CONTEST: Exercise MY way -- how I use my iPhone or iPad to stay in shape!

[lcargile]

I have been working out using my iPhone for some time now but never really found the perfect work out companion until recently. My go-to work out app is "Full Fitness" by HealthXperts. This is a great app with just about everything you need to track your fitness and dietary goals. Packed with hundreds of exercises and several goal oriented workout programs, this app will help you get on, and stay on, the right track. Most apps that I have found have been a little too "lightweight" in their content and exercises which was a problem as I have been going to the gym for a while now and am by no means a novice. This app, however, challenges me every day and really helps me to push myself to new limits. I have found myself doing the Complete MMA Training Program and I absolutely love it! It also has detailed pictures and/or videos to show exactly how to complete each exercise. Coupled with the built in calorie counter for food intake tracking, workout calendar for tracking workouts, iCloud sync and backup for multiple accounts, and the in depth profile and body tracker which includes a BMI and measurement tracker this app can really keep you on track. After setting up a "Gym" playlist and using this app, I have seen increased muscle gain and have lost 2lbs of body fat in just 1 week. Hopefully, I can keep up the progress...

 

[canobeano]

I used to hit the gym religiously 3 days a week when I was younger and single-r, but then I got busy and married. This past summer I was completely out of shape and embarrassed to be seen at the beach. I'm now 31 years old and it's time to turn back the clock.

I'm using the P90X DVDs in tandem with the P90X Tracker App for iPhone. Hardware includes: mat, pull-up bar, and resistances bands. I'm also biking to and from "the gym" (my friend's huge apartment) which adds 1.5 miles every day (7 days/week). I don't have a fitbit or heart rate monitor, although I may pick up one (monitor).

On the nutrition side of things, I'm eating proteins like it's my job and avoiding carbs like the plague. No bread, no potatoes, no beer. Lots of veggies, smoothies and water. Lots and lots of water. My starting weight was 158.5 and I'm already down to 155. The first week of P90X was brutal, and I was sore from head-to-toe. The second week is equally hard, but I feel myself already pushing harder and completing more reps of everything. P90X is serious and I know I'm going to be a happy camper this summer.

 

[Jjwertz1]

im doing insanity i did week three day 2 workout was cardio circuit been on diet and getting in to shape for 4 moths.

1)i started at 217 lb i purched the "withings wireless scale" and have my weight synced directly into my iPhone.
2)i used runkepper for the first three moths to track my treadmill and eliptical workouts i lost 27 lb to get to 190,
I had both apps synced. loved the syncortzation in between apps,

used 3)Netflix and 4)instant amazon on my ipad while i was on the treadmill and elliptical to keep me sane and going
when was done would that would switch over to 5)spotify and 6)xmradio to keep me going.


now im doing insanity witch is really great and showing quick great results lost another 4 lbs im at 186.

i dowloaded 7)"ilog60" to track my insanity workouts. the app is not that techy its just a calender and great way to see what workout comes next
and i use 8)dropbox to stream my workouts directly from my ipad, works great and could just pop up the ipad and get to the workout

thats a total of 8 apps

1)WHITHINGS
2)RUNKEEPER
3)NETFLIX
4)INSTANT AMAZON
5)SPOTIFY
6)XM RADIO
7)ILOG60
8)DROPBOX

 

[Daspoo]

I've pretty much been working out steadily since Jan 2011, with a few small breaks in between then and now. I generally try to work in 3 days of strength training and 3 days of cardio via running per week, but on average I get 4 days in at least. For strength training I started using iFitness Pro, an older app for recording and storing routine stats (it's been revamped and renamed these days, and is now known as "Full Fitness : Exercise Workout Trainer" - https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/full-fitness-exercise-workout/id536049508?mt=8&at=10l3Vy). The app allows for entry of weight, reps per set, and set counts per exercise, lets you save routines for repeated use, and even allows for backup/restores of data in case something ever happens to your phone; not to mention it shows vids explaining how to perform many exercises. It's a fantastic tool for tracking your steady improvements and also for remembering baselines for starting exercises during workouts. There was drama in the past with the older version of the app (something about the dev creating false 5-star reviews, or something to that effect), but it really is a handy thing to have at the gym when you want to graduate from the notebook of set/reps info. Highly recommended!

