There are so many apps available today for everything imaginable that it’s hard to narrow down and you will need to play with a few to really get what you want. Over the years there have only been a few that have been staples for me.
MyFitnessPal
I don’t believe there is a comparable food tracker on the market. This one has been around as long as I can remember and their food database has expanded immensely to include accurate restaurant data along with many foreign dishes. The ease of use has improved with barcode scanners and I log my bodyweight with this as well. Endless weight tracking applications but since this is multifaceted I’ve never had a urge to switch.
For weight loss or muscle gain, self monitoring your dietary intake is really a must. Can you be successful without it? Sure…but that’s really not the best plan for success.
FitNotes
This is a workout logging app. I’ve used this for 5 years now maybe? The one downside for iOS users is that it’s only a Android app and being an Android user I haven’t been able to test any Iphone apps.
FitNotes will track your total workout volume, the amount that you lift, and you can share directly to social media. I personally use it more for personal record tracking. You can keep a history of all your best lifts whether it’s your 1 rep max or 25 rep max and keep note of the date it was accomplished. Since I downloaded this, I have used it in literally every single workout and likely will continue until my last training session.
Spotify
I’m sure everyone knows about this. Apple Music, Prime Music, I’m sure they’re all good. Every time I train I listen to music and I listen to it now. Spotify is cheap and I think everyone magically gets stronger with their favorite music.
GoWOD
I’m somewhat new to the world of stretching. Many studies have documented a decrease in strength directly after static stretching so I’ve admittedly had a bias against it. I was dealing with a lingering hip issue and decided to implement a short stretching protocol and my end range of motion on specific movements became less restricted and more comfortable. Placebo or not, I’ve felt a difference since implementing some very specific stretches into my routine.
I went with GoWOD after playing with a few apps. They have a free version and a pay version, I utilized their trial and stuck with the original routines it had provided. The app itself is regularly updated with new demos to keep things from falling stale. You can prioritize and look up specific areas of the body to address, I think it’s a great app and will keep referring back to it as I go on in my training career.
*Honorable Mention – Renaissance Periodization Diet App
I have not used this app because it does not yet support split shift, night shift schedules so I cannot include it directly with my app recommendations. My assumption is that it’s great because its simply the natural evolution from the RP Diet Templates that I have used and highly recommend.
Unlike MyFitnessPal where you log your own food, the RP Diet App is advertised as a “diet coach” which will essentially tell you what and when to eat along with providing some check ins and adherence monitoring. Updates are rolled out regularly. Whenever they release the split shift update, I will likely play around with it and inform people of my thoughts.
