Earlier this year, the company hinted at various updates, including long-term trends, improved journaling, stress tracking, and strength training features. With the arrival of strength exercise tracking, all these updates have been implemented. Whoop’s recent acquisition of PUSH has played a key role in developing the Strength Trainer feature.

We reviewed the Push fitness band back in 2017. The wearable works via something called velocity based training. By monitoring lifting speed, the wearable gives you info that guides you to adjust the load and volume of training to optimise performance and reduce the risk of injury. It does take some time to learn how to interpret the data, but once that is done, the wearable is very useful. It removes the guesswork from lifting.

The Whoop feature works a bit differently.

Using Whoop’s Strength Trainer

The Whoop Strength Trainer function measures the impact of your strength training workouts and the strain they impose on your body. By employing an accelerometer and gyroscope, it tracks the volume and intensity of each exercise repetition. The software then estimates your max volume based on your workout history and calculates your personal muscular load using the max intensity for each exercise from your performance profile.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

Your Activity Strain metric measures both cardiovascular and muscular loads. After a workout, you are able to see if a specific activity was more cardio-intensive or muscular-intensive.

Starting a workout

To start a workout using Strength Trainer on WHOOP, select it from the action button (the “+” sign) on the Home screen. Then its a matter of choosing from pre-built templates, previous workouts, or create a new custom workout. To create a new workout, name it, add exercises and/or supersets. Then select Start Workout, Record the device location, select continue, and the countdown will begin.

Recording exercises

The workout consists of three phases, namely Warmup, Workout, and Cooldown. Warmup prepares the body to prevent injury, and the Workout phase begins after the warmup. During the live session, the active set is displayed. Cooldown is the gradual return of the heart rate to baseline after the workout.

Each screen displays a running clock indicating the entire activity duration. There’s also a timer showing the current set’s duration, your heart rate with percentage zone relative to the maximum, and the current exercise, where exercise details are available by selecting the “i” icon. Additionally, the screen shows the current set number and total sets, reps, and weight.

Access the exercises tab by swiping left, tapping the icon or the three dots at the top right corner of your screen. The screen displays all exercises in your workout, including completed and non-completed sets. A green checkmark indicates completed exercises and a spinning wheel displaying the current exercise.

The play button is used to initiate the next set, and you can add more exercises, edit reps, weights, or end the set or the activity. You can reorder the exercises by dragging and dropping them after tapping and holding the two horizontal lines beside them. When the last set is completed, you can choose to end the workout and proceed to your cooldown.

You’ll then have the option to fill out a rate of perceived exertion survey. It ranks the workout intensity on a scale from 1 to 10.

Analysing data

There’s lots of data to play with.

Once the workout is over, the activity details screen appears, which can also be accessed from the Home screen. The Strain section contains the time of the activity, the activity name, total Activity Strain, and the percentage of the activity that contributes to the cardio load versus the muscular load, along with a coaching summary of your performance.

Interestingly enough, a number of users have noticed that Whoop is awarding them a higher Strain Score with the feature than previously. Which made them realise they were overtraining in the past in order to hit the suggested daily strain recommendation.

In the Exercises tab, swipe through each exercise to see the number of sets, tonnage (total volume of weight lifted, taking into account the number of reps and weight, including a percentage of your body weight depending on the movement), number of reps, and a green highlight indicating when each exercise was performed. The HR zones tab provides a breakdown of heart rate zones and the duration spent in each zone.

Availability of Whoop Strength Trainer

Those with a Pro Whoop subscription were the first to receive the Strength Trainer feature. By now, it should have rolled out to everyone. Just make sure you are running the latest software.

Also, check out of detailed Whoop 4.0 review. Investing in the wearable offers users invaluable insights into their sleep, recovery, and daily activities. This new Strength Training feature takes this further by allowing users to increase strength, and enhance overall fitness more efficiently while minimising the risk of injury.

Whoop Strength Trainer – FAQ

What is the Strength Trainer function in the Whoop 4.0?

The Strength Trainer is a new feature in the Whoop 4.0 app. It quantifies the muscular and cardiovascular load of your strength workouts. By building your workout or selecting a pre-built option, Whoop uses the information about the volume and intensity of your training to understand the true exertion placed on your muscles, bones, joints, and tissues. This results in a comprehensive view of your training efforts. You also get more insights into your performance, and a more comprehensive Strain score.

Will the WHOOP Strength Trainer recommend what to lift and when?

While the feature doesn’t currently have this functionality, the long-term goal is to be able to recommend what to lift and when. WHOOP can track how fast you are moving and whether you are struggling to lift. Therefore it could potentially make recommendations based on that data.