For the cardio portion of our week, I use Runtastic Pro (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/runtastic-pro/id366626332?mt=8&at=10l3Vy) to track my outdoor runs. It uses GPS to track distance, pace, etc., and has a web community (much like Nike+) that you can be a part of to motivate your efforts. Several things I enjoy about it include the ability to activate live tracking during a run session (again, much like Nike+). Whenever someone on the website responds to your live activity, the app goes crazy with cheers and applause. Sometimes that's great for giving that last little bit to finish strong, but admittedly sometimes it's pretty distracting if you're "in the zone". Since I also participate in the Nike+ scene, I use a Nike+ Sportband to keep track of the same run sessions to add to that network. YMMV with that, however, as I've noticed that when my pace or stride changes slightly, the Sportband will badly miscalculate my distance. Regardless, it's worth its use.

Finally, I just recently started participating in the Fitocracy network, which has an iPhone app (https://itunes.apple.com/app/fitocracy-fitness-social-network/id509253726?mt=8&at=10l3Vy) and is a great way to get tips for working out, or just to get some encouragement from others trying to better themselves through fitness. Sometimes it can get a bit too "social network site" and less "workout support environment", but it still has merit and is worth looking into IMO.

That's it - hope this gives anyone interested in progressing in their workout goals some ideas going forward. Good luck to everyone and thanks again for the contest guys!

 

[Gregory Schneider]

Around September last year I hit the dreaded 100kg mark on the scale and decided it was time for me to get in shape again. I have lost around 12kgs in that time and an feeling better every day as I slowly tweak my routines and lifestyle into something new, healthy and awesome.

The biggest factor in this slow but effective transformation has been my iPhone. It started with me asking Siri to google healthy alternatives to soda and has me currently using a multitude of apps to help keep me motivated and on the right path. Here are my top ten (kind of, one of them is a suite of apps); in no particular order.

1) Runtastic Pro: one of the first fitness apps I got. I used it to keep track of my walks with my dog, I still use it for that but it is now also keeping track of my runs. I walk every afternoon with my staffy for (on average) 6-8km. Every second day I do a run in the morning for 3-5km.

2) Zombies 5k: another one of the first apps I really used. this app helped me build up to being able to run a full 5k. I still can't do it consistently on every run but every day is getting easier.

3)Zombies, Run! : zombies 5k helped me get to the point where running more than 100m wasn't a struggle but zombies run keeps me motivated not just on runs, but on walks with my dog too. I still use runtastic in the background as I prefer it's stat tracking over that of zombies run but the story pieces and voice acting in zombies run keep me thoroughly entertained while I'm out and about.

4) Spotify/MOG: I subscribe to both, spotify has a larger range of the music I like and I have a few favorite playlists synced with my phone. Mog is for when I'm in a more random mood, as it is unmetered with my service provider I am able to just turn on artist radio and discover new music while I'm out and about without worrying about my data allowance, spotify is strictly for my specific playlists in offline mode only. I highly reccomend these services to everyone but please be cautious of your data, i among many others have been stung by this.

5) air video: when the weather is horrible I jump on my barely still together treadmill and throw on old tv episodes. Air video allows me to stream anything I have on my computer using the wifi network in my home, no need to waste space on my iPad yet I have access to all 3tb of my movies/tv shows.

6) NFL gamepass: another one for treadmill days. Nfl gamepass is another subscription service which allows me to watch any nfl games from the last 3 years on demand or live as they happen. It also has 24 hour access to the nfl network. Great to workout to as it provides inspiration. Who doesn't want to be as athletic as Aaron Rodgers?!? This one works on my iPad, iPhone, and macs. I often move things around so I can watch it on the biggest screen available.

