Gym Genie Review

In its description on the iTunes App Store, Gym Genie claims that it can provide over 600,000 unique specialized workouts. I’m not sure if that’s just hyperbole, but this workout app is still an excellent option for anyone looking for a virtual version of a personal trainer.

The app lets users target what muscle groups they want to work out and then provides several YouTube training videos on how to exercise those muscles. On the home screen, users can choose from muscles such as triceps, biceps, legs, chest, back, abs, forearms and shoulders. The app also highlights the selected muscles on the musculoskeletal figure, helping users better familiarize themselves with the human anatomy.

There are a solid number of suggested exercises per each muscle, although there are admittedly many other ways to exercise these muscles than what Gym Genie recommends. The app is by no means a comprehensive database in this regard. That noted, the app is a good resource for beginners. For example, under triceps, Gym Genie provides five different exercises: the dip, weighted dip on the bench, overhead triceps rope, seated triceps extensions and reverse triceps curls.

Content-wise, I like Gym Genie. But the interface is somewhat simplistic and even generic. Its developer didn’t appear to have much art-direction in terms of the interface. Not the end of the world, but certainly a slicker look would have made the app more impressive.

Despite the ugly interface, Gym Genie is a solid workout tool. It’s not a comprehensive resource or anything like that, but for what it is – and its 99-cent price tag – it’s not bad at all. For beginners, at least, this could be very helpful.

[gallery]