How does the Strength Trainer track exercises like planks or pull-ups?

For exercises like planks, you should leave the weight field blank unless you’re adding weight with a plate on your back or something similar. When it comes to reps, just put in 1 for now and keep the timer on when you’re in the plank. For pull-ups and push-ups, there is still slight movement that Whoop tracks and that goes into the calculation. For planks, where there is literally no movement, Whoop estimates the muscular load based on internal data and comparisons.

Can workouts be copied and edited in the Strength Trainer?

As of now, there isn’t a feature to copy and edit workouts. The Whoop team has noted this feedback and is considering how to implement this feature.

Can I add exercises or details about my workout after the fact?

The team is currently considering this feature, but it’s not available yet. The Whoop team has noted that they are concerned people might not accurately recall the full details of their lifts, including the number of reps and weight after the fact. However, they do see the value in this feature and are considering implementing it​.

Can I undo a set in the Strength Trainer?

Yes, if you started a set by accident, you can tap the three dots in the top left and click “discard set” to return to the rest timer. If you accidentally started and stopped a set and didn’t lift anything, WHOOP should recognize that and give you no credit. To be doubly sure, you could always change the number of reps on that set to 0 and add another set​.

Can I add custom exercises to the WHOOP Strength Trainer?

The WHOOP team is planning to add a feature that allows users to add their own custom exercises. In this feature, you’d be able to create your own custom exercise and then select which of the current tracked movements it is most similar to, so that you can get an accurate muscular load calculation.

Can I see my workout history in the Strength Trainer?

As of now, the Strength Trainer doesn’t provide a feature to see your workout history. However, the Whoop team is continuously developing and improving the app based on user feedback.

Can I preprogram rest times for each set and movement and have a timer?

Currently, the Strength Trainer doesn’t have a feature to preprogram rest times for each set and movement. However, the Whoop team is considering this feature.

Could the WHOOP Strength Trainer have a feature that automatically detects when I start and stop sets?

The WHOOP team has briefly discussed the idea of improving the start-stop experience, possibly by detecting the start and stop of sets automatically, but there is no confirmation on whether or when this feature might be implemented.

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!

The post Maximise your gains: A closer look at Whoop’s innovative strength trainer feature appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Eigen Fitness, a Canadian based startup, has launched an AI-powered wearable called Eigen Fitness Nodes. Designed to complement the cardio component of a physical fitness routine, the Nodes help gym users achieve balance by measuring their weight training progress and reducing the risk of injury.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

You’ll find this product is designed from the ground up to track the stats that are most important during weight training. This encompasses rep count, velocity, power, ROM, rep variation, and tempo, all of which are all tracked individually. To maximise training efficiency, nodes constantly calculate your current capacity and choose appropriate weights. Which helps to eliminate the guesswork that often accompanies weight training.

As far as the underlying tech, it consists of high-sensitivity, nine-axis inertial measurement units, powered by a lithium battery, and 16MHz CPU for fast motion fusion calculation. This allows the Nodes to take up to 200 measurements per second.

To use simply strap the Nodes on. Fire up the app and start your workout.

A comprehensive solution

Currently, the library consists of around 200 exercises. While this sounds very comprehensive, the company says they are always working on adding new ones. Furthermore, they will soon release a custom exercise feature that will allow you to create and train your own exercises directly from the app.

All lifting work is tracked in real time and haptic alerts are sent when the Nodes identify an injury risk. The later is special to this wearable. Injury in weight lifting usually occurs when lifters attempt to progress too quickly.

You can pick up Eigen Fitness Nodes in three, five, or nine-packs. The more Nodes a user wears, the more data he or she gets. Three nodes monitor basic exercises, while nine nodes track advanced exercises such as compound lifts.

Based on the workout, the app will advise users on where to position the Nodes. A waistband clip is also included to assess the user’s core position. The Nodes communicate with the Eigen Fitness smartphone applications for iOS and Android via Bluetooth to provide comprehensive feedback.

Eigen Fitness Nodes are designed specifically for exercising at home or in the gym. Other solutions are available, but they do not go as far and mostly focus on velocity-based training data. A few smartwatches have begun tracking reps and sets in the gym in recent years. However, their usefulness is extremely basic. Furthermore, it is often based on user input and does not monitor form.

On paper, this appears to be a complete answer for gym workout training. It is essential to note that, as with any crowdfunded project, there is some risk involved in supporting a product.