7) lose it! a new one ive only started using recently as I am now starting to care about what I eat just as much as how much I exercise. The calorie counting tools here are fantastic but as I live in Australia I tend to have to add everything I eat in as a custom food as the brands within the app are all solely american. Still it has proven to be a great way to keep track of all my eating and exercising.

8) fitocracy: fitocracy is another relatively new one that I have absolutely fallen in love with. The community is fantastic, the quests motivate me to try new things. As a workout tracking tool it has no peer in my opinion. The fact that I earn xp and level up just makes me feel that much more awesome about what I am doing, I really am leveling up in real life so it's good to have an app that acknowledges it.

9) runtastic pro apps (sit-ups pro, push-ups pro, squats pro, pull-ups pro): pull-ups pro is one that I still haven't gotten around to as pull ups still scare me. The other three get used every day and have massively increased the amount of each exercise that I can do. They start off slow and get more intense as you go along. Brilliant apps, every single one of them.

10) fit brains brain trainer: for me, fitness isn't just about the body. It's about the whole person. I'm doing this because I want to be the best I can be. And that includes my mind. fit brains brain trainer fills a void left by big brain academy when my DS died. I love brain training games and this app is fantastic because it reminds me when it's time to sharpen up the mental muscles and get my workout on.

I hope that helps some of you with some good apps to get started on. Obviously we all know the iPhone is a fantastic tool for many things and fitness, wether physical or mental, is no exception. You will need a great deal of willpower to stick to your convictions and unfortunately there's no app for that yet. But with just a little willpower and the right combination of apps for you, the iPhone can go a long way as a personal training companion.

To anyone using any of the apps I mentioned which have a social aspect, feel free to add me. My user name for everything is THEgDolla

 

[jellysandwich]

How about tossing in a cup of coffee! I was thinking of getting the Nike Fuel Band, but if your bashing the app that might make me change my tune! The Jawbone UP! are you or anyone going to do a full report on it? Thanks Rene!

 

[bamf-hacker]

About one year ago I embarked upon a journey to become a healthier me. I was overweight, my blood pressure was high, sleep apnea kept me from a good night?s sleep, I got winded going up a few flights of stairs, I couldn?t run for more than a few seconds without stopping, and most importantly I was not able to run around & play with my kids for very long. I wasn?t happy with whom I had become, and told myself that I was not going to be that unhealthy, inactive guy anymore. I wanted to be able to play with my kids and eventually (very eventually) my grandkids. So with that, here I am one year later. To date I have lost 60 lbs, my body fat dropped 23%, my blood pressure is now a healthy 120/75, I sleep through the night, and my pants size went from 38 to 32 & my shirt size went from XL to Medium. I now run a few miles almost daily - I can run a 5k in approximately 30 minutes, and did a few 5k races over the past year, including one on the beach! I even lost an inch of height? apparently I had a fat head. I started using a FitBit pedometer in May, and since have done: 3,418,780 Steps, 7,028 floors, and traveled over 1,588 miles by foot! I have been logging my exercise and each meal & snack every day on the MyFitnessPal app, and have not missed a single entry. My food choices have switched from ice cream sandwiches, chips, fast foods and sodas, to chicken breasts, egg whites, oatmeal, vegetables and water.

Apps I used:

MyFitnessPal: To record all of my meals and calories
FitBit app and FitBit one tracker( was an Ultra when I started): Track my daily steps, sleep and flights of stairs
DigiFit and the Wahoo Fitness Blue HD heart rate monitor: To track my heart rate and calories burned during exercise
RunKeeper: To track my runs
JeFit Pro: My weight training journal
Smart Balance Scale: This one should be obvious, but to weight myself
Omicron Body Fat Meter: Also should be obvious, but to get my body fat




IF I CAN DO IT, YOU CAN TOO!!!

 

[TroyRific]

I'm trying to get back in shape after a long sedentary period.

Currently I jog and cycle using my iPhone with the Runmeter app as I love all wealth of stats it provides. I also export that data to Runkeeper. I use Lose it! to log my food consumption and a fitbit and its app to track my daily total steps. I also use the Withings app and scale to track my weight. Finally I'm experimenting with Gain Fitness to add some basic weight training into my routine.

