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Centr Team

How to choose the best workout app for beginners

Chris Hemsworth’s team of trainers are ready to help you discover your best self.

What makes a good fitness app for beginners?

From apps to the gym, the fitness world can be pretty overwhelming as a beginner. So what features do you really need in an app?

Our advice is to avoid getting distracted by flashy design or big promises, and keep it simple. Here’s what to look out for:

• An app that delivers workouts designed to help you reach your individual fitness goal. That goal could be something quite general (like losing body fat) or more specific (like strengthening your core to reduce back pain).
• A variety of training styles – because losing body fat or gaining muscle may be top of the list for you right now, but your goals can change over time!
• Tools that help you build good habits, such as a daily planner that lays out your activities for the week ahead and tracks your progress. Life is always throwing up obstacles, so you want to make it as easy as possible for yourself to stick to a routine.
• Workouts that cater to your level of experience and the equipment you have at hand. Does the app offer low or no-equipment workouts for home, as well as full gym sessions? Does it provide technique training? Does it offer beginner and more advanced workouts? It’s okay to aim high, but you want to start at a difficulty and intensity level that allows you to learn and not be discouraged. The ability of an app to progress with you is important – because you won’t be a beginner forever.
• Workout formats tailored to your space. Are you going to work out at home or in the gym? When you’re at home, you might enjoy the experience of casting the workout to your TV and being coached by a trainer in real time. Whereas in the gym, it’s more convenient to work out exercise by exercise (and machine by machine) at your own pace, checking video on the app for form.

Whether you prefer bodyweight exercises, minimal equipment or gym-focused workouts, you’ll find the right exercise program for you with Centr.

• An app that has your nutrition needs covered, too. Because when it comes to getting results, what you eat is just as important as how you train. Look for dietitian-approved nutrition advice, meal plans that are tailored for your goal, quick and easy recipes, and handy features (like an inbuilt shopping list) that will take the hassle out of eating well.
• A 24/7 support network to answer those eternal questions (like “what’s the best workout mat?”), hold you accountable and keep your motivation levels high. We don’t like to brag, but our Centr community – an exclusive global Facebook group of like-minded members – is pretty amazing.
• An app that trains your mind as well as your body. Keep an eye out for tools to help you reduce stress tools to help you reduce stress and improve focus, or pre-workout fire-ups to get you hyped to bring your best.
• On the flip side, you should also be on the lookout for get-fit-quick claims. If a fitness app is promising incredible weight loss with an all grapefruit diet, or guaranteeing you six-pack abs, it’s probably too good to be true.

How to choose the right fitness app for you

Now you know the features you should be looking out for in a fitness app, it’s time to drill down on what really matters to you.

1. Spell out your goals
What do you want to achieve? Perhaps you want to lose excess body fat, gain muscle, improve cardio fitness, or all of the above. Do you want to achieve your goal within a certain timeframe? Maybe your wedding date or football season is fast approaching.

Need some more help setting health and fitness goals? We’ve got you. Find the purpose you need to carry it through by setting smart goals. And forget those New Year’s resolutions you’ll have given up on by February – try these habit hacks instead.

2. Consider your budget
You want results, but you also need to watch your wallet. We hear that! Once you’ve compared prices, remember to take into account any potential added expenses – for instance, will a particular app require you to invest in new equipment, or a gym membership?

Also, consider which payment intervals work for you: are you better able to pay month by month, commit to quarterly payments, or save by paying for a full year in advance?

Don’t forget that investing in your health and fitness can have long-term benefits, including for your wallet. Many Centr members have come to us with concerns such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or pre-diabetic, then gone on to receive a clean bill of health from their doctor.

So think about what that good health is worth to you – you may find cutting back on takeout coffees or one of multiple streaming services isn’t such a sacrifice.

3. Read online reviews
Check the ratings in the app store, or what users are saying on review sites that you trust. Also look out for recommendations from leading fitness and tech sites, such as Men’s Health and CNET.