The Eigen Fitness Nodes are now available on Kickstarter, with a 3-pack beginning at around $150. Because the product is still in development, backers should anticipate a January 2024 or later delivery date.

Price: $150 and up

Raised:$39,225 of $7,250 goal

Estimated delivery: January 2024
32 days to go

View on:

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!

The post Eigen Fitness Nodes: The AI-powered wearable for weight training appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Hookee is a smart gym that tracks your performance. It is lightweight and portable so you can work out anywhere, anytime – whether its at home or on the road. No more driving to the gym or waiting for equipment to become available.

The gizmo comes from Hong-Kong based Halytus and is available for pre-order now on Kick-starter. Assuming all goes well with production, you can expect Hookee to be delivered to your home in April 2023.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

This is the first smart, portable gym. Paired with five available accessories, it offers over 100 fitness exercises allowing you to mix up your routine and avoid boredom. The fitness exercises cover all muscle groups of the body (including chest, back, legs, shoulders, biceps and triceps).

As you progress adjust the difficulty by tweaking the resistance. Hookee is based on HydroFlex technology so does not use bulky weights. Nevertheless, it offers up to 100 lbs of resistance and makes it simple to perform both low-impact exercises and heavy lifting. Driven by hydraulics, the system provides maximum versatility in a compact package.

For example, if you want to focus on building strength, you can choose workouts that involve lifting heavier weights. If you are looking to improve your cardiovascular endurance, you can select workouts that involve high-intensity intervals.

All of this comes, of course, with a built-in tracking and feedback mechanism. This smart portable gym utilises something called UltraLink technology which allows it to connect with an accompanying smartphone app. You will see work-out data in real-time on the screen, along with a variety of workout routine options. The company says these are specifically designed by professional personal trainers. Or project your phone to any smart TV for an even more immersive experience.

Think of it as a virtual personal trainer. The Halytus app allows you to monitor your progress and make adjustments to your workouts as needed.

As far as battery life – it takes around four hours to charge a Hookee from zero to max capacity. On a full charge the gadget can last over 10,000+ reps with max load.

Smart portable gyms can be more cost-effective than traditional gym memberships, especially if you are someone who doesn’t go to the gym frequently. Many people end up paying monthly for a gym membership without actually using it.

HooKee is available now for pre-sale with rewards and special deals. At the moment there’s an early mover price of $199 for a single HooKee. The company is doing well in its Kickstarter campaign and is well above its rather modest fund raising goal.

Price: $199 and up

Raised:$166,500 of $5,125 goal

Estimated delivery: April 2023
30 days to go

View on:

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!

The post Hookee: a smart, portable gym that tracks your performance appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

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.

Essential reading: Boost your gym session with one of these wearables

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.

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!

The post WHOOP Band will soon be able to track each lift performed in the gym appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

Even so, it’s important to understand that today’s best offerings in wearable tech are so much more than just novelty gadgets. When used properly and consistently, they can really help take your fitness game to the next level. Here are some features that can help you make progress towards your fitness goals.

Enjoy smoother workouts without interruptions

Naturally, there are lots of ways to burn more calories and drop a few of those unwanted holiday pounds. Putting in at least a solid half hour of uninterrupted moderate exercise a few times a week is one of the best ways to improve your health. This is according to the latest official guidelines for Americans.

But, relying on your smartphone to help you stay on track can lead to distractions when you check and recheck it multiple times, compromising the quality of your workouts. Switching to a wearable option can help you break that habit.

You’ll be able to monitor, record, and track your workouts in exactly the same way but without the interruptions. Today’s options also come complete with built-in heart monitors and advanced workout metrics, making it easy to take your routine to the next level.

Keep yourself accountable

If you find it easier to keep striving for your fitness goals when someone else is holding you accountable, you’re not alone. Millions of people find it easier to push through obstacles and stay consistent when they work with a coach or hit the gym with a friend. However, not everyone is the type who wants to put their social face on every time they want to get in a little exercise.

Essential reading: Boost your gym session with these gadgets

Many activity trackers and other types of wearable tech do an excellent job of doubling as a coach or a workout buddy by helping you compete against yourself. They can keep tabs on your goals, monitor your progress, encourage you to push yourself a little harder every day, and remind you to get back with the program if you’ve been slacking. For many people, that makes a huge difference as far as how active they are and how hard they’re willing to push themselves.

Help fitness fit seamlessly into your life

For some, fitness is something they’re focused on when they’re at the gym but don’t think much about the rest of the time. One of the best things about wearable technologyis that they’re “set it and forget it” ways to make fitness a constant part of your life.

