As more and more companies strive to include AI in literally everything, I find myself increasingly desensitized to the prospect of using AI for anything. I hate the anti-creative powers of generative AI for creating text and images, and I'm sick of products that carry AI branding for no reason (I'm looking at you, Samsung Family Hub AI Vision refrigerator).
However, as a regular gym goer, there is one area of my life where AI has proven indispensable for over a year: powering my workouts. Last year, I was introduced to PUSH, an AI-powered workout app and gym tracker designed to help you build muscle as quickly as possible by taking a scientific approach to workout creation.
Give or take a couple of injuries and a few vacations, I've been using PUSH six days a week, every week, for over a year. I have done hundreds of workouts and in that time I have learned more about exercise than in all my previous years of gym-going experience. It is definitely one of the best fitness apps I have ever used.
Progressive Overload Really Matters
If you're new to the gym or building muscle, you may have heard the term “progressive overload.” Even as a long-time gym goer, I was familiar with the concept, but until I started using PUSH, I had never taken it seriously.
PUSH is hyper-tuned to help you gradually increase the amount of weight you lift over time, a proven vehicle for building muscle. I had spent years bench pressing around 70 or 80kg (give or take 175lbs), occasionally pushing the boat up to 85kg if I was feeling energetic.
PUSH has helped me raise my bench press to a steady 100kg in multiple sets of five in less than 12 months. Overall, all of my movements and lifts have increased in power and weight because PUSH doesn't allow you to take your foot off the gas. As soon as you can achieve the desired number of repetitions with a given weight, PUSH uses its artificial intelligence algorithm to calculate your next increment. If you fail a set or can't complete a certain weight, it will automatically calculate a plateau-breaking exercise—usually an increased weight for fewer reps—to help you break through your next barrier.
With PUSH in my pocket, I no longer have to guess weights for workouts or retread the terrain. I'm simply making clear steady progress week after week.
It's time to get rid of the Bro Split
Most people tend to divide their gym program into body parts. Chest on Monday, back on Tuesday, then legs, shoulders, arms, etc… in gym circles, this is known as a “Bro Split.” If it works for you, then that's fine, but PUSH's personalized program uses artificial intelligence and peer-reviewed scientific research to calculate a plan that allows you to train your entire body in an optimal cycle.
For example, some days I train my back, legs, arms, and shoulders all at the same time. It took me a while to get used to it (doing lat pulldowns immediately after squats is no fun), but by carefully training the muscles in a more targeted way, instead of just blasting my chest on a Monday once a week and so on, I've noticed a more consistent and manageable Progression in my strength and improved recovery. You can Opt for pushing, pulling, and leg splits on the PUSH app if you so choose, but I've put my faith in the AI algorithm and its unconventional muscle groupings, and I'll never go back.
Rest is important
While the aforementioned muscle groups help with long-term fatigue over weeks and months, PUSH also comes with a built-in rest timer to use between sets. I probably spent six years in the gym just guessing how long it took between sets, choosing when to start my next workout based solely on vibrations, and whether or not I was done scrolling through Instagram.
PUSH's regimented rest timer, which varies depending on the type of exercise you're doing, has shown me the importance of training with a precise rest period. If there is too little time between sets, your muscles will not have recovered, leaving you unable to push yourself as hard as you need to. Too long and you won't fatigue your muscles enough to make any progress.
Again, PUSH uses AI to determine what constitutes an ideal rest time, but gives you the final say on how long to take, allowing you to slightly adjust rest periods based on how you feel. With set rest times between exercises, I have greatly improved the progress I make in the gym, while reducing the time I actually spend in the gym.
Growth takes time
We live in a world of instant gratification, but PUSH has helped me understand that growing and building muscle takes time and commitment. Having an app that shows me my progress week after week has been vital in keeping me motivated, even when the results aren't physically obvious or immediate.
Seeing consistent strength gains every time I return to the gym is a great motivator and has helped me stop looking at attempts to make big leaps in performance or expecting big changes in my physique. What's more, knowing you're on a steady upward trajectory takes ego-lifting and overexertion out of the equation, with measured increases dramatically reducing the chances of injury and, of course, embarrassment.
Is it worth investing in a program
I pay £15.99 ($21 / AU$23.49) a month for the privilege of using PUSH. That's a lot of money for a monthly subscription app, but to me the investment is priceless. I am convinced that with PUSH I am getting good value from the app. It is well built, receives regular updates, and most importantly, has proven to be effective for me. However, there's also extra motivation in knowing that if I'm paying £16 a month for a training app, I should probably be using it to its full potential, rather than wasting my money.
It's the same tortuous logic that says buying a pair of the best running shoes will help you exercise, or that paying for a gym membership is more likely to get you out of the house every January. It may not work for everyone, but the financial commitment I've made to this app keeps me coming back for more.
And much more besides
PUSH has more to offer. It has a great library of exercises that help me plan in a busy gym or lack of equipment. Its wealth of peer-reviewed source material is well presented and makes for interesting reading, and its daily insights tell me which muscles I'm developing and which might be stagnant, another fabulous motivator. It's not a perfect app and it won't work for everyone, but after 12 months in my pocket, it has become an indispensable training companion.