Did you buy iFitness looking for a huge chest?

Since my last post, I've noticed a couple visitors arriving on the site after searching for info on the effectiveness of the iFitness workout programs (I also know you're mainly from California and spent an average of 5mins on the site - thank you Google Analytics).

So, over the next few weeks, I'll be walking through each iFitness workout program to see if they live up to the hype. To begin, I'll review the iFitness 30 Minute Chest Workout.

Is the iFitness Chest Workout Effective? Maybe.

Do I recommend it? No.

If you want a massive chest, this program may help you but better programs exist. However, I want to stress a very important point - specifically targeting one muscle group at the expense of others is NOT a good idea. The only exception is where a muscle imbalance already exists.

You WILL look like an idiot if you have a massive chest and small arms, legs and shoulders. The iFitness program emphasis of 2 chest exercises to 1 exercise of every other body part will create a muscle imbalance if you stick with it for months and months. You'll end up looking disproportional - think this guy on the right.

If you do want to use this program, make sure to follow it up with a program that has equal muscle emphasis. Also, most chest exercises (any pressing motion really) is heavily influenced by your triceps and shoulders - the secondary muscles. So if you want to build a huge chest, you'll need to work these muscles just as hard as your chest otherwise they'll fatigue quicker than your chest and handicap your results.

But enough with the cautionary tales - I know what it's like to want to get huge so let's review the program and identify areas for improvement.

*I apologize but I will not be posting the chest workout program here - it was developed for the iFitness program of which only costs $1.99 so dish out the cash to get the program.

Fitness + iPhone = iFitness?

What if spending $1.99 could save you hundreds of dollars a year? Would you pay it? According to medicalprod.com, that's the potential of iFitness.

iFitness is one of many iPhone / iPod Touch fitness applications available on iTunes. Among other things, iFitness is designed as a replacement for a personal trainer of which can cost you anywhere from $30 - $75+ per hour. That's a pretty bold statement, right? But it goes further, iFitness also works as a training log. Naturally I was pretty curious about the potential of the app so I bought it to test it out.

So how does iFitness measure up? So far, I'm pretty impressed.

An Overview

I have to admit, I stumbled upon iFitness after thinking of designing a similar app myself. Thinking of how great it would be to have an app that could link in with a computer database to track workout progress and the potential to it, I was naturally pretty pissed to learn that someone had already beat me to the punch. However, after my initial anger, rage and steardy fist shake, I realized testing out iFitness would make for a great post and give me the opportunity to experiment with an app that I had only begun to mentally conceive, all at a lost cost.