A new year isn’t the only thing approaching this January—we’re entering a new decade. And what a whirlwind the past one has been! When we rang in the new year in 2010, smartphones and tablets were still a brand new concept, and something that most people didn’t own or know how to use. Even the term “app” was more closely associated with a plate of nachos than it was with a downloadable program!

 

Ten years ago, it was hard for many to imagine that a telephone could help you optimize your workout. These days, there are lots of ways to do this—most smartphones even have a step-counting app built into their system, so you can see how many miles logged in your daily routine. (We know some people who take their phones EVERYWHERE just to beat their own scores.) 

 

We are huge advocates of fitness apps, as they allow athletes to create and reach their goals in a way that gives them total control, yet still holds them accountable. These apps provide all sorts of useful tools, from tracking and logging to rest-timers, step calculators, routine management resources, and more. Whether you want a way to communicate with other athletes, track your progress, or learn new ways to get fit, these apps keep you in your highest form—and make it easy and fun to do so. 

 

The truth is that we don’t know what the next decade holds. Eventually apps might be replaced by a new fitness innovation that we can’t yet dream of. Until then, however, we’re big fans of using them to make our lives easier across the board. After all, most of us can no longer imagine consuming music and movies, navigating public transport, or hitting the gym without our devices and the apps that live in them. We’re grateful to have all of this at our disposal—and we want to make the most of it. 

 

So, Boise, if you’re ready to ring in the new year with your fitness resolutions made simple, there is indeed “an app for that.”  Here are some of our favorite workout apps from the last part of the decade, which will help usher you into 2020 at the top of your game. 

 

 

 

For many athletes, this is THE fitness tracking app, so we would be amiss to exclude it. 

 

FitBit has been around for a long time—in fact, the company existed for three years when we entered the 2010s. However, its products improved and expanded greatly over the decade, and it wasn’t until the last few years that it became a household name. The FitBit watches and trackers that we know today have inspired countless athletes to push themselves to the limits and feel complete control over their workout and physical health. 

 

Any FitBit owner knows that in order to make the most of their devices, they need the app. However, people who don’t own the branded watches or devices can still use and benefit from the app—it’s great for weight, activity, and nutrition management.

App Cost: Free!

 

 

 

There are a few things we love about this nutrition and diet-focused fitness app. First of all, it has tons of ways to make sure that you are making all the right moves towards your weight loss and fitness goals, from an enormous cache of nutritional information to modern logging tools like barcode scanners, ensuring that you are informed about everything you eat or cook. Secondly, it provides an excellent structure for keeping a food diary. Best of all, it comes with its own fitness community, so you can make friends, connect about similar goals, and help motivate others—and yourself. 

App Cost: There is a free app, and an expanded membership version with a fee.

 

 

 

If weightlifting is your activity of choice, you may already have this app. If you don’t, get ready—this is about to change everything for you. Our weight training coaches and partners cannot stop talking about the Strong app, which allows lifters to create routines and track their progress, all while offering helpful tools like timers and a plate calculator. 

App Cost: Free to download, but there are varying membership costs if you want to use it more than a few times. 

 

 

 

Though we appreciate the services of the paid membership apps, we’re always excited by one that’s entirely free—and actually really useful as well. FitNotes ticks both those boxes. This nifty app is akin to a digital notebook which you can use to save your workouts, and comes with a great database of routines and an easy-to-use calendar. It also shows you all kinds of helpful stats about your activity so you can understand your progress better. Pretty cool, if you ask us. 

App Cost: Free! 

 

 

 

This super user-friendly app is a favorite amongst Jack City partners and staff alike. It’s a great all-rounder tool for both gym and self-led workouts, and includes innovative features like a rest-timer and live workout tracking. It also syncs up with your Google account, which definitely comes in handy for most of us. This app also shows users helpful data and stats. 

App Cost: Free!

 

 

 

Here’s another one for the lifters in the house. RepCount is a name we were hearing again and again from our partners, so we decided to check it out—and did it ever deliver. This modern and well-designed tracker app doesn’t require a subscription—a perk to many—though there are paid versions with extra tools, like statistics. The free version allows for plenty of great features, from a rest-timer to unlimited routines and workout entries. 

App Cost: Free, though there is also a paid version

 

 

 

Daily Strength is one of the most impressive fitness apps out there, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it was already your favorite one to use. The company offers an extensive selection of tools and services for athletes to use, and the (fantastic) premium version only relies on a one-time fee of $10 rather than a monthly rate.  

