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Smart Fitness Device Activ5 Now Available From Apple
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A bunch of geeks commenting on exercise equipment? It's like prohibitionists talking about craft beer.
I remember doing the Charles Atlas exercises and using a Bullworker as a kid in the 70s.
No .... just no. Look, if you want to slim down, limit your carbs and kill your sugars. That's it. Do that, and weight will pour off you. It's that simple. And if you really want to get serious, throw a little HIIT in and you'll be shredded in no time.
Weight loss is not rocket science, people just make it seem like it is because there's an entire industry built on taking your money.
Weight loss is not rocket science, people just make it seem like it is because there's an entire industry built on taking your money.
It doesn't take a fitness pro to recognize this product is no more a miracle workout device than those ab rollers, thigh masters, and the like.
Drinking light beer helps you lose weight! Put it in a bluetooth & GPS enabled glass to keep track and get encouragement!
snake oil...
So instead of doing body exercises they should do ... body exercises? I think we spotted the moron here.
The video says the battery will last for 6-12 months. That's because you will use it 3 times and then forget all about it. In reality, you will never need to replace the battery.
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This geek also lifts weights, surfs, and trains Muay Thai and BJJ. Wow, who would have thought that geeks can also do sport. Oh, and I also drink beer.
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This geek also lifts weights, surfs, and trains Muay Thai and BJJ. Wow, who would have thought that geeks can also do sport. Oh, and I also drink beer.
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Thank you for sharing this information. I've been burned on Kickstarter before by project creators who never delivered and quit communicating with their backers. Knowing the back story of this product is enough to kill any interest I had in it.
I can't speak to how well this device works, but as someone who has tried isometric exercises I can say the biggest challenge is there is no way to measure how much effort you are putting into each exercise as you can with free weights and weight machines. If this device works, and if you are interested in isometric exercise, they've nailed it.
I got a 2011 MacBook Pro, that thing is heavy and I lift it all the time. Last time I checked out my strength I hit 190kg deadlift (420lbs). Apple's obsession with thinness has been killing gains since 2016.
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30% for a beginner is nothing. 30% more on nothing is still miniscule, it's marketing speak. Lug a 20 pack glass bottled beer case around everyday for 15min like it's your best friend and you'll see more than 30% as a beginner.
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I'm a distance runner and body builder and have the Activ5... it's "okay" (and handy for travel) for getting a bit of tone and at least some form of a muscle workout in... but if you think you're going from a chip munching, Netflix binge-viewer to the photos in the app with this device alone forget it... And that 30% in 5min a day in 6 weeks would have to be for someone who must have atrophied to a stick.
Oh and the app UX sucks... they clearly didn't find a decent interaction designer for the app (or just didn't have one).
Those stating is just a cheap hockey puck priced at $140... yeah it is a cheap uController with BLE and a pressure sensor in plastic (and it is a quality built product), but don't forget apps cost money to design, develop and support... it's the same argument Apple fanboys use to justify Apple products ($999 monitor stand anyone? Apple watch bands?)
For sure you can do plenty of zero-equipment workouts without anything (and there are free HIIT apps to support you)... but if this gets you into a routine and on or continuing on track (either when on the road or home) then it's work the cost.
Oh and the app UX sucks... they clearly didn't find a decent interaction designer for the app (or just didn't have one).
Those stating is just a cheap hockey puck priced at $140... yeah it is a cheap uController with BLE and a pressure sensor in plastic (and it is a quality built product), but don't forget apps cost money to design, develop and support... it's the same argument Apple fanboys use to justify Apple products ($999 monitor stand anyone? Apple watch bands?)
For sure you can do plenty of zero-equipment workouts without anything (and there are free HIIT apps to support you)... but if this gets you into a routine and on or continuing on track (either when on the road or home) then it's work the cost.
It really depends on your fitness goal, this is probably great for saying heathy / fit (kind if), but if your objective is to get definition or gain muscle mass, a gym membership is a must; you need at some point to bench press your weight, even more. You need deadlifts and dozens of other exercises.
Okay, I bit. Apple's package includes a folding phone stand to keep your phone easily visible. Apple's price is $10 less than Amazon's (though it seems Amazon's package also includes a carry-bag).
Frankly, so far I'm far more impressed than I thought I'd be.
I travel a lot and, unfortunately, hotel gyms are germ-fests I've learned to avoid. (I used to frequent a wonderful high-end gym whose staffers were constantly wiping down the equipment with disinfectant, but you never see that in hotels or most gyms today, so your immune system can get a workout along with everything else.) Also, when traveling there's not always time, opportunity or favorable conditions for outdoor sessions. And so fitness has been a challenge. I've done in-room stuff in my hotels, which helps, but those workouts pose their own problems. For example I had a set of bungee bands which were great until one snapped and shot me right in the huevos.
So all in all, for a bit over a hundred bucks this seemed like something to try. After all, Apple has a 14 day return policy. So I picked one up between trips as a present to myself.
The unboxing process is very Apple-y. Nice packaging, good-looking palm-sized device, single-button operation, minimalist documentation that's easy to understand, AAA battery already installed. You're up and running in 10 seconds after you've downloaded the app. Pairing is done in the app; there's no separate Bluetooth pairing step. There are several apps available on the App Store from Active5; so far I've tried the main one. That app is a mix of excellent design and a few what-were-they-thinking elements (usually regarding small fonts for the inter-exercise screens) that I expect will improve with updates. You do not need sound to be turned-on to use the app. The actual exercise sessions are nicely formatted and interactive. You don't need to touch the phone at all during a session-- a double-squeeze on the Active5 puck advances you from set to set. It's integrated with HealthKit, so your metrics are compiled automatically and tracked over time.
