Daily iPhone app: Gym Genius lets you create and track your custom workouts
One important feature of a workout app is ease of use. You are not going to set up and log your exercise progress if the app is difficult to use. It's in this area that Gym Genius shines. Within 10 minutes of installing the app, I had set up three workouts and was ready to get started with my training.
The workout plans are your broad goals and can include multiple workouts that are scheduled on different days of the week. I'm looking to do a triathlon next year and have created a workout plan to reach that goal. Within my workout plan, there are different daily workouts with Monday focusing on running, Tuesday on swimming, Wednesday on strength training and so on. Each daily workout has a list of exercises from which I can choose.
Gym Genius ships with a medium-sized list of exercises that are organized by muscle group. If an exercise is not on the list that ships with the app, then you can easily add it to the list. The list is just that -- a list. There is no description of each exercise, nor any instructions on how to do the exercises. You can only select an exercise and add in the set and repetition information. This is one major drawback to Gym Genius, especially for someone who may be new to working out and doesn't know all the names of the exercises.
One handy feature of Gym Genius is a reporting feature that allows you to track your exercises as well as your body fat and weight. You can see how you are improving in length and duration of your exercises. The app also tracks personal records, which gives your motivation that extra boost when you are less than determined in your workout.
Gym Genius is available from the iOS App Store for US$1.99. It is recommended for people who want an easy and effective way to log their exercises and track their workout progress. It doesn't include detailed exercise information, but seasoned fitness trainers don't need these extra details and may prefer the streamlined interface offered by Gym Genius.