All you need to do is put them on and go about your business. They do the hard work of keeping track of everything you’re doing, whether that’s setting the elliptical machine on fire or simply going through your day at work.

The advantage here is that you’ll become more aware of how active you really are (or aren’t), putting fitness on your mind more of the time. Many people find that becoming more aware about their habits is all it takes to make better decisions every day, not just when they’re focused on working out.

They take the stairs when they could have taken the escalator. They get up and move around on their lunch breaks when they could have simply sat and scrolled through Facebook on their phone. Those may sound like little things, but they’re really the first steps to becoming a habitually active person.

Take the guesswork out of challenging yourself

Figuring out how to get the most out of your workouts every single time can be tricky. The key to success is to keep turning the dial up when it comes to the intensity level so that your body stays consistently challenged. However, that’s easier said than done.

Wearable tech options like heart rate monitors simplify the process for you by letting you know when your workout needs an upgrade because it’s no longer challenging your body in the right way. On the flip side, they can tell you when you’re pushing yourself too hard too fast and might benefit from slowing down a bit. You’ll never have to wonder whether or not you’re working out hard enough again.

Learn how to set better fitness goals moving forward

Perhaps the best thing about wearable fitness tech is the sheer amount of information you are able to access about your daily habits, heart rate, and behavioral patterns. The more you know about how you workout, diet, and manage your routine, the better equipped you will be to build on your progress and decide where to take things next.

Essential reading: Choosing the best Fitbit tracker

Plus, fitness technology makes it easy to determine how well your routine is working for you. Did switching from aerobics classes to self-regulated HIIT make you want to work out more often? Just how much has that new lifting routine helped your endurance levels when it came to your cardio routine? The answers to all of those questions and more will be just a few button touches away when wearable tech is in your corner.

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter to never miss out!

The post Streamline your fitness routine with wearable technology appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

On average, adults begin losing 8% of their muscle per decade starting at age 40. This means, by the time you are in your 50s or 60s you have been experiencing decades of gradually worsening functional capability.

“Women in particular are at several disadvantages when it comes to optimal muscle health. With age, their muscles deteri­orate at a faster rate than men’s”, explains Michael Bemben, an exercise physiologist and professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science at the University of Oklahoma.

“The neurons that control muscles in both genders are programmed to die off with age. Men typically have more muscle to begin with so they can afford to lose some, whereas women can’t.”

The good news is that you can do a great deal to counteract the effects of time and to keep yourself in top form. Research has found that sarcopenia is due as much to lifestyle as sheer age. A recent study has shown that exercise can make your cells biologically younger and telomeres in your white blood cells longer. It changes how cells in the body communicate with one another, as well as how rapidly they age.

Then there is this study. It gathered 21 of the elderly athletic men, 10 runners and cyclists in their 20s, and another 10 healthy but non-athletic elderly men. Researchers measured all of the men’s thighs and took blood and muscle-tissue samples. To cut a long story short, the study found that long-term exercise may help aging muscles in part by training them to dissipate age-related inflammation. At a cellular level, elderly athletic men’s muscles resemble those of 25-year-olds .

Naturally, muscle will gradually become more and more functionally limited. This reduction also increases the risk for associated problems such as adult-onset diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, and hypertension, as well as cardiovascular disease. So keeping yourself in top form will not only make you look good, but it is good for your health as well. The attention we devote to building and maintaining muscles today will make a significant difference 20, 30 or 40 years down the road when it comes to carrying out even basic actions such as walking and bending.

While you obviously cannot totally stop the natural aging of muscles, not yet at least…(but never say never), there are steps you can take early on to keep your muscle quality up.

• Create a mix of physical activity that comprises weight-bearing activities, cardiovascular fitness, and balance and flexibility training.
• Listen to your body and modify your activities accordingly.
• Build up the intensity of your workouts slowly over time to minimize the chance of injury.

A recent review of studies in the journal Age and Ageing pinpoints building muscle and eating lots of protein as the best ways to fend off sarcopenia. The review compiled 13-years worth of published research on sarcopenia interventions in adults 50 and older, to help scientists get a better grasp on how to prevent and treat the disease.

By contracting your muscles, weightlifting signals to your body that the muscles need to recover and then rebuild to be bigger and stronger in order to be prepared for future stressors. Spending time pumping weights in the gym and sipping on protein shakes may pay off in a big way as you age.

Another study tested the effects of weightlifting and high-intensity interval training (HIIT), and found that while weightlifting was most effective at building muscle strength, only high-intensity training changed participants’ muscles at the cellular level. This is a type of physical training that involves a series of high intensity exercise workouts interspersed with rest or relief periods. Or even more simply put, you run, cycle or row fast for a bit, then slow down for a bit.

