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Alright, we are almost three full weeks into the new year and still going strong, right? We have our health and fitness goals, we’ve made our plan, and we are killing it. “Hey, Joe, what happens if we don’t have a plan?” Wait, no plan? Of course we have a plan. We talked about this.
Okay, deep breaths. I’ve got us covered. For those of us who don’t want to scour the internet for a workout routine or build one themselves, myself included, it can be difficult to have a plan. I’ve been there many times. I know what I should do or could do but planning takes a ton out of me. Have no fear. Help is on the way. Here are some apps to get us started (I am not getting paid to endorse any of these apps):
Running:
Running is not my thing, which I’m sure I’ve mentioned over and over by now, but I know it’s fun for many people so who am I to judge. The important thing is to get in shape. Of course running can difficult and demanding for those of us who haven’t laced up our running shoes in a while. The apps below make the process of getting back into it a little bit easier.
Weight Loss Running: Created by Verv, this was the app I used a few years back when I wanted to get in shape and was preparing for a Spartan Race. I may not be a fan of running but this was the perfect way for me to get started. Instead of the constant long, slow runs with traditional running programs, this app turns it into interval training.
It starts you off with a walk/jog warm up for 5 minutes then cycles on and off between jogging, sprinting, and walking. The difficulty can be changed depending on your current training history and has several different training plans including for weight loss (obviously), 5Ks, 10Ks, Half Marathons, and Marathons. Each plan starts you off easy and becomes progressively more difficult with each workout. If followed properly, by the end of the training plan, you should have little issue completing the assigned program.
This app is free with an in-app paid premium version which includes more fitness tips, songs and music mixes, workouts.
Zombies, Run: For the gamers or those looking to add a little fun to their run, there’s Zombies, Run, by Six to Start. As one of the few remain survivors of the Zombie Apocalypse, you are a “Runner,” an individual tasked with gathering supplies, finding and rescuing other survivors, and traveling to other outposts. Each run is a different mission where you walk, jog, or run anywhere in the world and at the end you collect supplies to help your base. Basically, you feel like you’re on the Walking Dead and with 200 plus missions (both free and paid) boredom is unlikely.
I have not used this app before. I heard about this from the Nerd Fitness message boards and decided to save it for later. I love the idea of gamifying something life to make it more fun. Now after looking into this app even closer I need to add this to my fitness cycle. I’m excited. ZOMBIES!
MapMyRun: For those of us who just want to get out and run, this app is for them. Created by Under Armor this was one of the first and most popular running apps to track mileage. While they have training plans and a few other features, for those willing to pay to upgrade, it’s still one of the easiest click and go running GPS trackers when you just want to run. You can track how far you’ve run, keeps a list of distances, and share them with friends. Simple but effective.
Bodyweight/At Home:
Looking to get into shape but don’t want to run or have access to a gym? Try these apps out. These bodyweight apps allow us to work out just about anywhere, including our homes, getting rid many of our fitness excuses. Those these are great for beginners or people who are on vacation, the apps listed below have fairly limited functionality, however, without the paid upgrade.
Mammoth Hunters: Named after the founding company, Mammoth Hunters Fitness app is one I’ve used personally and I really enjoyed it. This app provides close to a dozen free premade workouts, a basic nutrition guide, and allows users to create their own tribe to help keep each other accountable. The paid upgrade version tailors the fitness program to the user, provides a personal meal plan, and weekly shopping lists.
Weight Loss Fitness: Also created by Verv, but has significantly less functionality than its Weight Loss Running counterpart when not upgraded to premium. While the free access is very limited, it is a great app for beginners looking to get their feet wet. Workouts are about 6-7 minutes long which is great for users who don’t think they have enough time to work out properly. After several weeks on the free program, users can either upgrade to the premium version or find a new app.
Strength Training:
For those of us who are looking to build strength and are willing and able to go to the gym these are great options to get started.
