There’s no shortage of running watches and activity trackers on the market, but gym addicts and weights fiends haven’t had a wearable to track their workouts – until now.
German designed Gymwatch has just hit the stores, enabling users to monitor and track reps and exercises of static exercises and weights. Unlike standard activity bands, the aim of Gymwatch is to help users exercise effectively and safely, as well as track their progress.
“I noticed whenever I was working out at the gym, people were either performing their exercises too hectically and on the wrong motion axes, which caused them to overexert themselves, or they were barely breaking a sweat,” said inventor Fabian Walke.
"With the Gymwatch we’re aiming to help people hit the exact right target for their unique fitness ability and goals, whether they’re die-hard or aspiring fitness buffs,” he added.
When hitting the gym, you load up one of the 900 exercises on your iOS or Android smartphone, which will guide you to the best position for the sensor.
Despite being called Gymwatch, the band is designed to be strapped around the arm or leg muscles. It then measures a range of gun-sculpting metrics, from the amount of strength you can exert, to the full potential of your muscles.
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It then uses a range of sensors to track the quality of your reps. Gymwatch charges via micro USB and is splashproof, but can’t be taken in the pool.
When getting through your sets, the Gymwatch can differentiate between full and partial repetitions and the length of each rep, whether you’re using weights, machines or just hitting some push-ups.
The watch then sends all this data to a partner app, which gives you real time coaching on your technique, for real time feedback on their activity. What’s more, the watch will design a personalised training plan that helps the user avoid overloading or under-loading their muscles and get the most benefit from their workout.
The Gymwatch Sensor is now available to order for $199. A duo pack is $389.
How we test
James is the co-founder of Wareable, and he has been a technology journalist for 15 years.
He started his career at Future Publishing, James became the features editor of T3 Magazine and T3.com and was a regular contributor to TechRadar – before leaving Future Publishing to found Wareable in 2014.
James has been at the helm of Wareable since 2014 and has become one of the leading experts in wearable technologies globally. He has reviewed, tested, and covered pretty much every wearable on the market, and is passionate about the evolving industry, and wearables helping people achieve healthier and happier lives.