“If people have to pick one exercise, I would recommend high-intensity interval training,” says study author Sreekumaran Nair, M.D.

“But I think it would be more beneficial if they could do three to four days of interval training and then a couple days of strength training.”

With the help of running watches and activity trackers, it is now easier than ever to integrate interval training into your fitness routine. For those that don’t want to fork out for a fully fledged running watch, even some run-of-the mill activity trackers have started to include this functionality as part of their feature-set.

Essential reading: Torch fat quickly with interval training – a beginners guide

What actually happens when you exercise and why these changes are relatively age-independent is hardwired into our biology and includes the induction of a variety of synthetic pathways when muscle is exposed to resistance training and increased activity. These simply don’t turn off when we age, but remain ready to respond to at any time.

Body fat percentage along with resting heart rate and heart rate variability is a great measure of fitness level, since it is the only body measurement which directly calculates a person’s relative body composition without regard to height or weight. The widely used body mass index (BMI) provides a measure that allows for an estimate of healthy weight of an individual based on their height. While BMI largely increases as adiposity increases, due to differences in body composition, other indicators of body fat give more accurate results.

We have reviewed a number of smart scales which can help you keep tabs on body fat. Or you can use a hand-held body fat monitor for more precise analysis on how you are progressing with your workouts. There are also lots of wearables which can help you to keep on top of your fitness or count those reps and sets  when you hit the gym.

Essential reading: The best wearables for hitting the gym

And don’t forget. Resistance exercise and high intensity interval training are the best stimulators for maintaining muscle function, strength and size. Whether you’re a young athlete, a pro athlete or an 80-year-old woman, its never too late to start.

Above all, get active and stay active!

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!

The post How to keep your muscles young with wearables appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Lifting weights in the gym is pretty simple. But doing this technically well is not as easy. Calibrex is a gadget that keeps track of your reps and sets and beeps in your ear if your form is off.

Essential reading: Boost your gym and strength session with one of these wearables

The thing is designed to attach to the end of a barbell using a super strong magnet. It comes in pairs so you are meant to attach it to both sides. From there, Calibrex removes the burden of manually counting reps and spits out recommended rest time.

However the most interesting aspect is its ability correct a weightlifter’s form. Because it sits on both sides of the barbell, it can work out discrepancies in the balance, i.e. if one side is lower than the other. This is done by measuring the distance to the ground at around 100 times per second. The info is then communicated via Bluetooth to provide real-time feedback through your headphones if your form is off.

There is a smartphone app, of course, which offers additional data such as a history of your workouts. More importantly, for each set you’ll get info on barbell velocity or the speed at which you performed the reps. If you’re going too fast it might be time to increase the weight. Working out with too much weight, on the other hand, can cause bad form and injury. The app will let you know if it’s time to adjust the weight.

The pocket-sized sensors weigh 110 grams (3.9 oz), and can keep going for around two weeks between charges. The dimension of a unit is 2 inches in width x 3 inches in height.

Having a personal trainer is all well and good, but the cost does add up. Calibrex may be a cheaper solution.

If you’re into data powered fitness the gadget is available on Indiegogo for two more weeks at a significant discount. The company is about half-way there to raising funds needed for production. Assuming all goes well, delivery to backers will be in April.

Price: $150 and up

Funding open:

$11,649 raised out of $25,000 goal
15 days left

Estimated delivery: April 2020

View on:

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!

The post Calibrex: corrects your form and keeps track of every rep & set appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

The majority of us want to exercise more, yet only 3% of the global adult population are documented gym members and more than 50% of those don’t go very often. That’s lots of gym memberships going to waste! Perhaps the latest crop of wearables can help remedy the situation.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

These devices remove the burden of manual tracking of workouts. By identifying your exercises and recording reps and sets, your workouts are showcased in unprecedented detail. Some even go as far as guiding you on form.

Whether you are just a beginner or a hardened gym buff, there is an activity tracker to suit you. Read on for our selection of wearables to help take your gym session to a new level. All of these were tried and tested by our in-house team.

Jump to

Beast | Push Band | Atlas |  Gymwatch | Skulpt Chisel | Moov Smart Coach | Fitbit Charge 3 | Garmin Vivosmart 4

Beast

The Beast sensor is configured as a small magnet which allows it to be easily plugged on barbells, dumbbells, kettlebells, gym machines or to the body itself. The device shows in real-time how much you are pushing, rep by rep, whether you are lifting weights, using a machine or performing bodyweight exercises. 

