activity and consistency: workout frequency and total training volume
Users compete in Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Diamond leagues against others at a similar fitness level and weight class. After each workout, Gymverse automatically highlights the user's most notable achievement. For example, a user finishes a workout and finds out that their estimated bench press 1RM ranks in the top 5% in their area, or they climbed several spots in their current league. These small moments of recognition are designed to celebrate consistency, connect with their community, and keep motivation high.
"Gymverse's smart ranking system is built to keep beginners and casual gym-goers motivated and engaged", said Alexander Mikhnevich, Product Director at Fitness22. "Through years of training, I learned that consistency and personal improvement count just as much as raw performance. Fitness motivation is deeply personal. Some users are driven by competition. Others are driven by streaks, improvement, or simply seeing tangible proof that their effort matters. Our internal data shows that about half the time a Gymverse lifter repeats an exercise, they beat their last session"
The new Leaderboards feature is launching with country, continent, and global leaderboards across weekly and monthly timeframes. City and regional rankings, plus the ability to create group leaderboards with friends and family, are planned to roll out in the coming months.
About Fitness22
Established in 2011, Fitness22 builds category-leading fitness apps that help people stay motivated and reach their goals. Today, with over 100M downloads, the company is recognized as one of the world's leading app developers, repeatedly featured by Apple, Google, and TechCrunch as best-in-class in the health and fitness category. Fitness22's portfolio includes award-winning apps, such as 5K Runner, 10K Runner, and Running Trainer.
Learn more at www.fitness22.com
Media contact:
Yossi Tarablus, VP Marketing
+972522890297