So, let’s dive right in to a training trend that is really turning the fitness world on its head in Newcastle – technology in personal training.
Sure, it’s not just about picking up heavy stuff and running till you’re red, it’s also about how cleverly you can train. And the guys and girls on the ground in Newcastle are leading the way in bringing sci-fi to sci-fact with some of the slickest tech around.
Smart Tech Comes to the Toon
Back in the day, a stopwatch and a clipboard were all the hi-tech you could get your hands on, but nowadays, if you’re not training with gadgets, mate, you are a caveman. Heartbeat counters, diet planners, virtual reality – we can cycle the Alps or row the Amazon from our leisure centre in the Tyne!
Wearable Wonders: Navigating the World of Fitness Tech
So let’s get a little deeper into the realm of wearable tech. It’s not just a fancy bracelet here. It’s your mini trainer, your mini dietician and your mini life coach all wrapped around your wrist. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular players in the game and how they are changing the way we train in Newcastle and around the world.
Top Wearable Tech in the Game
Fitbit Charge Series: One of the pioneers of this fitness-tracking category, the Fitbit Charge tracks steps and calories burned, not only during exercise but also throughout daily movements and activities. The device also tracks heart rate continuously, keeping tabs on that important muscle 24/7. Its automatic sleep tracking compiles data over time to help you understand whether you’re getting enough rest to recover from your workouts.
Apple Watch Series: The Apple Watch is a beast. It does everything you expect from a fitness tracker – and so much more. It has built-in GPS so you can track your runs. It syncs your favourite fitness apps to your wrist so you can use them on the go. It can send you reminders to stand up if you’ve been sitting too long. (Excellent for desk warriors.) It has an ECG app in the latest model, and a blood oxygen sensor. What’s not to love?
Garmin Forerunner: For the more competitive of us, the Garmin Forer ‘coach’ in your ear that can help you run better, balance better, or put your feet on the floor for longer or shorter periods. This gadget is great for runners and cyclists with its advanced dynamics to help them train for races or beat their personal best time.
Samsung Galaxy Fit: At a slightly lower price point but just as tech-savvy as the Fitbit Versa, the Samsung Galaxy Fit also monitors your stress and your sleep, in addition to the usual fitness tracking. It’s light, it’s slim and it’s stealthy, and a fine choice for those who want to get the tech without donning an arm display.
Whoop Strap: The next level of nerdification comes in the form of the Whoop Strap, which is the ultimate in terms of providing a deep dive into your physiological data; the Whoop Strap doesn’t just tell you what you’ve done, it also tells you how well you recovered, and how hard you stress your body during your workout; the key is that it’s all about the balance between strain and recovery, i.e. you don’t want to overtrain.
Tech is now being embraced by personal trainers here in Newcastle for a variety of reasons. With access to all this data, they can tailor sessions more specifically, monitor progress live, and adjust the session on the fly based on what the hardware is reporting. It’s not just harder: it’s smarter.
Wearables give clients power, too. If you know your numbers are right there on your wrist, then you might go a little bit harder, or you know when it is time to slow down. You are in more control of your health and fitness. What’s invisible becomes visible. Wearable tech is getting fitter people fitter. It’s making personal training more personal, more precise, and more fun. And it’s available to everyone, whether you’re a rookie in Newcastle or a seasoned athlete with years of experience at the gym. If you’re not already on board, get strapped up – because there’s a piece of wearable tech out there to help improve your training. Now, listen up. The tech may be fantastic, but it’s not there to do the hard work for you – that’s down to you, and you alone!
Apps That Adapt
Then there’s the apps – the apps! – tracking your progress, nutrition, whether you’ve drunk enough, whether you’ve been sitting down too much. Some of the personal trainers in newcastle are even using these to monitor clients outside of sessions as well as inside. It’s like having Jiminy Cricket in your pocket, chirping away, keeping you on the straight and narrow. And when it’s all linked up your trainer can see exactly how you’re doing, and pat you on the back when all is well, or tsk when you’re slacking.
VR: The Final Frontier
And then there’s virtual reality – the proper sci-fi bit. Pop your head into a virtual reality viewer and you’re in a virtual gym with your personal trainer, or on a virtual beach for your yoga class. Some Newcastle trainers are experimenting with using VR to spice up routine workouts or to simulate environments that are motivating or performance-enhancing. Fitness is an experience, not a task.
But Is It All Good News?
I’m all for using tech to help improve training, but it’s not without its own set of issues. The risk of information overload behind tech-enabled training stats is that a workout can quickly devolve into a science experiment. And the heart of effective personal training is about more than just the numbers; it’s about the person. The best trainers use tech to augment their wisdom, not replace it.
Whole Body EMS Training: The Shocking Truth
We’re now going to discuss one of the hottest trends in fitness tech. That’s right, Whole Body EMS Training. You might have even heard a little about it, or maybe seen people wearing spacesuits at the gym. It’s that kind of tech that sounds like it might be out of this world, but it’s blowing up, and for good reason.
Whole Body EMS, otherwise known as Electric Muscle Stimulation – it’s a fancy name – is when you get to wear a suit that sends electrical impulses into your muscles. It’s like you’re giving your muscles a direct pep talk. It’s like you’re telling them: ‘Look, dudes, I know you’re tired but you know you’ve got a contract, don’t you? Come on now, you can do this.’ It’s a way of working out quicker and harder than you would. Sounds good, right?
Why It’s Catching On
Up here in Newcastle, trainers are starting to cotton on to this tech because it offers something different: you can get a full-body workout in just 20 minutes. And it’s not just about the time-saving. Compared with conventional exercise, EMS can activate the deeper muscle layers that are difficult to get at. It’s pretty thorough.
On top of all this, it’s great news for those recovering from an injury, as well as the ageing among us. Because EMS can be set to the intensity you choose, it’s perfect for offering a controlled workout without risking going too far and ending up back at square one with injuries the next day.
But it’s not all plain sailing. Whole Body EMS is powerful, and power comes with responsibility. You don’t want to be turning up the wick yourself: you need to be under the supervision of a professional who can ensure that you don’t overdo it and leave you feeling as if you’ve been zapped by a lightning bolt. And sessions should be fairly spaced out, too: too much of a good thing can become a bit of a bad thing.
Add whole-body EMS training to the list of the fitness tech ‘arms’ of the wider gym tech octopus – which, these days, is all the more present here in Newcastle – and it’s another piece that sits comfortably with all the rest: new, effective, and just a touch sci-fi – but it’s also a serious bit of kit that’s changing what a workout can look like. If you want to shorten your time in the gym, boost muscle tone, or look for an injury-free way to build back your training capacity, EMS is worth a look.
The Bottom Line
And so that’s it. With wearables, apps, VR and now EMS, personal training in Newcastle is not just evolving – it’s leading the way. Want to strap in and see what all the fuss is about? Listen to your body and make sure you have a trained professional on hand – this is about getting fit, not fried.
Tech in personal training is changing the way we train. Fact. Here in Newcastle, trainers are at the forefront of the tech movement. And the results are proving it works; whether it’s wearables and apps or VR, the goal is the same – to provide a customised, efficient, and let’s face it, exciting way to get fit.
Whether you’re a techno-geek or a Luddite, it’s hard to deny that technology has arrived – and with it, a new era of fitness. Sure, it’s here and it’s now, and it’s flipping fantastic. But remember: behind every bit of tech, there should be a trainer who knows their stuff, because a man for, and a man on, the bike is still worth his weight in gold.
I'm a personal fitness trainer based in Newcastle upon Tyne in the North East UK