Beast utilizes something called Velocity Based Training. This takes out the guesswork on how much load you should be adding or removing on a particular set. It also tells you if you should move on and try a new exercise altogether by using the measurement of the bar speed and work to understand the force production.

The gizmo tracks your improvement and helps you train better. You can chose to visualize Speed, Power or Strength and monitor your performance live while working out. 

Moreover, it gives you an overview of all workout data, keeping a diary of your performance. Out of all the devices we tested for tracking your reps and sets, this is one of the best.

Read hands-on review

thisisbeast.com*

PUSH Band 2.0

Push promotes its strength band as the first scientifically validated wearable to provide true objective insights about your performance in the weight room. This is an activity tracker plus mobile app that sends real-time weight-lifting data to your smartphone.

The wearable can be attached to your body or the barbell to detect exercise repetitions. This is another device that uses the concept of Velocity Based Training to let you know whether to keep pushing or to hold back.

After we figured out how to use PUSH, it became simple. With a glance of the stats it was easy to see how we were performing on the day. If the velocity for a particular set was high, it’s time to increase the weight. A slowdown indicates that fatigue is setting in. You’ll become more focused on each and every rep.

According to the company’s website, Push is already in active use by many professional teams across the NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL and AF. PUSH is water-resistant so you don’t need to wash it often. Just put it on and lift.

Read hands-on review

trainwithpush.com*

Atlas Wristband 2

Atlas is an inexpensive wearable that tracks and identifies different activities, evaluates form, counts reps and sets and calculates the calories you burned. The company originally raised $629k on crowdfunding site Indiegogo to fund development. It is now on generation 2.

With a single on-wrist device, Atlas can monitor your body in 3D. It can tell the difference between push-ups and triangle push-ups, bicep curls and alternating bicep curls and squats versus dead lifts. The tracker also has the ability to automatically detect and count over 70 of the most popular exercises. Not to worry if your favourite exercise is not in the database. You can teach Atlas to recognise new ones.

The gizmo logs your workouts with very little user action and keeps track of your heart rate so you can see how each movement affects your body. The on-wrist display gives you live feedback on the type, speed and quality of your exercises as you’re working out which means you can leave your phone in the locker for added convenience.

Read hands-on review

Amazon*

Strenx by Gymwatch

Strenx by GymWatch measures strength and motion across fitness exercises, including machines, free weights and bodyweight. The sensor records the full range of motion of an exercise, determines every strength component, repetitions and detects incorrect execution to help ensure exercises are performed properly and desired fitness goals are reached.

The device is worn as an armband or on the upper leg and provides you with real-time verbal feedback. The user inputs the activity type using the smartphone app. The gadget then calculates your rate of motion and, should you overextend yourself, tells you that you’ve done something wrong.

It should be noted that Strenx can only calculate the movements for the limb that it’s wrapped around. The battery level is a decent 30 days, which should cover your workouts for a while.

Read hands-on review

Amazon*

Skulpt Chisel

Skulpt products measure metrics that you wouldn’t normally measure with more ‘traditional’ fitness trackers. Rather than monitoring daily activities, or counting your reps and sets, Skulpt measures muscle quality and body fat percentage.

The device tracks 24 different muscles on your body, providing the fat percentage and a rating of the muscle’s fitness for each muscle. You can then view a ‘heat map’ on the app to conveniently track your strongest muscles and identify those that need improvement. Skulpt claims that Chisel is five times more accurate than bioimpedance scales, and three to four times more accurate than measuring with callipers.

Essential reading: Devices that help you keep tabs on your body fat

The device will give you greater insight and enable you to measure the result of your fitness achievements, to better understand when you are losing fat and gaining muscle. The app will even suggest actual workout routines based on the MQ and fat % of your individual muscles. Next time you head off to the gym, you will have a clear understanding on exactly which muscles you need to place most focus on.

Read hands-on review

Amazon*

Moov Smart Coach

Moov is a one of a kind wearable fitness coach that actively monitors your activity and advises you in real time how to get the most from your workout. Similar to many other fitness trackers, the gizmo tracks your daily activity and sleep — but rather than steps, Moov measures movement within 3D space.

The device essentially translates your exact movement into real-time coaching, both through audio and on screen, and advises you whether you are performing your exercises correctly. It does this through use of the 9 axis motion sensing system – including an accelerometer, gyroscope and magnetometer to learn the wearer’s form and correct any issues that may lead to injury.

