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Encouraging Heroes. You can be one too.

Have you noticed the growing trend in 24-hour health clubs?  I receive advertisements for a 24-hour gym in my neighborhood frequently, and their prices are pretty reasonable, too.  Having worked for a health club I know it’s not easy keeping personal trainers there for 10 hours a day, let alone having a 24-hour staff, so the idea of a gym that never closes fascinates me.

Then another 24-hour gym opened up even closer to my home.  There had to be some secret to this growing business that I simply wasn’t privy to, so I decided to investigate.  Turns out these clubs don’t actually have staff present 24 hours out of the day, only a few select hours during the afternoon, while members have security clearance any time they desire, day or night.

When the Late Night Craving for Taco Bell Strikes, Hit the Gym Instead

This access to state-of-the-art equipment is great, but then I wondered how they managed to help patrons maintain their fitness goals if there wasn’t an expert there to oversee their progress.  Naturally, my sleuth tendencies propelled me to dig deeper, and that’s when I discovered what allows these gyms to be so successful, and popular – the fitness app.

Fitness App?  More Like Fitness Awesome!

  • Body Map – Fitness apps like GymGoal provide a front and back, detailed anatomical maps, right down to the muscle groups and the exercises designed to target them.  From this map you can create a comprehensive fitness regimen that is well-rounded and designed for your fitness level.
  • Handy Tips – Whether you want to use the daily diet and workout tips provided by GymGoal, or ask questions of a professional using FitnessBuilder, helpful guidance is at your fingertips.
  • Super-Simple Navigation – Both GymGoal and FitnessBuilder offer intuitive browsing and simple navigation, allowing you to switch seamlessly between your workout routine and tracking your progress.  You can even share your workout results with your friends on Facebook and Twitter with the help of FitnessBuilder which provides an interactive PDF for your friends to follow, complete with video examples of the routine you’ve just completed.
  • Suggested Routines – Not sure where to start or what to do? No problem!  Both FitnessBuilder and GymGoal provide suggested routines to work all of your desired muscle groups, right down to catering the workout to your specific needs, goals, and schedule. All of the moves are demonstrated with clear images, and in the case of FitnessBuilder videos offer demonstrations as well. So improper form is never a worry.
  • Customized Routines – Don’t want to follow some pre-existing routine? No problem again!  Both GymGoal and FitnessBuilder allow you to build a customized routine, but FitnessBuilder takes this a step further and allows you to create videos of your exercises to add to their constantly growing database.
  • Filtering Options for Greater Customization – Want to work out, but you don’t have access to weight machines and cables?  Filter these options out, and search for free weights and other items you have access to, and both GymGoal and FitnessBuilder will cater the results to your specific preferences.  No more frustration of seeing suggestions which don’t apply to you.
  • Monitor Progress Easily – FitnessBuilder and GymGoal both allow you to track your workouts, save your measurements, and chart your overall progress in an easy-to-read format, but FitnessBuilder takes this a step further and allows you to share your workout with your friends, even challenge them to beat your progress.

Measuring Cost Vs. Benefit

Now that I knew how these 24-hour fitness clubs managed to help clients achieve fitness goals without having a full staff present, I realized I could just as easily mimic this process without the additional charge of a monthly membership fee.  Of course, of these two fitness apps, only GymGoal offers a free app in the form of GymGoal ABC, which is a scaled back model of its full GymGoal product.  It may be scaled back, but it’s still a powerful way to stay stay on track.  By adding fitness apps to my routine, along with a thorough search through all the best upright exercise bikes to find the right one for me, I’m well on track. Now it’s your turn!

About the Author

Freelance writer Melissa Cameron enjoys exercising, she just doesn’t enjoy paying someone to tell her how to do it properly. Since discovering fitness apps she is more active than ever and couldn’t be happier.  When she’s not busy inspiring her friends to take their fitness goals seriously, she can be found helping them compare recumbent exercise bikes and other home gym equipment.

Earnest Parenting: help for parents who want to be fit.