With a sedentary lifestyle on the rise, the need to be fit is more than ever!
But the good news is that the same technology that binds us to our seats for hours offers the solution to this problem through fitness apps. As such, you will find many fitness apps providing guidance and training for your fitness journey.
And one such app is BetterMen, but is it the right option to fall back to? Dive in to know more!
Table of Contents
What Does The BetterMen App Do?
As you may have already figured out from the previous section, BetterMen is a mobile application that helps users achieve their body goals. The platform comprises both workout plans and customised meal plans to cater to individual needs so that you can get in shape, lose unwanted weight as well as build body muscles most effectively.
Whether you’re looking to target specific body parts or want to improve your overall fitness, BetterMen can be the virtual guide to aid your journey. From fat burning to 30-day weight loss challenges, the app seemingly offers all-round assistance. What’s more, you can use this app for both gym and home-based fitness regimes, as the instructional videos are recorded by certified professional coaches.
As such, the video library on BetterMen has hundreds of animated and text-equipped workout videos for easy comprehension, no matter your level of expertise. But there are many other features to take note of, like:
1. The Interface
One of the most important things that people look for in fitness apps is an easy interface. After all, the last thing you’d want is to navigate complicated screens and menu options while working out. And the simple interface of BetterMen doesn’t disappoint in this regard.
Once you log into the platform, you’ll find 3 options- profile, food and workout. You can then head to the profile section to add more details about your goals, and the meal and workout plans will be customised accordingly.
As of now, the platform has about a dozen plans with multiple exercises to choose from that are further divided into easy, medium and hard levels. There’s no starting point as such- you can choose any category and any workout you deem fit for your fitness goals.
2. Optimum Customisation
The app’s commitment to customising workout and meal plans for its users is evident from the way its workout and meal plans are designed. For instance, you can add breaks to the individually timed workout videos, depending on how you want to time your sessions.
All you have to do is tap on the ‘start workout’ option to begin, and you will notice all the videos properly demonstrate the correct form and way of performing the workout. This, in turn, can help reduce the chances of injuries even when you’re working out at home. Or, you can simply tap on ‘skip’ to proceed to the next workout.
Likewise, the app contains 5 meal plans- breakfast, morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner. Once you tap on an option, you can enter your dietary preferences, eating habits and fitness goals (via the corresponding sub-menus) to customise the plan. And you can do this every day for every meal, meaning you can continue to receive guidance even when your fitness goals change.
3. Tracking Features
As with most fitness apps, BetterMen gives users the option to track their progress for individual workouts and overall fitness (in terms of levels and exercises completed). Not only that, but you can also share your progress on social media directly via the app.
In hindsight, BetterMen enables you to keep real-time track of how far you’ve reached your fitness goals. Besides, sharing your progress with others can be a good way to motivate yourself to keep pushing harder.
4. User Reviews
Naturally, one of the best ways to determine the efficacy and benefits of any product (read app, in this case) is peer feedback. As such, while going through user reviews, we found that many people have praised this application for its ease of use.
Many users are also especially impressed with the guidance available for at-home workouts. This can be a huge positive for people who may be hesitant to go to gyms due to expensive membership plans or those who feel awkward working out publicly.
5. No Equipment Required
Many of the workouts on the BetterMen app don’t require the use of any fancy equipment, as they are targeted towards people who prefer working out at home. You can easily perform workouts like tricep dips, chest exercises and bicep curls by following the instructions.
But feel free to add variation to more basic exercises like crunches and planks with dumbbells or other equipment if you plan to work out at the gym or already have a gym setup.
6. Pricing Plans
From what we observed during our trial, BetterMe aims to keep things simple for its users, and the pricing plans are another testimony to this feature. You can opt for a weekly, monthly, semi-annually, or annual subscription plan, with prices as follows:
- Weekly- $9.99
- Monthly- $19.99
- Tri-monthly- $39.99
- 6 months- $53.99
- Semi-annually- $59.99
- Yearly- $119.99
These plans also come with an auto-renewal feature, i.e., your chosen plan will automatically renew 24 hours before it ends. At the same time, you can cancel the subscription anytime if you aren’t satisfied with the app. Besides, you get a 3-day free trial policy to test if the app suits your needs before making a commitment.
In a nutshell, here are the primary benefits of subscribing to BetterMe:
- Workouts for weight loss, muscle building, and individual body parts
- Descriptive text and animated demonstrations
- More than 1,500 videos for 3 skill levels
- Easy interface
- Well-proportioned and practical meal plans
- Non-dietary and non-restrictive meals
- Progress tracking, saving and sharing options
- Different subscription plans for convenience
- 3-day free trial
What Are Some Of The Workouts On The BetterMen App?
