WHOOP Band will soon be able to track each lift performed in the gym
WHOOP has acquired Toronto-based sports technology company PUSH. Its flagship product PUSH band is a device that spits out accurate insights about your performance in the gym.
These two companies share some commonalities. The main one is that products of both are used by professionals across most major sports. Plus their products are built around sports science and physiological research.
We reviewed the PUSH Band in the now distant 2017. But their product has been around since 2014 when the startup ran an Indiegogo campaign to fund its development.
The idea behind PUSH is a wearable that takes the guesswork out of lifting, something to help you achieve your workout goals and reduce the risk of injury. A form of auto-regulation.
Mind you, it takes a few sessions fully understand how to interpret PUSH Band data. But its definitely worth the effort if you stick with it. The technology is not very intuitive at first, and there is a learning curve involved if you are not familiar with the concept of Velocity Based Training (VBT). We go into more detail on the concept of VBT in the review.
This is a form of training that has been used for about 70 years. Put simply, the band tracks the velocity or the speed of your lifts. When you start a set you’ll typically lift quickly, but this only lasts the first few reps. Keep going and the speed will slow. When it falls below a certain threshold, this is when you should end that set. PUSH Band tracks this velocity helping you lift optimally. The actual VBT value that you aim for depends on your goal.
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Now that it WHOOP has acquired PUSH, we are going to see its algorithms integrated directly into the WHOOP Band. Which means one sensor, more algorithms. So it looks like we will not see a new product, rather an expansion of the capability of the WHOOP Band. So perhaps a new version of the same.
WHOOP sensor 4.0 is expected to come out soon. With VBT capabilities it will be better suited for those into strength sports. Having said that, most professional athletes put in quite a bit of gym time. So a lot of them will find some use for the new functionality.
Hopefully WHOOP will make it easier to train with VBT. As mentioned, learning how to use the PUSH Band properly takes some time. We will probably learn the minute details on September 8th when WHOOP has scheduled a press event.
“Many of the members and organizations we serve have long asked for additional insight into the physiological impact of weightlifting and functional fitness,” said Will Ahmed, WHOOP Founder and CEO.
“The integration of PUSH’s industry-leading strength-training technology into our platform will allow WHOOP to provide even deeper insight into how these activities impact the human body.”
As far as its existing user base, PUSH has announced they will continue to support the portal, hardware and app until the transition with WHOOP is complete. But they will not allow further purchases of their product.
WHOOP has been in the news quite a bit in recent weeks. Its valuation has been estimated at an incredible $3.6 billion. Also, some $200 million has been raised in a Series F round. This brings WHOOP total funding at over $400 million. Some of this money will most likely be used for the PUSH acquisition.
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