From Data to Dumbbells: Using AI To Get Fit (Part 1/3)

Welcome to this week’s Deep-Fried Dive with Fry Guy! In these long-form articles, Fry Guy conducts in-depth analyses of cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) developments and developers. Today, Fry Guy dives into AI’s ability to serve as a personal fitness trainer. We hope you enjoy!

*Notice: We do not receive any monetary compensation from the people and projects we feature in the Sunday Deep-Fried Dives with Fry Guy. We explore these projects and developers solely to showcase interesting and cutting-edge AI developments and uses.*

Want to get ripped?

Forget about the $199/month infomercial on the TV and stop overpaying for a nutritionist to tell you what you should or shouldn’t eat. That personal trainer charging you $100 each session? Fire them!

As AI continues to improve, resources are emerging left and right that can help people improve and monitor their health. In this three-part series, we are going to explore some of these tools and gadgets—ones that are helping people design workout schedules, optimize their nutrition, and monitor their overall health. Let’s get our sweat on!

A PERSONAL TRAINER IN YOUR POCKET

Wouldn’t it be nice if you had a personal trainer to tell you what to do in the gym? You can try to search for workouts online, but these are not tailored specifically to your goals. Not to mention, there are so many workout routines out there, making it difficult to choose which one to go with. And personal trainers can cost anywhere from $50-$300 per session depending on their location and expertise! Let’s be honest—not many of us have that kind of money lying around.

The good news is that AI is bringing personal training services straight to your pocket. There are many cool personal training tools out there, such as GymBuddy, Dr. Muscle, and FitBod, to name a few. These tools allow users to get personalized fitness advice and training plans. But one of the easiest ones to use is from Easy-Peasy AI. Easy-Peasy’s AI Workout Plan Generator allows users to request an AI-generated workout plan based on their goals.

The tool helps users create one free workout plan each day or sign up for a subscription to create unlimited workout plans. However, the free option is incredible for the average person looking for a basic workout plan.

When you visit the AI Workout Plan Generator, you are prompted to fill out a brief form, asking you about your fitness goals, gender, training method, workout type, and strength level. This form allows for a guided, yet personal approach to workout generation.

After filling out the form, in just a few seconds, Easy-Peasy’s Workout Generator creates a detailed, personalized weekly workout schedule. One of the best parts about this tool is that it is very clear and comprehensive. It not only breaks down the workout schedule by day, but it tells you the exact stretches, exercises, and cool down activities to engage in for each day of the week. It also tells you how long each workout will take, how many reps you should do for each exercise, and how many sets. Each day of the week looks something like the following:

Day 1: Upper Body Strength

1. Warm-Up (10 min)

   - Dynamic stretches (arm circles, torso twists)

   - Light cardio (jump rope or brisk walking)

2. Workout (50-60 min)

   - Bench Press: 4 sets of 8-10 reps

   - Bent Over Rows: 4 sets of 8-10 reps

   - Dumbbell Shoulder Press: 3 sets of 10-12 reps

   - Pull-Ups or Lat Pull-Downs: 4 sets of 6-8 reps

   - Bicep Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps

   - Tricep Dips or Skull Crushers: 3 sets of 10-12 reps

3. Cool Down (5-10 min)

   - Static stretches focusing on the upper body

In addition to a detailed workout plan, this Workout Plan Generator gives brief nutrition and rest tips based on one’s goals. For instance, it might outline general guidelines for protein and caloric intake, hydration tips, and sleep time suggestions.

WANT SOMETHING MORE INTENSE?

For some people, a simple workout routine will do the trick. However, AI has some resources for gym junkies and muscle bros too. Put down the weights for one second, and check out FitnessAI. There are many AI tools for serious gym-goers, some of which I have mentioned earlier, but FitnessAI is one that is quite easy to use, and it costs less than $2/week. It is available as an app on both Android and iOS, which makes it easily-accessible in the gym. After all, let’s be honest: you are scrolling on your phone the entire time you lift weights anyway.

FitnessAI is trained on over 5.9 million workouts from people around the world and can help you craft workouts specific to your weight-lifting goals. It can also work with your existing workout regimen, if you have one. The app allows you to easily log your workouts, including the exercise you did, the amount of sets you completed, the amount of reps you were able to do for each set, and the weight you lifted. The underlying AI algorithm will learn from your activity to tell you how long to rest and adjust the difficulty for next time, optimizing your workout so that you hit your goals.

In addition to helping you optimize your workouts, FitnessAI has a BodyScan feature available for an additional cost of $9.99/mo. This prompts users to take a picture of themselves. From that simple picture, an AI algorithm trained on expansive data is able to calculate a user’s lean muscle mass and body fat, tracking progress over time. FitnessAI also offers a messaging feature that both contacts users to update them about their workouts, progress, and keeps them accountable to their goals. Additionally, this feature allows users to message the FitnessAI team for human advice if needed.

One of the few downfalls of the FitnessAI app is that it doesn’t track cardio. So for pure weight lifters, this tool might be a game-changer, but if you are looking to incorporate running, walking, or biking as a crucial part of your workout routine, you will have to track that elsewhere, at least for now. The good news is, there are other AI resources for that!

A PERSONAL TRAINING REVOLUTION

With the rise of AI tools that can help people design tailored workouts, it seems like personal trainers should be nervous about their jobs and the industry as a whole, right? Well, not exactly. Although the industry will inevitably shift in some ways, personal trainers will likely not be entirely replaced by AI. People will always enjoy having the personalized, human touch of traditional personal trainers who not only provide information but also human support and encouragement. Having a personal trainer that can sympathize with your human weaknesses and genuinely root for your success often makes the fitness journey satisfying and exciting. Celebrating a fitness milestone with someone who helped you get there, for instance, is special to these relationships. This aspect of personal training seems to be irreplaceable by mere machines, who can at best only imitate such behavior. For example, Accountabilabuddy can send you AI-generated reminders to help you stay on track and act as a supportive force, but it is not an actual human, which might reduce its motivational pull altogether. After all, who cares if you disappoint a robot? Can an AI really be supportive in your hard times or desire and celebrate your success?

So it seems like the appeal of human personal trainers isn’t going anywhere, at least for now. However, for those looking for a cheaper option to get their fitness journey on track, AI provides an exciting option. For those that would otherwise not have access to a personal trainer for availability or financial concerns, now they do! No longer does the average Joe have to spend hours online researching workout routines that are overly generalized or go into debt in order to get an effective workout plan from a professional. Instead, they can use cheap (and sometimes free) AI tools as an alternative to tailor workouts just for them. The hard part, however, is getting your butt off the couch to actually do it!

Working out is a big part of getting fit! However, it is only half the battle—feeding your body healthy foods is just as important. Next week, in Part 2/3, we will explore AI’s growing role as a nutritionist. Until then, pump those weights!