Moov pairs with an app to train users on five sports — running, cycling, swimming, cardio boxing, and a seven-minute bodyweight workout which you can perform at home as it doesn’t require the use of any weights. The tracker has been tailored to each individual activity, so offers separate exercise programs.

Amazon | Moov*

Fitbit Charge 3 or Versa range

Fitbit’s flagship fitness tracker features exercise modes that provide real-time stats, helping you get the most from your sweat sessions. This includes multi-sport modes for tracking specific workouts like runs, biking, weight-lifting and yoga. Because the process is automatic, you will get credit even if you forget to log a workout.

Charge 3 doesn’t count things like reps or the amount of weight that you are lifting, but you can use its exercise mode to track your heart rate and calories while you lift weights. You also get a snapshot of your fitness level using a personalised Cardio Fitness Score. The value is based on your estimated VO2 Max that is calculated using your user profile and resting heart rate. The Cardio Fitness Level shows how you compare to those of the same age and gender, and ranges from poor to excellent. Plus you get bar charts of your fat burn, cardio and peak heart rate zones.

If don’t mind spending a bit more cash, you can always opt for one of the devices in the Versa range. They also track how much you’ve exerted yourself in the weight-room.

Read hands-on review

Amazon*

Vivosmart 4

The Vivosmart 4 takes across all the features of its predecessors (apart from GPS), but adds more sophisticated fitness tracking tools. This includes a blood oxygen sensor and something Garmin calls Body Battery energy monitoring. The metric uses a combination of stress, heart rate variability (HRV), sleep and activity data to let you know when to push hard, when to rest.

Thanks to Garmin Elevate wrist heart rate technology, you still get 24/7 heart rate monitoring, and the wearable automatically tracks activity including steps, floors climbed, calories burned, intensity minutes, sleep and more. It also features smart notifications to keep you connected while on the go.

When you start a strength training activity, the device will capture your exercises, reps and sets along with your work and rest times so you can leave the notebook at home. That data gets pushed to Garmin Connect during your next sync so you can review your workout in even greater detail.

An alternative to the Vivosmart is the Vivosport. Released last year, the ultra-slim tracker comes built-in GPS. Garmin’s strength training activity has also made it onto its high end sports-watches.

Read hands-on review

Amazon*

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!

*Disclosure: We are a review site that receives a small commission from sales of certain items, but the price is the same for you. We are independently owned and all opinions expressed here are our own. See our affiliate disclosure page for more details.

The post Boost your gym and strength session with one of these wearables appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

The widely used body mass index (BMI) provides a measure that allows for an estimate of healthy weight of an individual based on their height. While BMI largely increases as adiposity increases, due to differences in body composition other indicators of body fat give more accurate results. For example, individuals with greater muscle mass or larger bones will have higher BMIs.

Body fat percentage is a great measure of fitness level since it is the only body measurement which directly calculates a person’s relative body composition without regard to height or weight.

Contents

Recommended per cent of body fat
How to measure body fat
Smart Scales
Skulpt Chisel
Bello

Recommended per cent of body fat

Women, during the course of their life may need to sustain an embryo and then a baby from their own energy reserves. So they accumulate more body fat than men as some of it is stored energy to help nourish a child through its development. This is not to say that men don’t also use body fat as stored energy. Men just need less of it.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), body fat standards can differ based on age, gender, race, ethnicity and even activity level. However, to simplify the various standards, ACSM offers the version as shown below. The leanest athletes typically compete at levels of about 6–13% for men or 14–20% for women. Bodybuilders may compete at ranges even lower than these levels.

How to measure body fat

There are a number of methods for determining body fat percentage. This includes the more traditional, but less accurate, methods such as measurement with calipers or through the use of bioelectrical impedance analysis.

Then there are very precise methods, which are also very expensive costing upwards of several hundred dollars. These include whole-body air displacement plethysmography, near-infrared interactance and dual energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Fortunately, advances in technology are offering additional options.

Smart scales

Scales that measure body fat do this by sending a low electrical current through one foot and reading the current with a sensor under the other foot. Most of this current will flow through your “lean mass” as this is the most conductive, so none of the current will actually flow through your fat content.

Your percentage of fat is then estimated, and highly dependent on variables such as level of hydration, bone density, etc. The accuracy of body fat measurements provided by scales should therefore be taken with a grain of salt as they can be inconsistent and inaccurate at the best of times.

Essential reading: A roundup of the best smart scales on the market

Most smart scales measure more than just body fat. They measure weight of course, calculate body mass index (BMI), and some calculate lean mass, water weight and various other metrics. Equally important, smart scales also have the ability to track and store data which makes the job of keeping track of your progress that much easier. Much easier than writing everything down yourself.

