My 5 Favorite iTouch (iPhone) Fitness and Weight Loss Apps
When I bought my iTouch a few years ago I never thought it would have an impact on my fitness level and ultimately weight. With the invention of the apps store on iTunes the way I workout has changed for the better.
If you go do a search on iTunes right now for fitness you will get back a whole schwack of different apps – some free and some not. I have tried a number of them and at this point have landed on 4 that I use consistently and have a positive impact on my workout and weight loss experience.
How They Have Changed How I Work Out
The first and most beneficial aspect to the iTouch apps is the organisational aspect they provide. On one little device, I am able to hold the music and podcasts that I want to listen to when working out, but it also allows me to store and access information and workout programs that allow me to be more efficient in my workouts.
For example, with the 100 Pushups app, I can be anyware (my iTouch is always with me) and get my pushup workout in. With respect to running, I simply enter in the number of kilometers I need to run for the day the night before and when I am ready to go at lunch I turn Nike+ on and away I go.
The other organisational benefit to my fitness and weight loss goals is that the programs automatically keep track of my workouts so that I have a good summary of the activities, times, distances, reps, etc. that I have completed. Overall, they have been a time-saver.
My 5 Favorite iTouch (iPhone) Fitness and Weight Loss Apps
I say iTouch with the iPhone in brackets because all of these apps will obviously work on both devices. If you are like me and get a mobile phone from your company then the iPhone may not be a possibility so we have to “settle” for the iTouch.
The following 5 apps are the ones that I am using the most right now. This list can change as I find new apps.
100 Pushups
Simply put, this little app guides the user through a series of workouts on the road to completing 100 continuous pushups. It is simple in its goal yet effective. I am doing this program because of the benefits the pushup has on fitness ability – it works out many parts of your body at once. In addition, how cool would it be to say you could complete 100 pushups in a row!
200 Situps
Written by the same people as the 100 Pushups program, the 200 Situps program once again guides you through a program that will prepare you for the task of completing 200 pushups in a row. I thought this was a good balance with the pushup program. I used to hate doing ab work. This program has provided me with a concrete goal and so far some results (no six pack but I can feel that my midsection is stronger).
With both the 100 Pushups and 200 Situps app, my only beef is that I believe the interface could be designed a little better. When I first started using it I was slightly confused on how to record the workouts. However, after I figured out how it all went together there has been no issues since.
Livestrong.com Calorie Tracker
It works by establishing a calories per day goal based on your height, weight, and your activity levels. With that goal in mind and presented strongly within the app, you record what you eat during the day and the app keeps track of the calories. With this, you can see where you may be over or under your calorie counts. You can also see your problem areas.
The biggest problem I have with the Livestrong.com Calorie Tracker is that you need to be connected to Wifi or your cell network to get the calorie data. Not a huge issue for me, but a pain if I am away from WiFi for any real length of time.
Nike+
I spoke about this project earlier. In this post I am going to refer to the specific app that the Nike+ places on your iTouch. Every time I run my iTouch comes with me. Having an app on the device that guides my running workouts has been great.
As I mentioned above, I simply enter in the running workout I am going to be doing that day and a voice comes through the speakers updating me on my progress and how much further I have to go.
When I am back home, I plug the iTouch into iTunes and that syncs my latest workout with the Nike+ website where I am then able to track my runs and see my progress. It all works very well.
The one thing that I have found that I do not like is that there is no way to upload a coaching program through Nike+ onto the iTouch. On the Nike+ website you can get a training program – a 10-K program for example – and then print that program out and follow it on your path to completing a 10-K race. It would be very nice if you could upload that program to your iTouch and all the runs would be on your decive, taking you through the whole program from start to finish. Even better would be a coach talking to you through the deive tell you to speed up or slow down depending on your pace and just providing encouragement along the way.
iFitness
Fitness is more of a database of weight-lifting exercises than anything else. It does allow you to track the exercises you complete in terms of reps and weight but the real value I have found is providing me with suggestions for weight-lifting exercises that I can do to keep changing things up. As we all know, you need to keep your body guessing and the best way is to change up your workout program from time to time.
There are hundreds of exercises listed with full instructions and images on how to complete them in proper form. A user can also add their own exercises to the database if there is one they like that is not listed. Overall, this has been a pretty useful app.
What Are Your Favorite Fitness and Weight Loss Apps
Those are the iTouch apps I have been using regularly lately. However, I am always on the lookout for more so please use the comments section to let me know what suggestions you have!
Riding My Bike to Work Every Day
I would never have known it before it happened, but ever since I moved to Norway there has been one benefit that has been awesome for my fitness level. Each and every day I get to ride my bike to work.
