brandontreb.comCode, Nerdyness, and Geek Fitness

If you are reading this post you are most likely a geek.  It’s true, otherwise if you were a reader of my blog and not a geek, you would be very confused .

Well, being a fellow geek, I am prone to the same sort of problems as you when it comes to fitness.  As geeks we sit in our chairs and more often than not end up looking like this. (sad face)

Ok ok, that photo is a little cliché, but you get my point.  This prolonged sitting along with a lazy (Mountain Dew + Cheetos ) diet leads to this stereotypic geek look.

The Solution

Dun duh dun duh (those were trumpet sounds in case you didn’t know).  Well, we all love technology (duh), so why not combine it with some basic fitness and fight the stereotype.  With sweet gadgets (like the iPhone ), we now have some incredible tools that almost make a game out of exercise.

Here are 3 iPhone apps that I use on a daily basis to keep me in peak, geek, 1337 shape.

#1 100 Pushups

I stumbled upon this gem of an app when I started seeing my buddy @oodelali ‘s Twitter feed displaying the following.

160 Pushups! Gangster right?  Intrigued, I asked him about the app.  After a brief synopsis, I was sold.  Here is the rundown of this app (per its app store description).

“If you’re serious about increasing your strength, follow this six week training program and you’ll soon be on your way to completing 100 consecutive push ups!”

Basically, this app utilizes interval training where you exercise 3 times per week for about 10 minutes.  After 6 weeks of this, the app claims you will be able to do 100 consecutive pushups!  Here is a screenshot so you can see what I’m talking about.

So far, I’m on week 4 and am doing a total of 94 pushups (not consecutive yet).

Don’t have an iPhone (sad face), you can still benefit from this app by using their web interface at http://hundredpushups.com/.

The developer of this app has a whole suit of these including 200 Sit-ups, 200 Squats, and Twenty Chin Ups.

#2 Run Keeper Pro

Run Keeper Pro is a stellar app that has both paid and free versions.  It uses the GPS to map our your run and gives you feedback on elevation, pace, distance, and location.  I use this app every single day when I go for runs.

One killer feature of this app is its ability to sync with the web at RunKeeper.com.  Here you are able to track more statistics about your runs, create paths, and get more social.

The interface is both beautiful and intuitive. (Aesthetics are super important to me. You could have the most functional app in the world and I won’t use it if it looks like feces).

When I first started running, I could barely make it to the end of my street, and with this app, I am now running over 10 miles per week!

#3 iFitness

So, this app is for the geek that might actually go to they gym (you mean like…leave…the house).  Or if you are really a hobbit, have a home gym.  iFiness allows you to track all aspects of a workout.  It will track what exercises you do, on what day, with how many reps for how long.

With these killer features, it’s easy to create a fully customized workout and track it the way you want.

“But Brandon, I have never been to the gym and don’t know how to use the weights/machines because I’m level 75 in WOW.” Well, iFitiness has got you covered! For every workout they have in the system, they provide full graphics or videos on how to perform each one.  So if you are unsure about how to do anything, just take a quick peak at your phone, jump on the machine, get jacked, and the ladies (or dudes if you are a lady reading this) will be flocking from all over.

Another great feature of this app is that it has built in workout plans to suite your lifestyle.  So weather or not you want to build muscle or you just want to lose that gut you have been working on, they have a plan for you.  Whoa, I am starting to sound like a P90X commercial, time to pump the breaks.

Take Away

To wrap up, I feel that staying healthy and fit is very important. You have to make it a part of your lifestyle and these few tools are a great way to get a jump on it.  Feel free to post comments, questions, or grammar corrections (expected bc we are all the grammar police) in the comments.