For most people smart scales should provide a sufficiently precise estimate of body fat. For those more serious about their health and fitness, or for the gym rats among us, there are a couple of other interesting options worth trying out.

Skulpt Chisel

When you think of fitness trackers, Skulpt products don’t readily come to mind. That’s because they’re a different breed, that measure metrics that you wouldn’t normally capture with more ‘traditional’ activity devices. Rather than monitoring daily activities, such as steps taken and distance traveled, Skulpt Chisel measures muscle quality and body fat percentage.

The gizmo follows in the footsteps of the original first generation Aim device. The Aim was brought to life after a successful Indiegogo campaign back in 2014. That campaign set out with the goal of raising $100,000 in funding, but by the end raised four times that amount.

Just like the original, Chisel has 12 sensors on the back with optimized configurations and frequencies. These send a small current past the subcutaneous fat and through the muscle fibers, picking up thousands of data points per second. The technology then evaluates the flow of that current to measure the fat percentage per muscle, and rates that muscle’s fitness.

Chisel measures 24 different muscles on your body, providing the fat percentage and the MQ value for each individual muscle. The 24 muscles are (both left and right side): abs, biceps, calves, chest, forearms, glutes, hamstrings, lower back, quads, shoulders, triceps, and upper back.

Skulpt Chisel Gadgets & Wearables may get a commission

Is it perfect? It would be a stretch to say it is. You’ll find the little gizmo iz very sensitive to where it’s placed on the body. But with regular use, this tracker will give you better insight into your fitness and enable you to measure the results of your workouts more precisely. This will help you to understand where exactly you are losing fat and gaining muscle. Then when you head off to the gym, you’ll have a much greater understanding on which muscles you need to place most focus on.

Bello

An option in the making is called Bello. A crowdfunded project, the gizmo automatically measures fat volume around your waist with medical-grade accuracy.

It does this with near infrared spectroscopic technology and records it in the accompanying smartphone app. The company says Bello measures lipid, water, oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin making it the first portable device that can directly quantify lipid underneath the skin.

The FDA-approved product is going for around $190 on Indiegogo (50% off final retail price) which is not exactly cheap. Delivery to backers is expected this Summer.

Whether you opt for a smart scale, Skulpt Chisel or Bello, monitoring your body fat percentage is much better than just keeping tabs on your weight. Weight alone is not a good indicator of health because it does not distinguish between kilograms that come from body fat and those that come from muscle.

We are very excited where this technology will lead us and look forward to further innovative products in this area.

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!

The post Devices that help you keep tabs on your body fat appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.

Essential reading: Top fitness trackers and health gadgets

As reported by CNBC, the incentives will vary across the individual gym chains Apple has partnered with. The goals can be achieved either by working in or outside of the gym.

There are four chains that have joined the program so far including Crunch Fitness, Basecamp Fitness, Orangetheory Fitness and YMCA.

“Basecamp will launch Apple Watch Connected to all of its clubs over the next year,” writes CNBC.

“YMCA will start with its greater Twin Cities locations this week followed by 22 additional YMCA branches in the coming weeks before expanding further. Crunch Fitness is launching Apple Watch Connected in two Manhattan gyms this week with more coming. Finally, Orange Theory will deploy it in all U.S. facilities in 2020, starting with two Manhattan locations on Thursday.”

Apple wants to attract as many gyms as possible so there are no fees to join the program. Gyms will need to meet certain requirements, though, such as having apps that track workouts with iPhones and supporting Apple Pay.

And, of course, they’ll need to offer incentives to users. Crunch Fitness is, for example, offering members up to $4 off their weekly membership if they meet certain fitness goals.

Integration should be made easier for gyms that have Apple Gymkit-enabled gear. Launched a couple of years back, GymKit allows users to pair their device directly to treadmills, ellipticals, indoor bikes or stair steppers with a simple tap. This means data such as heart rate, speed, distance, speed and incline will sync, providing more accurate measurements on both ends.

Apple Watch Connected certainly sounds like a worthy program which might give an edge to gyms that are on-board. We can certainly see more demand for facilities that offer Apple Pay and sync with Apple Health better. Not to mention that a few bucks off the weekly gym membership and other discounts for working out could also entice people to join.

“I’m confident this will help member retention and keep members active and engaged,” Crunch Signature CEO Keith Worts said during a press briefing at a Crunch Fitness gym Wednesday.

Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!

The post Apple launches incentives program to reward gym-goers appeared first on Gadgets & Wearables.