Fitness apps have become quite popular in recent times, and you can find an app for nearly all kinds of training regimens.
After all, personalised training plans are the most desirable kind since each body is different in the way it tackles training. Naturally, the apps that offer this are favoured by fitness enthusiasts over those that provide a linear progression.
Fitbod is one such app that is designed to build workout plans that suit each user based on their preferences and physique. But can it be the one-stop shop for all your workout planning needs?
Let’s take a closer look at Fitbod and what it has to offer to see if it can be the fitness app you need.
Table of Contents
About Fitbod
Fitbod is an app that offers several options for bodyweight exercises, strength training, cardio, HIIT, powerlifting, weight training, callisthenics and bodybuilding. The app covers virtually every type of training that a workout enthusiast would want, particularly for those who like mixing and matching routines.
And with its broad coverage, the app can be used to create customised training plans that can cater to most trainers. One can create a workout routine that focuses heavily on callisthenics but mixes in weight training for building strength as well.
You have the option of adding or removing certain exercises from your routine, and substitute exercises for different ones. Additionally, this substitution can be timed, allowing you to limit an exercise to certain days.
The app uses training algorithms to tailor workouts according to goals or user preferences. This is in stark contrast to general fitness workout programs, as users are more likely to become healthier.
As you continue to use the app and update your workout information, Fitbod will improve its recommendations. As a result, you will only see exercises needed to reach your specific goals in the Fitbod feed.
What Fitbod Offers
1. Fitness Goals
A fitness app ought to adapt to various fitness goals, which Fitbod was designed to do.
There are several training options that the workout app offers, as mentioned earlier. That said, it is primarily a strength training app and much of its best advice is related to strength training.
A. Strength Training
Being the speciality of the app, the strength training options offered by the app are clear, concise and varied. It can help you select from several different kinds of strength training, ranging from HIIT to bodyweight exercises and bodybuilding routines.
B. General Fitness
If you’re someone who simply wishes to remain in shape without a specific goal in mind, you can create a workout plan for this. This workout plan will target general wellness and an improved physique, making it an option to consider for weight loss and overall health.
C. Muscle Tone
You can use Fitbod to create a training routine that tones your physique in a precise manner. The goal with such training routines is to focus on high reps with low rest periods, which sculpts your musculature in a precise manner.
D. Powerlifting
Powerlifting is largely about building strength, with a heavy focus on bench presses, squats and deadlifts. Workout plans for powerlifting are the exact opposite of muscle tone plans, as it focuses on high weights and low reps.
E. Bodybuilding
Bodybuilding fitness plans focus on high reps and weights to build a large and strong body. The recommended weights remain relative to your body weight but are scaled slightly higher than average to improve your gains.
2. Training Splits, Recovery And Different Muscle Groups
A good fitness app should be able to help its users achieve the right balance of training and recovery. Moreover, it should balance training between different parts of the body for evenly developed muscle groups. Let’s see how Fitbod achieves this.
A. Training Splits
Fitbod offers a few types of training splits, where it structures your exercises based on the different muscle groups and recovery. Here are the different types of training splits that it targets:
- Fresh muscle group training that targets the two most well-rested muscle groups
- Upper/lower split that alternates between upper and lower body each day
- Full body that targets all the muscle groups in the body through various exercises
- Push/Pull/Lower split that uses pulling or pushing motions or targets the lower body
B. Muscle Recovery
Fitbod assigns a percentage to your muscle groups that indicates their recovery and freshness based on all the exercises you perform throughout the week. The more you exercise a particular muscle group, the greater the recovery time, which caps at seven days.
Once a particular muscle group is fully recovered, Fitbod calculates the impact of exercises based on the weights and the sets and reps you perform. The new recovery percentage can be viewed after training to see how much time the group needs to recover.
The muscle recovery rate is calculated dynamically by the app. You only need to input the data of your previous training session for the first login to begin using this feature.