For each set, there's a photo showing how to hold the device, what position you should be in and how to position the unit and exert the required force. That's the end of the photo. In your first attempt at each exercise, you calibrate the system by exerting your maximum force. From that point you're presented with a target force trajectory, and you attempt to build and ease your force as the target line rises and falls.
Ultimately: you do feel the workout! That tells me that it will indeed have a positive impact over the long term. The device and/or the app maintain knowledge of your exertions and track those over time, so your progress is quantified. Your body is working against itself, so there are no plateaus or limits that would require you to (for example) graduate to a heavier weight or a stronger band.
For those saying the device is unnecessary: certainly, you're correct. A gym membership isn't necessary either, nor are many of the accoutrements and gizmos people use, including the Apple Watch or Fitbit so many of us find useful. In fact, some of the comments here track nicely with comments about the Watch when it was introduced.
Ultimately, I'm positive about this device as a part of a daily routine. It's small and lightweight, about half the size of a typical short paperback book, so tucking it into my briefcase to accompany me in my travels is no issue. It is as well-built as any Apple product. It seems it will be effective. The workout sessions are quick but leave you feeling as though you've accomplished something.
Give it a try before judging.
Frankly, so far I'm far more impressed than I thought I'd be.
I travel a lot and, unfortunately, hotel gyms are germ-fests I've learned to avoid. (I used to frequent a wonderful high-end gym whose staffers were constantly wiping down the equipment with disinfectant, but you never see that in hotels or most gyms today, so your immune system can get a workout along with everything else.) Also, when traveling there's not always time, opportunity or favorable conditions for outdoor sessions. And so fitness has been a challenge. I've done in-room stuff in my hotels, which helps, but those workouts pose their own problems. For example I had a set of bungee bands which were great until one snapped and shot me right in the huevos.
So all in all, for a bit over a hundred bucks this seemed like something to try. After all, Apple has a 14 day return policy. So I picked one up between trips as a present to myself.
The unboxing process is very Apple-y. Nice packaging, good-looking palm-sized device, single-button operation, minimalist documentation that's easy to understand, AAA battery already installed. You're up and running in 10 seconds after you've downloaded the app. Pairing is done in the app; there's no separate Bluetooth pairing step. There are several apps available on the App Store from Active5; so far I've tried the main one. That app is a mix of excellent design and a few what-were-they-thinking elements (usually regarding small fonts for the inter-exercise screens) that I expect will improve with updates. You do not need sound to be turned-on to use the app. The actual exercise sessions are nicely formatted and interactive. You don't need to touch the phone at all during a session-- a double-squeeze on the Active5 puck advances you from set to set. It's integrated with HealthKit, so your metrics are compiled automatically and tracked over time.
For each set, there's a photo showing how to hold the device, what position you should be in and how to position the unit and exert the required force. That's the end of the photo. In your first attempt at each exercise, you calibrate the system by exerting your maximum force. From that point you're presented with a target force trajectory, and you attempt to build and ease your force as the target line rises and falls.
Ultimately: you do feel the workout! That tells me that it will indeed have a positive impact over the long term. The device and/or the app maintain knowledge of your exertions and track those over time, so your progress is quantified. Your body is working against itself, so there are no plateaus or limits that would require you to (for example) graduate to a heavier weight or a stronger band.
For those saying the device is unnecessary: certainly, you're correct. A gym membership isn't necessary either, nor are many of the accoutrements and gizmos people use, including the Apple Watch or Fitbit so many of us find useful. In fact, some of the comments here track nicely with comments about the Watch when it was introduced.
Ultimately, I'm positive about this device as a part of a daily routine. It's small and lightweight, about half the size of a typical short paperback book, so tucking it into my briefcase to accompany me in my travels is no issue. It is as well-built as any Apple product. It seems it will be effective. The workout sessions are quick but leave you feeling as though you've accomplished something.
Give it a try before judging.
I was at the apple store the this came out in their store, waiting for my iPhone to be fixed. I played around with it for about 30 mins and I was sore afterwards. So I bought it.
This is not for everyone. However, I live in an ambulance 12 hours a day. I go home mentally and emotionally exhausted. It takes all I have to be the person my family needs. So going to the gym is not an option (for me). This fits in my lunch bag and it’s easy to find 5 mins to do their workouts.
For someone looking for an easy, convenient guide to exercising that can’t / won’t go to a gym this is a good option. Especially if you travel a lot.
Nice design, good app. Little pricey but not compared to a gym membership or building a home gym. Much cheaper than a treadmill (although you can’t hang clothes on it to dry).
This is not for everyone. However, I live in an ambulance 12 hours a day. I go home mentally and emotionally exhausted. It takes all I have to be the person my family needs. So going to the gym is not an option (for me). This fits in my lunch bag and it’s easy to find 5 mins to do their workouts.
For someone looking for an easy, convenient guide to exercising that can’t / won’t go to a gym this is a good option. Especially if you travel a lot.
Nice design, good app. Little pricey but not compared to a gym membership or building a home gym. Much cheaper than a treadmill (although you can’t hang clothes on it to dry).
I'm looking forward to trying this. It's no replacement for my fitness routine but a nice way to take a healthy 5-10 minute exercise break to alleviate the monotony of the workday. I'll try it out and take advantage of the return policy if it seems like a bust.
Not everyone can 'Just Do It'. Especially in the beginning, the tape, scale, and photos are not going to provide the feedback that some people need to stay motivated. Some people need gamification, like with this device or Pokemon Go, to get started in living a healthy lifestyle. Different strokes for different folks.
Thanks for the great writeup. I ordered one of these yesterday from Amazon Australia and can't wait to try it!
I agree. Gamification can be a great motivator and makes otherwise boring activities fun! Tracking improvements in real time and perhaps competing with others has the potential to turn boring isometrics into something I'd actually do.