After nearly two years of intermittent training during the pandemic, I decided I needed some motivation to get in top shape. Instead of relying on my favorite Peloton instructors, I’m willing to set up my game and try The future of digital trainingUse the text messaging feature on your iPhone to help you build a personal relationship at a distance with an elite coach.
After creating and assigning individual weekly video workouts, your coach provides extra motivation and accountability through daily personal messages and voice prompts on your phone. Fun fact: Future’s co-founder, Justin Santamaria, is Apple’s chief engineer and the creator of the infamous green/blue iMessage bubble. The app offers a graceful, agile and technical staff coaching experience for a flat fee of $150 per month, far less than the $100 an hour a personal trainer would charge. act you. Plus, if you don’t already have one, Future will lend you an Apple Watch for free to help track your physical activity.
I spent two weeks working with Future and noticed a huge difference in exercise time and difference in my body. The daily check-ins and messages pushed me to work, even if I was devoted to it. Here’s what you need to know if you want to get in better shape and join Team Future, although if you have an Android phone you’re out of luck right now.
Who, what and how?
Who is this for: The Future app for iPhone users looking for flexibility, support, and accountability with their workouts without spending hundreds of dollars a month on a live trainer. By building a virtual relationship with your coach via messaging, Future allows you to exercise anywhere and anytime, allowing you to create and follow schedules more tailored to your lifestyle. your life.
What you need to know: Future is a fully iOS app-based fitness program that offers elite virtual coaches to help manage personalized fitness and fitness regimens. That means you’ll need an iPhone to use it, although the team says it’ll be available for Android in 2023. After you do a short test and choose your trainer , you’ll get weekly guided video workout plans based on reps. you want to exercise every week, accompanied by a daily text message – and all of this comes through the app. You can also get nutrition instructions if you ask. The workouts are 100% tailored to you and can vary daily depending on where you’re working out, how much time you have, and what equipment you have on hand. That means you can get outdoors weather permitting, join any type of gym, and even choose to add group classes or sports like tennis or basketball to your group schedule. his sex. Your heart rate, calories, and general progress are tracked through your Apple Watch, which, if you don’t have one already, is on loan and included in the $150 per month subscription fee.
How does it compare: Future offers more than just streaming or even streaming video workouts. Compared to Peloton, $39 per month for Peloton hardware owners or $12.99 per month for the app, you get custom video workouts pushed to you and the ability to tweak them whenever you want. what you want. Instead of Leaderboards to help you stay motivated, you’ll have a real person to talk to, whether you need a push, want to discuss your goals, or are just monitoring your progress. And unlike virtual personal training apps similar to Whole lifeoffers single sessions for around $55, or caliber, working out around $300 per month, Future offers a flat monthly fee of just $150 for an all-you-can-do fitness plan. Plus, unlike most IRL trainers that require you to buy packs of 10 or more, there’s no long-term commitment as Future allows you to cancel at any time.
The past two years of my pandemic workouts have been sporadic at best. BC (before Covid), I had a membership at the Brooklyn Dodge YMCA and enjoyed a mix of HIIT, Zumba, barre and Pilates classes as well as spending days on cardio and weights. Going to the gym also has a social aspect, and I’m motivated to go there to exercise and chat with friends, instructors, and acquaintances.
When Covid suddenly stopped me from going to the gym (I also have a gym in my building, which I also frequent), I did my best to stay fit in my apartment. by subscribing to the Peloton app, some dumbbells and an indoor Bowflex C6 bike. And while it kept me active, I missed out on the experience of being in a public place that wasn’t my home – and my workouts became shorter and less intense. Plus, I quickly realized I wasn’t much of a spin class fanatic.
Although medical school has reopened, classes are not regular and masks are required, that’s why I decided to bring Future an effort. The idea that someone will hold me accountable via text message seems to be a boon, as I tend to convince myself that I can skip workouts when I feel unmotivated. Plus, after a nasty bout with an Omicron-inspired, freelance vacation, I’m ready to try a new exercise regimen to help shed those extra pounds (I’m looking at you, pinot noir).