FitBod: This app, created by Fitbod Inc, works for a variety of individuals who want fairly customized workouts. The user can set the type of equipment they have available to them, their fitness goals (like get stronger, bulk up, or lean up), fitness experience, workout duration, and a bunch more. Then it creates a workout routine based on these preferences, which can always be changed. It even has videos of each exercise in the routine to ensure the user has proper form. The best part is it is free. Of course there is a paid upgrade version but there is a ton of free stuff in this app, most people shouldn’t need the upgrade.
Kettlebell: Have you seen the kettlebells in the gym and want to start using them but don’t know where to start? Fitify has you covered with their kettlebell app. The free version allows you to access all of their workouts except the lower body. Then you pick your workout duration and follow along to the videos. When the time is up, you move to the next exercise until the workout is over. According to the developer, Martin Mazanec, there are over 55 different kettlebell exercises in this app helping to ensure you never get bored. As with most of these there is a paid feature, which, much like Fitbod, could probably done without.
Hylete Daily Circuit: Though I’ve never used this app, I think it’s awesome and will be using it when I want to get Spartan ready. Created by the fitness clothing company Hylete, this app is completely free. No premium upgrades or plans to purchase. Download the app, click on today’s circuit, and get started. The workouts run about 20 minutes, not including the warmup and cooldown, making it easy enough to fit into most people’s busy schedule.
The best part? There’s zero need to think ahead or plan, and if you find a routine you enjoy you can save it to your favorites to repeat. Movements can be modified and there are videos tutorials for any exercise you don’t know how to do. This HIIT training app is definitely one to check out.
StrongLifts 5×5: This app from the creator of StrongLifts 5×5, takes the program and makes it even easier to get started. It helps the user figure out their starting bar weight for each exercise, automatically adds the correct progression amount for each workout, and tells the user how much weight belongs on each side. (For people who are not used to “plate math” this calculation can be difficult). Your workout history is logged and graphed to measure progress.
There is a paid upgrade with a quarterly and annual plan which offers the user a few additional features but I’m not sure it’s necessary. For those of us who are willing to put in a little work, the free plan is enough, though if you can afford the upgrade it’s worth helping the creator out.
Health:
These are the miscellaneous apps I find or have found helpful when wanting to get serious and healthy.
MyFitnessPal: For those of us who want to track what they are eating and aren’t doing Weight Watchers, this is an amazing app. I’ve used this a bunch before and Under Armor’s database of food is intense. You can scan barcodes from the foods you eat, choose the number of servings you’ve eaten, and it adds all the information to your daily total. You can also make recipes to know how many calories you eaten and save the recipes to reuse later. This is the app I recommend to anyone interested in tracking what they eat. It’s great for beginners and the premium version has even more information for those who want to get micro with their macros.
Calm/Headspace/Oak: Meditation isn’t just for hippies anymore. Fitness leaders, Titans of Industry, and the little, old lady down the street have meditation practices. There are plenty of benefits to meditation from reducing stress and anxiety to reducing blood pressure to improving sleep, to name a few. Unfortunately, meditation gets a bad rap from being too crazy and hippy-like to being too difficult. This is where these apps help. They allow you to access free guided meditations to start out and more advanced guides at a low monthly cost (except Oak. It was created as a Facebook tutorial/experiment by Kevin Rose and is still free at this point). For those who are looking to get into meditation but don’t know where to start, look no further. While I don’t have a regular practice, when I do meditate I always feel better.
Google Docs/Google Spreadsheets: I do most of my fitness related work on these two apps. I have my list of exercise and the overall fitness plan in Google Docs and use Google Spreadsheets for the actual workout routine numbers and tracking. They are simple, easy to use, and don’t cost a dime. These can even be used to keep recipes, keep a food log, count macros, or track weight progress. For those of us who want or are willing to put a little more effort into their fitness and wellness planning, these are great.
Okay, wow, that was a lot. Still with me? I know this list might look a little overwhelming but I hope it’s less intimidating than the app store. Like everything else I try to put out, the goal is to make things a little easier for you. Fewer choices, fewer headaches, and fewer reason not to start. Find an app and give it a try. If it doesn’t feel right, then feel free to move on to something else. The point is to get started. Good Luck and Happy Gainzmas!
