I love to keep fit. I’ve been a fitness enthusiast nearly all my life, and after scouting around the app store, I managed to find this awesome app that we previously reviewed and found a bunch of awesome fitness routines that you can do. I praise the app often, so I thought I could show the potentially gym-shy users out there how to use your iPhone to help you start keeping fit.
This article will serve as a guide to resistance training you can do with your iPhone using a few apps that I’ve selected. Be aware that you should do about three sessions of moderate cardio a week for general fitness and flexibility. This can be as simple as going for a brisk walk to playing an intense game of basketball!
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Warming up
It’s extremely important to properly warm up before starting any workout in order to prevent injury when performing the actual motion. It’s also good to get your heart rate up to get you used to the fatigue and “in the zone.”
Consult your doctor or a medical professional before embarking on any diet or exercise plan to see if it’s right for you. Do not attempt an exercise without first mastering the correct form as found in the app, and do not perform any exercises if you are injured without seeing a doctor first.
Warm up by doing jumping jacks for 30 seconds, then move straight into running on the spot, bringing your knees up to your chest for 30 seconds, then do some bodyweight squats for about 15 seconds. After this, rotate your right arm for 30 seconds forwards, then 30 seconds backwards, then repeat for your left arm. If you still feel you need warming up, repeat the whole thing again until you feel ready to go.
Tip: If you’re doing a leg workout, do some dynamic stretches such as leg swings and toe touches.
The Workouts
When doing weights, there are three major muscle groups you want to concentrate on: back, chest and legs. The reason arms aren’t included is that in the back and chest routines you do a lot of compound movements that engage the arms just as much as an isolated arm workout. This doesn’t mean we totally discount them, though; I have placed a few here and there to keep your arms in tip-top shape.
I was considering giving a bi-weekly plan for you to follow, however I’m well aware that many people, including myself, will have a very busy and ever-changing schedule to adhere to. Instead, there are three routines using Fitness Buddy, which will assist us greatly throughout structuring the routine. Try to get a day’s rest minimum in between workouts.
Chest
On Fitness Buddy, open up the workouts tab, and then select Create Your Own. Touch the plus sign in the top-right hand corner of the screen to begin. This workout will be called “Chest and biceps.” From the screen, touch the plus icon next to the following workouts, then hit Save in the top-right hand corner when you’re done:
- Barbell Bench press (Flat_Overhand Grip)
- Barbell Bench press (Incline_Overhand Grip)
- Barbell Bench press (Decline_Overhand Grip)
- Dumbbell Fly (Incline Bench
- Barbell Biceps curl (Underhand Narrow Grip)
Exercise list
Legs
Like last time, open up the workouts tab, and then select Create Your Own. Touch the plus sign in the top-right hand corner of the screen to begin. This workout will be called “Legs and Shoulders.” From the screen, touch the plus icon next to the following workouts, then hit save in the top-right hand corner when you’re done:
- Barbell Squat
- Plate Loaded Leg Press (Unguided)
- Dumbbell Lunge (Forward)
- Barbell Shoulder Press (Military)
- Dumbbell Raise (Front)
Exercise list
Back and Triceps
Use the same procedure as with the other workouts, but this one will be called “Back and Triceps”:
- Barbell Deadlift
- Barbell Deadlift (Romanian)
- Bodyweight Pullup (wide grip if you can), or otherwise, Plate Loaded Lat Pulldown (Overhand_Grip)
- Barbell Bench Press (Flat_Overhand Narrow Grip)
- Barbell Triceps extension (Flat Bench_Skullcrusher)
Exercise list
A Final Word
There are so many different fitness advice sites, apps, forums, etc. that drown you in an overabundance of advice. The reality is, keeping fit is much simpler than a lot of people make it out to be. What I see time after time are people trying to give a workout plan designed with not that much work at all, but instead a magical supplement or trick that will get you results fast.
The reality is, determination and hard work are the two attributes you must have in order to achieve your goals, just like in any other area. Make sure that you don’t overthink anything, and if you can, try to work with a partner.
This “How To Stay Fit” theme will be continued in another article soon after this one, where I’ll concentrate on bodyweight exercises and a further volume on diet. I wish you all the best for your fitness goals, and hope this article has given you a place to start off, or even continue on the road to keeping fit.