After downloading the app and signing up, I filled out a short quiz that included my physical assets, the equipment I had access to, and what I wanted to achieve. Out of the four trainers I was sent to choose from, including stunning photos and backgrounds, I decided on Aretha, who is not only a personal trainer, yoga teacher, and dancer, but also a dancer. holds a Master’s degree in Sports and Performance Psychology. The next step was to set up a FaceTime video call, where she asked about my goals (maybe a little shallow, but at this point I hope to look good in a swimsuit), what body areas I want to focus on, where I am exercising and how many times per week I want to work out.
Together, we decided to start with three days of hourly workouts and two days of 20-minute programs, with new weekly workouts being uploaded every Sunday. Aretha’s first text is the longest and includes an introduction to how she decides on movement patterns and weights, and asks me to provide feedback to help her improve the experience. (Lots of emojis.) Aretha also informed me that by tapping the “record my form” button on the app during a workout, she could check that I got everything right. not yet.
Because I was lucky enough to have home workout equipment and a full gym in our building, I could try Future in either case. The first week was dedicated to working out in the apartment, and after the initial 20 minutes of the workout, I realized it was easier than expected. I texted her my thoughts and she immediately bumped those days up to 30 minutes.
Longer workouts are much more challenging, with mixed weights, cycling, and full-body cardio. Videos each day include several blocks of work, such as “Warm-up,” Strength Blocks, and “Push-Up Challenges”; each exercise is typically about 30 seconds or in batches of 10 to 12 reps and goes comes with basic instructions to help you stay in good shape.You can follow along on your phone or use Apple AirPlay to mirror your screen on your TV which I made this first week for a better view of the exercises.
When it comes to music, I love how you can choose inside the app, from categories like High Energy Plays, Back Music, and New and New, or simply start playing your own playlist from any music apps you have on your phone. The app automatically matches your music with the exercise at the appropriate volume. No swinging while you exercise.
This is also where your Apple Watch comes in. The app automatically syncs with your watch and records the entire workout on your wrist, along with your heart rate. When you complete a set and want to move on to the next, you can tap the arrow on your watch or the arrow on your iPhone. It’s easier for me to tap the clock most of the time.
During the second week, I decided to go down to our building’s gym, so Aretha reset the experience and included equipment like billiards, benches, and some machines. She also adds moves that require more space, which I appreciate, such as walking over ducks and climbing vine to warm up. Not only was the freedom to be in a larger space, but I also appreciated the change of scenery and getting out of the house to exercise (even if it was only 15 flights down).
But most importantly, none of these exercises feel forced or too long. There are times when I work and concentrate so hard that I don’t even realize we’re done. And that might be the best props I could give to the Future.
Most people who hire a personal trainer are looking for extra motivation. Yes, you get a better workout plan that works for you and your weight loss or fitness goals, but you’re also paying someone to hold you accountable for showing up.
That’s why Future’s text-based virtual structure works so well. There may not be someone waiting for me, but it’s hard to ignore the daily messages reminding me to pack. Fact: Motivation can dry up and fade away. But Aretha knows how to get me up. Our favorite text, sent after the first week of training, reads: “Tobey!! Motivation is like a passionate boyfriend, sometimes hot and sometimes cold. Commit to being a reliable husband. Make a commitment and don’t overthink it! Just do it!”
You think I can say no to that logic?
I also get texts asking how I feel about my workout, discussing the effects of my mindset, and congratulating me as I burn extra calories. She also shoots short videos that discuss personal motivation and help get motivated to get things done. It’s never overwhelming or annoying, and I can engage at any level without worrying that I’m sneaking around on her.
And, of course, you can look through the texts to see all of your stats from each workout, including heart rate, calories, and step count.
Future is an all-digital, remote workout app for iPhone that pairs you with a personal trainer and encourages a close relationship through text and video messages. Perfect for anyone looking to up their fitness level or get started on the road to better health, it not only offers challenging weekly workouts that you can do on a schedule. on its own but also provides a high degree of personal motivation.
After two full weeks of working with Future personal trainer at both the home and the gym, not only does I feel better knowing someone supports me when I feel less ambitious, but I can also notice a change in my body.
At $150 per month, it’s cheaper than a live trainer but certainly not cheap, although I’ve spent more time working out in the past two years and for me that’s been priceless.