 

[outofratrace]

I do judo twice a week and I have all the Insanity workout videos loaded in my iPad which I do on days that I don't have judo practice. The iPad has been great for this purpose as I can do the Insanity workout immediately without having to put a DVD in the player and wait for it to load. I can also do my Insanity workout while I'm traveling with my iPad without having to carry a bunch of DVDs.

 

[mjcostajr]

Whenever I'm running outdoors (or indoors) I use RunKeeper - I love that I can just manually enter in my treadmill values. When I'm done with the warmup run, I switch over to all the Runtastic apps (Pullups, Situps, Pushups, and Squats). They are great apps for keeping track of your reps so you don't need to count! To track information, I use Fitbit!

 

[fduhart]

I use Nike+ for the tracking of my runs, Jawbone UP app and band for overall tracking and Weightbot app for weight tracking! This is the best combo for me! Hope it helps!

 

[smileyboy]

Great idea mobile nations! Exercise MY way is perfect to keep me motivated.

I started getting back into routine the first week of January. Since then I have managed to get in five runs per week. Four of those runs are inside on my treadmill. Running inside can me really boring to say the least. I have been wanting to start watching Breaking Bad on Netflix so to keep me motivated I have been watching it on my iPad 2 while running. I made a pledge to myself I can only watch Breaking Bad while on the treadmill. I'll bet you Netflix never thought of adding their app to the exercise category . (iPad 2, Bluetooth headphones and Netflix)

The other real health and wellness app I have found useful is the Lose It! app. It has been great keeping me on track with my caloric intake and exercise balance. I like the interface and it is very easy to use.

So that's it so far for me. I'm now through season 2 and have lost a total of 13 lbs!

I am going to start training with a TRX system. Does anyone know of a good app to use for that system?

I use a App called iSuspensionHD on my iPad mini for my suspension workouts.


Sent from my iPhone 5 using Tapatalk

 

[TheBiggmann]

Incorporating technology into fitness is something that has really blossomed in the last year or so. I'm a certified personal trainer and use technology to help myself not only be a better trainer with my clients but to make my workouts better as well. Here are a few of my more frequently used apps:

NPT Boom: This app is great if you like the idea of doing circuit/interval type workouts but hate the thought of trying to focus on exercising and watching a watch at the same time. The app lets you set a time interval and every x seconds will play a tone over your music to let you know it's time to switch exercises. When I'm in the zone in my workouts I don't want to have to focus on anything except working out and this does just that. I'm sure there are other great features to it, but that's the one that I consistently use.

Fitness Free: If you're just getting into fitness and want to broaden your exercise background, this is a great free option for that. It offers hundreds of different exercises with reasonably good explanations on how to do them and what muscles they are working. It includes lots of different progressions/regressions of exercises as well so it caters nicely to different skill levels.

Runtastic Pro: I was always a fan of MapMyFitness+, but when they took away my heart rate monitoring tracking and tried making me pay for it AGAIN I took my talents (or lack of) elsewhere. Runtastic seems to be a great option so far and from what I've read here my initial impression doesn't seem to be far off. I love the actual workout tracking screen. It conveniently shows you heart rate information, speed, average speed, distance, and time, along with the map. swiping to either side brings up music controls (hooray!), a larger map, speed and elevation graphs, and a compass for when your significant other tells you to get lost. All in all I'm really loving this app for tracking activity.

Dropbox: This app saves my life on a regular basis. I upload all my clients workouts to my Dropbox because it seems like every week I need a new log or to change something on someone's workout. Having all my files at my fingertips allows me to do just that, all from the comfort of our training studio.

While not technically "fitness" related by some definitions, these apps are my "Eating Healthy Honorable Mention":

Fooducate: Ever wonder just how good for you the "Organic" Whole Wheat Packed With Superfoods and Vitamin A-Z crackers are at your local grocery store? Or just how much bad stuff is REALLY in a Twinkie (RIP)? Fooducate allows you to scan a barcode and get detailed feedback on just how good for you an item is. It contains information on controversial substances that may be used in the product along with a summary of overall nutritional value. Based on all these things it grades the product and offers alternatives. Really helpful app for cleaning up your diet.