C. Required Equipment
You can use Fitbod to build a personalised gym based on its recommendations. Simply create a title for the gym, select the preferred equipment or the ones you will purchase, and you’re done. The required equipment can include every kind, ranging from dumbbells, bodyweight, barbells, to squat racks and gym machines.
Additionally, the app allows the creation of multiple gyms, such as the one at your home or the local fitness centre. You can freely switch between these gyms at will.
3. Workout Progression
As you continue to exercise, you may find that certain exercises begin to feel easier. This happens because your body begins to get acclimated to a particular workout routine. Of course, this will stagnate your growth and keep you from progressing any further.
Fitbod may help with this, where it increases the difficulty of a workout routine slightly to keep your gains from pausing. Your muscles will continue to work hard and grow while working out without the exercise sessions becoming any easier.
And if a workout becomes too difficult to perform, you can adjust its intensity in the app as well. The app can provide you recommendations to ensure you can perform them feasibly as well.
4. Easy Accessibility
You don’t need to be a technologically savvy individual to use Fitbod. The user interface is simple and clear, giving you an easy way to plan workouts and exercises. After all, the less time you spend on the app, the more you can focus on the workout.
Additionally, the app is free of bugs and errors, which is something of a rarity in fitness apps. Some fitness apps have ads and pop-ups nearly all the time, which can be frustrating to deal with.
Lastly, the Fitbod app can be accessed through a smartwatch as well, which can further improve its accessibility. This makes tracking your workouts even faster and simpler.
Pricing Plans
Fitbod runs on a subscription model, along with a free trial that includes three workouts to help you get accustomed to the app. The membership costs $12.99 per month or $79.99 a year, giving you complete access to its workout planning features.
There is a slight catch here, as the app offers no options for a lifetime membership. Meaning, you will have to renew your subscription annually or monthly once you start using the app.
Is Fitbod Worth Your Time?
Fitbod offers plenty of features that can tailor a workout plan according to your preferences. This may be useful for beginners who are looking to get into strength training and are starting with a blank slate.
Since personal trainers are expensive, Fitbod can serve as a substitute for training guidance during workouts. And through its strength training programs, you may be able to work towards a specific goal that you may have in mind.
This may be useful for those looking to improve their general fitness as well, providing accurate information to start the fitness journey with. Strength training can help reduce weight, after all.
That said, the exercise selection could have used a few more customisation options through variations on traditional exercises. This is particularly notable for powerlifters and bodybuilders who have progressed well beyond the basics of training.
Fitbod App Alternatives
There are a few alternatives to the Fitbod App, which include personalised training to help you develop your musculature. Each of these brings something unique to the table, from an easy-to-use interface to a completely guided approach to training.
1. Best Mobile App: The Movement Athlete Academy
The Movement Athlete Academy is an app designed to be easily accessible by everyone, no matter the level of training they need. It features a simple UI, which can be used to access various workouts that cater to your specific exercise needs.
2. Best Value For Money: Cali Move
Cali Move is an exercise app that provides users with a collection of affordable workouts. These workout collections are designed with different body types and preferences in mind, including bundles like Body Transformation, Mobility 2.0, Complete Callisthenics, and more.
3. Best Mental And Movements: Warrior 20XX
If you prefer a workout tool that guides you through every step of bodyweight exercises, consider looking into Warrior 20XX. The workout tool has a heavy focus on strength and endurance training, which can factor into improving your overall performance.
Final Verdict
Fitbod covers nearly all aspects of exercises and allows decent customisation to cater to most trainers, no matter the training level. Additionally, the gym equipment options and workout style selection can be quite helpful for all fitness enthusiasts.
The algorithm-based app provides a significant amount of information to help you naturally progress towards your workout goals. Your workouts may become progressively harder as the app continues to add reps, weights and sets to the routine.
Fitbod may not be particularly helpful for experienced trainers when it comes to exercise planning, but it can log their progress. Following a fitness program is still an important part of their training, and there are benefits to be had with the app.
Founder of www.calisthenics-101.co.uk. Training calisthenics since 2012.
Currently working on: 30 second one-arm handstand, muscle-up 360, straddle planche.