In-depth look at Fitness Apps

Approfondimento App Fitness

In this article, we address a topic that often causes confusion among customers: Bluetooth connections to fitness apps and the various acronyms on products.
What's the difference between APP READY 2.0 and APP READY 3.0? Let's find out together…

For several years now, the functionalities of various fitness equipment have been enriched with a new tool: Bluetooth connection. This technology allows communication between a smartphone or tablet and the equipment.

Leveraging this technology, various smartphone applications have emerged over the years to make workouts more interactive. The most famous ones are undoubtedly iConsole, Kinomap, and Zwift. Let's look at the differences:

 

iConsole + Training is an application that provides more detailed workout data, simpler workout modes, maps, and routes. The application interfaces with exercise bikes, ellipticals, or treadmills compatible with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) receivers.

iConsole + is a free application that allows you to set up and save your workouts via smartphone. This application is available on a wide range of fitness equipment. Below you will find links to download it from both the Android Play Store and the Apple App Store

 

With KINOMAP, 300,000 km of geo-located videos recorded worldwide will be immediately available to you.

The new edition of the KINOMAP app includes new coaching video content and a brand new game for competing in public and private races.

Challenge your friends, race with other users or train alone to beat your records.

Running has never been so exciting: the incline of your treadmill automatically changes based on the terrain profile of the chosen route, and the video speed is synchronized with your running pace. Are you ready to start?

Transform any indoor activity into an engaging live-action experience in locations around the globe.

The APP is free to download, and the free trial offers 14 days of access to all program features, allowing for a complete test. After the free period, a subscription (monthly, annual or "lifetime") will be required.  

Download it from the Apple Store or Play Store and enjoy the journey! 

App Features

  • NEW!! Structured workouts COACHING, INTERVALS, FTP TEST! No excuses: you will achieve your goals!
  • search by popularity, keyword, country, difficulty, duration, or incline
  • access to over 300,000 km of cycling, running, and rowing videos published by the Kinomap community (25 to 50 new ones daily);
  • view your power, speed, distance, time, and heart rate
  • easy setup
  • save your workout history and monitor your progress
  • optimized for external displays: if you have an Apple TV or HDMI adapter, transfer the video, elevation profile, and dashboard to the screen and maximize space for the map
  • browse and create playlists
  • warm-up with our interval training programs
  • post your results to Facebook, Strava, Training Peaks, RunKeeper, Under Armour, and more
  • added audio chat during multi-player sessions (races or coaching). 
  • In challenge mode, different avatars are displayed: the contributor (who made the recording), then yourself (if you have already done that type of route) but also other participants who have already done the race/course with your same equipment, to ensure consistency.
  • Coming soon: structured workouts, free rides, and GPS-only mode.

*The Interval training feature is currently not compatible with Treadmills in the Android version of the Kinomap app.

WEBSITE
https://www.kinomap.com/it/ 

 

THE APP WHERE YOU RUN IN THE METAVERSE
We imagine most of you already know about it, but perhaps it's worth reminding ourselves what it is: Zwift is virtual cycling software.
In our opinion, its great success is due to the fact that it is halfway between an online training app and a video game.

It satisfies the most advanced athletes, who find a virtual environment where they can train well and in a fun way (it's not uncommon to come across a pro among Zwift's Worlds), and at the same time encourages everyone to cycle more and more, thanks to an intelligent mechanism of rewards and gadgets, gradually unlocked as kilometers are covered and objectives achieved.

Zwift was born a few years ago, and those who regularly train on rollers in winter will already know all its secrets.
But these days it has seen a real boom, as the obligation to cycle indoors has attracted a large number of new users (more than once we have seen over 20,000 users, called zwifters, cycling simultaneously in this virtual world).

Zwift is not free, and before starting, it is essential to subscribe.
The cost is 14.99 euros per month.
Not insignificant, but in our opinion justified by the experience this software is able to offer.

Before you start, you will have a free trial week, so if you don't like it, you can stop paying immediately.
If an interactive roller is on its way, wait to subscribe, because some models already include an activation code for a month or even more.

A heart rate monitor is not mandatory, although it is required to participate in some events, as this way the software can "cross-reference" more data and understand if someone is cheating on their real weight/power ratio.

Smartphones, tablets, and PCs can connect with power meters or interactive rollers directly via Bluetooth.
Alternatively, you can buy an Ant+ dongle for your PC, which will allow you to pair sensors that use this type of transmission as well.

WEBSITE
https://www.zwift.com/eu-it