ZipList: I love to cook. Researching recipes and thinking how to make them healthy is one of my biggest productivity killers. This app is supported by a growing list of cooking websites and allows you to keep your entire recipe box right at your fingers. It also is by far the best grocery list app I've used. Find yourself some healthy recipes, make a grocery list and stick to it, and let this app help you clean up your diet!

Lose It!: DISCLAIMER: I hate calorie counting. That being said, I've used this app for about a week consistently to test it out and really enjoyed it, at least as much as i can enjoy calorie counting. Like Fooducate, it lets you scan barcodes and brings the entry right up for you. That feature alone makes it great in my eyes. Others might have that but like I said, I don't like calorie counting and don't use these apps very often. It also lets you keep track of your weight and offers it up in a nice graphical interface. You can also track water intake, exercise history, and set goals.

Technology is a great way to get your fitness goals on track. Head over to the App Store and give some of these apps a try!

 

[JayiPhoneiMaciPad]

Notes app: to log in my exercise routines. They are schedule for the years switch up my routine about every 2 months.

Clock app: 5 min boxing warm up

iMuscle app: gives me ideas for new routines and logging in weight and sets.

Sling player app: sometimes I don't want to listen to music to workout so sling player comes in handy watching some ESPN or sports.

Music app: I bought cheap Bluetooth headphones called Tenqa from amazon, boy do they sound awesome. Prefer going wireless when working out.


Videos app: stored all insanity videos on the ipad mini for training on the go.


Withings app: sync with my Withings scale tracking my weight and Withings Blood pressure monitor.

Nike+ app: Using the Nike+ GPS Watch I see my run data in this app and make sure I'm staying competitive with family members.

5k Runner: couch to 5k running app. In week 6. Seeing great improvements already.

Fooducate app: I actually downloaded this because of iMore but counting calories for me personally just no need. Haven't used it much.

I'm interested in the fuel band but I'm waiting for the next iteration only bc I think wearable fitness tech will be huge and will only get better this year in tracking things more accurately.

Thanks for the ideas. Keep em coming !

 

[bujin]

I picked up a Jawbone UP band in mid-December, and started walking as part of my daily routine (instead of calling my teachers' rooms, I make more of a point to go see them). I usually get about 4 miles of daily walking at work, and try to fit a 4 mile walk in after work. I use the UP app to track my food, and so I'm less likely to snack.

All in all, lost 15 pounds since December.

 

[Miss_iphone]

I do Fitness at Gym 4 times a week, I used gain Fitness app to remind me my work out schedule and my exercise, I set up the reminder 45 minute before, gain fitness app helping me with training packs in case my Personal trainer absent I can do exercise by my self with Training packs from Gain Fitness app, it is also help me stick with my plans every week, i can check my work out with Work out History and It is really simple and help me a lot

every weekend, i'm going to beach jogging or cycling
I used Runstatic Pro to track my Jogging route, and I can Set up My standar work out with Powerful song, Shuffle my Playlist Automatically.. so i dont need to worry if i'm running and my favorite song stop...

 

[Deepak R]

I use Nike running, Nike Fuel-band, BMI monitor, Golds Gym Spotter, Heart rate, Squat Pro and for mind fitness i use Fit brain, i workout with my iPhone 5, without it workouts would be dull,

 

[Deepak R]

Nike Running- This monitors my running, it gathers information like miles done, calories burned and speed and keeps a track of your progress giving you nike fuel points,

Nike FuelBand- This app is connected to my Nike Fuel band, with the help of the device the app tracks the day to day activities and adds fuel points, You can set goals and achieve it, its kinda fun.

BMI monitor- I use this app to calculate my BMI.

Spotter- This app is for Gold gym users but i use it for the photo album features it has, so that i can keep track of my body size with pictures

HeartRate heart rate monitor, does a decent job