 

The Daily Strength app is favorite because it includes a large collection of exercises to choose from, rest-timer tools, and even an option for super sets. They’ve also made it easy to add any exercises that you don’t find in their own library, so it suits any athlete with any routine. It even comes pre-loaded with tried and true routines, so you can hit the ground running whenever you’re ready.

App Cost: Free to download. The premium version is $10. 

 

 

 

As if seeing the Northern Lights and experiencing a Midsommar festival weren’t enough enticement to visit Sweden, we now have another reason—it’s the birthplace of one of our all-time favorite fitness apps.  Originally founded as Styrkelabbet and renamed in English once it made international waves, StrengthLog is beloved by athletes across the world for its sleek and easy-to-use design, and extensive tracking and educational tools. 

 

Athletes who download StrengthLog will be bowled over by the sheer magnitude of instructionals—the app includes hundreds of moves and exercises, as well as useful videos to help you execute them properly. It also features a fair amount of pre-planned routines and workouts for you to follow—a great tool whether you’re hoping to change things up in the new year, or if you’re just getting started at the gym altogether.

 

The tracking technology on this app is especially impressive—we love that it can log your reps, how much weight you’re lifting, and even your rest times. It also offers advanced stats, so you can analyze your performance in order to optimize your future workouts. 

 

A plus? We dig the built-in workout timer, which works even when you close the app. (See, YouTube? It’s not that hard.) 

App Cost: Free, with options for in-app purchases

 

 

 

There are lots of reasons to love JEFIT, but there’s one we particularly feel strongly about. This app, which provides workout tracking and planning tools, goes above and beyond in a way that we really respect. In order to motivate their users into sticking to their routines and resolutions, staying on track, and holding themselves accountable, they offer a unique points and rewards system. With JEFIT, the more diligent you are with exercise and filling out your rep and set “sheets,” the more points you get. Once you hit 1,000 points, the Elite version of the app is yours—for free. 

 

Aside from the points system, the app itself is also well-designed, helpful, and easy to use. In fact, they tout themselves as being the “#1 workout app” out there—and with over 7 million users worldwide, we can see why they would. We imagine this is partially because athletes of every ability find this app useful: aside from the tracking feature, JEFIT provides stats and analytics, a timer, body progress logging options, a hefty library of exercises, and even the option to record your physical progress through photos. It also has a built-in social network so you can connect to other athletes, learn from each other, and keep one another in the zone. 

 

All in all, it’s one of the most motivating fitness-related services that we know—and the fact that it’s all available on your device is pretty great. 

App Cost: The app is free to download—and that version has plenty to offer! There are also yearly and monthly-based subscription based “Elite” options.

 

 

 

Sure, just seeing the name will have you humming that Hercules song for days. However, there’s much more to the Zero to Hero app than a clever moniker. It’s designed for weight trainers and lifters, and prides itself in that it’s not only for pros or long-time athletes—with Zero to Hero, anybody in any shape can learn to perform in a way that makes them proud. It includes excellent exercise demos, easy-to-understand stats and analytics, plus a great timer and calculator designed to predict how long your sets will take. One of our favorite features is that it gives live notifications, even if your device is locked, so you don’t need to scramble with your phone mid-rep.

App Cost: Free, with in-app purchases available.

 

Don’t see your favorite app on here? Let us know! At Jack City Fitness, we always have our ear to the ground of the fitness world, and we love to know about the best and most innovative tricks and tools for staying fit, strong, and healthy. 

 

Not a partner yet? Give us a call or drop us a line. We’ll invite you to come and meet us at our Boise fitness center, where you can peek into a class, tour our sparkling facility, try our FREE fitness consultation, and get to know a few of our coaches and staff members. If you decide to partner up with us, we can get you started as soon as you want!

 

When you join the Jack City Fitness family, you unlock access to 24/7 gym use, a great selection of classes; personal, group, and team coaching; nutrition and dietary courses; and even custom-training options. We want you to meet all of your goals, and feel great about doing so—that’s the Jack City way. 

Get ready to ring in 2020 with your fitness future to the forefront. G ive us a call at +1 208-999-1111 or shoot us a message online and one of our team members will get in touch with you soon. We can’t wait to meet you and bring all of your potential to the forefront this new year.