Pop quiz hotshot. Your dedicated training buddy has gone M.I.A ahead of the summer holidays. Your run sessions are now lonelier. Your spotter is now that scrawny guy on the Stairmaster who can’t muster two pull-ups and the niggling injuries are beginning to emerge. What do you do?
With your fitness and bodybuilding goals on the wane, it’s time to invest in a new training partner. Muscles, meet your best mate, Technology.
Today we’re helping you guys get a head start on the new year resolutions with some of the most intuitive technology designed for gains and speedy recoveries.
Fitness Tech: British Royal Marine Commando
Michael Webster is a former British Royal Marine commando who now calls Australia home as a personal trainer. Here are his essential tech aids to stay fit.
Strivv App
“I’m currently trying out Striiv and it’s been one of the best I’ve used,” explains Webster. “It tracks my activity levels 24/7 and also monitors my sleep trends which is very important to me. I’m also a fan of the reminder features – it keeps me on my toes and reminds me to drink water and take my supplements daily.”
A Reliable Smartwatch
Webster swears by his smartwatch to ensure he gets the most out of his training. You can take a look at some of the best fitness watches of 2017 in our compilation here.
Fitness Tech: Rugby League Player
Ben Lucas is the founder of Flow Athletic fitness centre in Paddington swears by three of his most reliable tech aids in the health game.
EMfit QS Sleep Tracker
“If you don’t sleep well, you cant train hard,” explains the ex-rugby league player of the Cronulla Sharks. “The EMFIT QS is the most complete sleep tracker on the market. With the info it provides I can zero in on the factors that lead me to better sleep and therefore better training performance.”
Waterlogged App
“This free app helps me monitor and execute my hydration goals,” explains Lucas. Water consumption is vital in any fitness program let alone for keeping the body operating at its optimum levels. This particular app can help by notifying you if you’re not drinking enough water. Waterlogged is compatible with most operating systems including Apple iOS, Android, Fitbit and more.
10% Happier App
“After reading the book 10% Happier by Dan Harris, I was intrigued to learn more about meditation and its ability to assist performance (and life),” says Lucas. “This app has some great videos on the science and philosophy behind meditation and some tools on helping your meditation practice.”
Get your free 10% Happier app here.
D’Marge Fitness Tech Picks
You’ve got the inside word from the pros, now let us grace your fitness journey with some of the latest and greatest gadgets and tech-driven fitness aids to get the job done.
QardioBase
It was only a matter of time before smart scales arrived on the fitness scene and the QardioBase is one of the most advanced ones on the market today. Besides weighing, it can also measure your BMI, heart rate, water percentage, body fat, bone mass and muscle mass. Once the data is retrieved, it is recorded onto an app so that users can track their stats over time.
It’s pretty flexible as well with full compatibility with Apple Health, Google Fit, and Samsung S Health across iOS and Android platforms. Most importantly it can detect individual users so multiple people can track their fitness on the one scale.
Wair Smart Scarf
Wair is for those who take their cycling seriously in the big city. The engineered textile mask is designed to protect your lungs and health from common pollutants often found on common cycle ways along roads. They come in various designs too and can hook up to an app to let users know real time air quality stats.
Firefly Recovery
You’ve pushed your body to the limits and now it’s time to focus on sport recovery. Firefly is the latest in wearable tech which focuses on after-exercise treatment without disrupting everyday life. The strap sits below the knee where it sends painless electrical impulses to activate muscles in the lower leg to encourage blood circulation. The device has been tested by athletes including olympians and is clinically proven to assist in recovery whilst decreasing muscle soreness and swelling.
Under Armour Headphones + Wireless Heart Rate
The experts in audio have teamed up with one of the biggest players in sport to bring out an entirely new package in sports headphones.
JBL and Under Armor’s latest UA Headphones + Wireless Heart Rate is designed for those who demand the most out of their workout audio devices. Besides the signature JBL noise, they also sport a built-in heart rate monitor which can spit out vital stats at the touch of a button.
That means no looking down at your wrist of phone whilst you’re running. They’re also IPX 5 rated meaning they can withstand sweat and water.
Neofit Collapsable Roller
Not all fitness rollers are created equal and the Neofit Roller is proof of this. Designed in Melbourne by Seb Kipman, the intuitive fitness device can collapse down to 10cm in length (that’s smaller than a iPhone for those playing at home) and expand back up to 30cm when called upon.
The rolling diameter also meets the industry standard at 14cm to ensure a full rolling experience for maximum myofascial release. Being ultraportable and rather attractive, the Neofit roller easily fits into any briefcase, gym bag or luggage.
Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells
If you’re far from a gym then the Bowflex SelectTech Dumbbells is the perfect body building equipment to get the job done. The intuitive dumbbell design means that it’s an entire rack in one with weight adjustment ranging from 4.5kg right up to 40kg. In total there are 17 different weight settings users can choose and most importantly, it won’t take up a lot of space.