Top Weight Loss and Muscle Building Apps

I lost my iPhone last month, and there was a period of three weeks where I was using an old flip phone that was the size of a brick and had the functionality of a box of hair. During this time I found myself cut off from everything, unable to use my gadget to catch up on important things like world news or when Countess Luanne's latest single was going to drop. I was basically convinced my life was over. Looking back on it, I guess I was being a little dramatic, but the fact of the matter is that we are growing increasingly dependent on our phones and their applications to connect us with the world around us, leaving some to agree it is pushing us forward technologically in leaps and bounds, while others argue it is a social distraction. Well today we are going to focus on some positive aspects of the progresses with technology, as we look at some apps that for only a few bucks, could not only improve your health and fitness, but help keep you on track to achieve you muscle building or fat loss goals.

Want to lose weight? There's an app for that. Want to build muscle? There's an app for that too. Want to be fit and healthy and do it as cheaply as possible? There are endless supplies of apps for your needs. I have spent some time to put together a list of my top favorite Health and Fitness apps, and show you how they can help you track and achieve your goals. Lets take a look...





iFitness 
iFitness is the number one selling health and fitness application on iTunes. It helps you stay fit by providing you with pictures, videos and instructions on how to workout at the gym. It includes over 300 images of various exercises at the gym, and teaches you how to perform those exercises correctly and efficiently, with the ability to sort by body part or muscle region. So if you are heading out on a Friday night, and want to pump up those guns, you can head straight to the bicep muscle group and find a list of various weight lifting exercises to get you disco ready.

You can also customize your own workout routine and track your progress of how many reps and sets performed by inputting your results straight into the app where it is stored. No no more carrying around that clunky pad and pen. A litt tired of your same old workout routine? iFitness takes it one step further by actually providing you with numerous possible workout routines, either geared towards fat loss or muscle building depending on your goals, and your progress is graphed and monitored so you can keep yourself motivated. Currently available for only $1.99

Tap and Track - Calorie, Weight & Exercise Tracker
No wonder this app is recommend by the New York Times - It is one of the most downloaded health and fitness apps available and achieves a 4.5 star rating amongst buyers due to it's ability to run without having to be connected to the internet.

Tap and Track provides you a database of over a quarter of a million food items and 700 leading restaurant menus, listing for you their caloric content and nutritional value, giving you the power to make more informed and educated meal choices that will help you lose weight and be healthy. It can tell you how many calories you personally need each day to achieve your goals, and helps track them for you so you know exactly what to eat and when to eat each day. Currently available for $3.99

All-in Pedometer

Are you walking, jogging or running to lose weight? Perhaps you are just a busy person and would like to know how active you really are? Well there is no need to go out and buy one of those chunky, and unfashionable pedometers, because there is an application that tracks it all for you, right from your iPhone or iPod touch. 

All-in Pedometer tracks how many steps you take, how many calories you burn and even provides you with a built-in music player to keep you motivated while you are exercising. You can set goals, keep track of your body measurements each day so you can see progress, and even gives you the ability to share your achievements with your friends on Twitter or Facebook. Currently available for $1.99

C25K (Couch to 5K)
Just getting started on your weight loss or fitness goals and want to learn how to run a 5k? This is the app for you. Featured on ABC News, C25K shows you how to progressively go from couch potato to running a 5k within 9 weeks.

It has multitasking functionality that allows you to listen to your own playlists and skip sings without ever leaving the application, and provides audio prompts throughout your exercises that alerts you when to jog and when to walk without ever having to look at your stopwatch. Currently available for $2.99

Water Your Body
There was a study conducted in 2009 that showed that 79% of Americans are dehydrated. Personally, I drink a large amount of water. Between my water bottle and the copious amounts of green tea I drink, I have never found it difficult to consume the recommended amount water each day. I do however understand that some people have busy lives and forget to drink water throughout the day, so this application would definitely be of benefit to them.

It tells you how much you need to drink each day, and provides you with intuitive ways to get your recommended amount, and reminds you when and how much to drink throughout the day. You can keep track of your water intake via graphs, and learn valuable information on the benefits of consuming adequate amounts of water. Currently available for $0.99

Self Hypnosis for Weight Control
If you think hypnosis is all about crazy stage antics where some old man makes people from the audience behave like chickens, then you are wrong. It is actually becoming one of the fastest growing markets in the health and fitness industry and people look for new ways to get fit, build muscle or lose weight.

This app gets a high 4.5 star rating by satisfied customers who find it helps provide them with valuable mental strength and will to help them achieve their weight loss goals.  David M.Pierce, the apps creator, is a certified hypnotherapist and provides you with relaxing music and subconscious suggestions to help you curb unhealthy eating habits and cravings, and replace them with healthy eating patterns that help you drop fat and live healthier lives. If you have tried everything, and still find it hard to lose weight, I say why not give it a go? Currently available for $2.99

Gym Buddy
Want to build some muscle and don't need any fancy pictures to tell you how to do it? This little guy can help you. It is a workout log that is simple and straight forward, and doesn't contain information on how to perform exercises or routines, such as iFitness, which most guys who go to the gym regularly don't need.

Count your reps, count your sets, calculate your one rep max, and have it all tracked on the app or emailed to you on a spreadsheet. Simple and effective. Currently available for $2.99

So whether you are a weekend warrior wanting to track your steps, or a complete fitness junky and need some motivation in the gym, there are applications out there, such as these above, that  can totally help you achieve your muscle building or fat loss goals. And for a few bucks, what have you got to lose?... except maybe those love handles or muffin top.

Healthy Boy x