To be totally honest, it is a great part of my day. It totally wakes me up and then allows me to wind down and switch from that intense work guy to fun to be around super dad and husband (most of the time!).
The Route
The route I take is 10.5 kilometers each way which when I first started took me about 40 minutes. After a year of riding I have been able to cut that time down to between 32 and 34 minutes depending on the wind and how much energy I have. The best part (although I don’t always think so) is that the route is not flat, but rather has a nice combination of real steep intense hills which require me to mash up out of my saddle and longer hills that brings a wicked burn to the quads.
My Bike
Ahhhh my sweet ride – it is the one in the picture above. I decided to go with a mountain bike because they are more versatile. There are a lot of great trails around my house and a road bike or even a hybrid just wouldn’t be able to cut it. It is a locally made bike by a company called Bike Brothers. It is light, quick, and very comfortable to ride. I love it.
The Effects on My Weight
My daily rides are all about burning calories and using my heart and leg muscles which I have found to be a positive influence on both my weight and leg strength. At first I found that I lost a lot of weight with these rides, simply because I was burning all those additional calories every day. However, now that I do it every day my body has adapted and rather than continuing to lose weight I have been able to keep my weight relatively stable. I have added running (for a future topic) and some other activities to keep things new and my body guessing.
Running Using My New NikePlus (Nike+)
I was in Berlin this past weekend and made a new purchase to include in my digital weight loss toolkit. It is the Nike+ and I did my first run with it at lunch today. So far I have to say that I am impressed.
How the Nike+ System Works
To best describe the Nike+ would be to break it down into its three separate components. The first component is the little shoe fob that fits inside of a specially designed Nike running shoe. The fob fits into a little cutout under the liner of the show so that you would never know it was there.
The next item is the iPod itself. Depending on your version of iPod you may or may not need a tiny plugin chip that clicks into the same spot where you plug your iPod into your computer. Most new iPods (iTouch, iPhone, Nano) has the software and receiver built right into the iPod so this adapter is not needed. An image of both of these are included to the left – the receiver is on the left and the fob that goes in your shoe is on the right.
The third item is not so much of a physical device, but a specially designed website at NikePlus.com. On the site you can review your prior runs and set goals, or training programs for specific goals such as running a half-marathon. I liked the website – it it very aesthetically pleasing and it will be fun to see my progress over time. The image in the header of this post shows a screen shot of my first run.
To make the system work, you simply put the fob in your shoe, go into the Nike+ settings on your iPod and activate it. The system does the rest, walking you through the set up. When you connect your iPod to your computer, it recognizes that you now are using Nike+ and asks if you want to send it to the Nike+ website. I did and ti worked fine.
My Experience and First Run
As I said, I did my first run with the Nike+ today over my lunch break and it was nice to use. I set up just a quick 4K run right on my iTouch, hit start, and away I went. Every half-kilometer (I am in Europe) a ladies voice came on to tell me how far I had gone. As I got closer to the end, the same voice began telling me how far I had left. I guess this is supposed to be a psychological thing (i.e. not long now!).
Area of Improvement
The one thing that was glaringly obvious to me was that there was no way to trasnfer a workout or training program (say a half-marathon training program) over to your iPod. You need to actually go to the site to see what your next training session will be and then enter those details into the iPod Nike+ app. I think this needs to be an area of focus for Nike if this thing is really going to be effective as a training tool
Will I Continue to Use It
I like the Nike+ and will continue to use it for the foreseeable future. I am actually going to set up a training program for a 10K this weekend on the website and work towards that. That should allow me to really run the system through its paces and then report back on how it has done in keeping me working towards that fit and healthy lookin’ body.
Welcome to Digital Weight Loss
Welcome to Digital Weight Loss, a new blog that is going to marry the pursuit of a fit body with that of digital technology that can help me lose weight. Losing Weight and achieving a toned body has always been a struggle for me. I have turned to digital technology to help me in my fight against the bulge. In this blog, I will document my use of digital technology to help me in my fight against weight loss and a fit body.
The Stats – Numbers
Now how about the stats. As a technology user and the fact that this blog covers weight loss using digital technology it is only appropriate that I provide you the details as they are provided by my new trusty sidekick – the Wii Fit!
Height: 5 ft 6 in
Weight: 176.4 pounds
Body Mass Index: 28.49
Next Steps
And that takes us to the next steps. Stay tuned to the blog for updates on my progress, and most importantly how I use various technology products to help me lose weight and achieve a toned and fit body.
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