Some of the most popular workouts on the app include (but are not limited to) are:
1. Crunches
Start by lying down on a flat surface (like the floor) with your feet planted on the floor, placed hip-width apart. Bend your knees and place your hands across your chest.
Now, take a deep breath and contract your abs while lifting your upper body as you exhale. Make sure that your neck and head are completely relaxed so that you can move them easily. Inhale again as you return to the starting position.
2. Burpees
Burpees are one of the most effective cardio workouts that can help burn fat faster. You can think of it as squats followed by jumps.
Get down to a squat position with your back straight, knees bent, and feet placed at shoulder width. Get on the floor and bend your elbows completely so that your palms are inside the line of your feet. Your body should be close to the floor.
Now, transfer your weight to your hands and kick your feet so that your hands and feet are in a pushup position. Do one pushup while ensuring that your body is completely straight (in a line) from head to toe. Your back shouldn’t dip, or your lower back shouldn’t be pushed into the air. From here, perform a frog kick by jumping so that your feet are in the original position.
Jump in the air with your hands behind your body and land in the standing position. Get down quickly to the squat position and repeat.
3. Planks
Get down on the floor on your forearms and feet with your palms placed directly under your shoulders. Make sure your palms and feet are at shoulder width. Now, tighten your abdominal muscles while ensuring that your body is in a completely straight line. Hold this position, relax and repeat.
4. Wall Sit
Stand with your back against a flat surface like a wall, with your feet placed about 2 feet away from the wall and at shoulder width. Take a deep breath and slowly glide down the wall by tightening your abdomen until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Hold this position for some time and slowly get back to the starting position while exhaling. Repeat as directed.
Are There Any Cons Of Using The BetterMen App?
No matter how small or big your budget for a fitness app is, it’s almost impossible to find one without disadvantages, and BetterMen is no exception.
Perhaps, its biggest con is that there’s no rigid structure or chronology to follow, which can make it difficult for first-timers, especially with the variety of exercises.
In other words, without proper guidance, you may find it challenging to understand the workouts you should start with. Besides, some users may be tempted to start with or jump to higher difficulty levels, which may increase the risk of injuries for novices. Moreover, the 3-day trial plan doesn’t provide access to the full set of features, so it may be difficult to decide the efficacy of the app. You only get access to the features with a subscription plan.
Aside from that, the meal plans are somewhat generic and don’t really take into account specific calorie or nutrient intake that may be required by some people due to health conditions or otherwise. Hence, many people may look for alternatives, and we’ve listed a few of them below for your convenience.
Best Alternatives To The Better Men App
1. Best Mobile App: The Movement Athlete Academy
The Movement Athlete Academy focuses on strength training through callisthenic and gymnastic-based workouts.
Developed by a team of professional calisthenic athletes and gymnasts, this app offers training videos and personalised training plans for people with different needs. However, you can customise the workouts in terms of how many sessions you want to complete each week.
Moreover, you can get a free personalised training plan complete with recommended workouts. All you have to do is take an assessment to help the app understand your precise needs. The AI-based algorithm then prepares a plan according to your answers.
And unlike the BetterMen app, you have to complete one level before progressing to the other. The hierarchy is further demonstrated in the way the workouts are broken down into, right from warm-up to endurance.
You can download the app for both Android and iOS platforms and download the videos for offline use. Moreover, you can choose from different payment plans for a weekly, monthly, or yearly subscription.
2. Best Value For Money: Cali Move
The Cali Move platform can be the perfect solution for people looking to achieve specific goals without investing in a full-blown app per se. You can think of it as an assortment of programs and you can choose the one best suited for your fitness goals. Besides, the platform includes everything from workouts to nutritional plans.
The subscription plan typically varies between one program and another. While some programs may require you to pay a monthly fee, others may have a one-time payment. Regardless, users get access to instructional videos by trained professionals and personal training.
3. Best Mental And Movements: Vaha Fitness
With Vaha Fitness, users can achieve different body goals like fast loss, building endurance and dense muscle mass through movement-based workouts. The special emphasis here is on mental training that can help users develop the right attitude, and you can choose between the different transformation plans according to your needs.
Moreover, users get access to a free resource titled ‘10 Commandments,’ which introduces them to the basics of the program as well as helps them avoid injuries later during training.
Final Words
So, is the BetterMen app worth subscribing to?
We feel this app can be a good starting point for novices, acting more as a guide to their fitness journey. The plethora of workouts means you can choose the ones that will help you achieve your goals faster. And you will feel more comfortable performing. Besides, it can be used both in the gym and at home so that you don’t have to switch between apps.
However, given the shortcomings of the app, we’d still recommend availing professional guidance for both training and meal plans if you’re serious about fitness.
Founder of www.calisthenics-101.co.uk. Training calisthenics since 2012.
Currently working on: 30 second one-arm handstand, muscle-up 360, straddle planche.