4. Take advantage of a free trial
After you’ve done all the research, there’s only one more thing to do: try the fitness app for yourself with a free trial. Maybe you’ve spotted a workout program like 28 Days of Arms and thought “Five minutes a day? I can do that!” Use the 7-day free trial with Centr to get in there and crush the 7 days of workouts.

If you love it, you can commit and take it all the way. If you’re not sure, you can cancel any time before the free trial is up without being charged.

Read up on Eric’s stunning transformation (and his 5 essential tips for beginners) here.

What results can you get using the Centr app?

The best recommendation you could possibly get for a fitness app is knowing that it has achieved real results for real people, just like you.

Maybe you’ve never had the confidence to make a change. Maybe you’re a single parent and don’t feel you have time to look after yourself.

Or maybe, like Eric, you don’t know where to start. Here’s how he did it (and you can, too).

Just a few years ago, Eric would get out of breath tying his shoelaces and was unable to fasten the seat belt on a roller coaster.

“I was pushing 40 years old, weighed nearly 300lbs (136kg), had a very busy life with four very active teenagers, a full-time career, a family budget and was pretty much clueless when it came to all things nutrition and exercise,” he says.

He believed he was “destined to be a big guy for the rest of my life”. It wasn’t until he discovered Centr that he realized he didn’t need to know everything – he just needed to get started. Chris Hemsworth’s team of experts would take care of the rest.

“I came to Centr with pretty much every hurdle known to mankind, but this program is made for people like me.”

Eric began his fitness journey with a HIIT workout coached by Chris’s personal trainer Luke Zocchi. “What kept me going was the way Luke led the workout. He’d call out when he was tired, hurting or struggling and it made me feel better about being tired and struggling. I also loved his sense of humor. It seriously felt like working out with a friend.”

The things he initially worried about – that it wouldn’t work, or would be some kind of “crazy ‘health food’ plan” – were quickly proven to be non-issues.

“I was afraid of getting my hopes up again, only to realize that poor health was something I was just stuck with,” Eric says. “I always subscribed to the idea that I was a victim of bad genetics. Some people had ‘it’ and some people didn’t, and I was just one of the people that didn’t. But once I started seeing results, a sense of curiosity and confidence took over.”

“The difference with Centr,” he adds, “is that it focuses on teaching you how to live a healthy life that is sustainable, flexible and fun. Through the blogs, meditations, workouts and recipes you gain valuable skills. It transcends the short-term goal of losing weight and gets you to a point where you start thinking, ‘Hey, I can do this for the rest of my life!’.”

Now, according to Eric’s doctor, he is “a picture of great health”. And he’s taken all the skills he’s learned on Centr and used them to become a health coach in his own right.

Don’t miss Eric’s 5 essential tips for beginners – all the things he wished someone had told him when he was starting out.

Don’t forget: Chris and his team will be with you every step of the way.

Does Centr have everything I need?

Hopefully, we’ve helped you to get a clearer picture of what you need from a fitness app. The question now is, can you get it all in one place? On the Centr app, you can.

Let us give you an overview of the movement, meals, mind coaching and more that Centr puts at your fingertips.

Movement
As a beginner, Centr offers you a variety of no and low-equipment workout and program options to help you find what you enjoy and start building up your fitness.

• Centr Begin is the workout program designed for total fitness newbies. In just 3 weeks, trainers Maricris and Dan will help you learn the basics, start building up your strength and cardio fitness, and build a workout routine that fits your lifestyle.
• Whether you want to work on your cardio and strength, try yoga or Pilates, there is a huge range of specialist beginner workouts to choose from on Centr.
• If you prefer the structure and motivation that a program provides, you’ll find plenty of options too. With many Centr programs – such as Centr Power – you can choose to do the Beginner version of the program. In others, you can simply follow the trainer demonstrating exercises at Beginner intensity on your screen.

Want to give it a go? Head to our homepage to try some beginner workouts for free.

Meals
Whether you want to build muscle or lose body fat, nutrition is key to achieving your goals. The Centr app makes it easy with:

• A personalized meal plan tailored to your goals.

• Quick and easy recipes the whole family will love – like these speedy noodle dishes!

• No calorie or macro counting required. We’ve done all the hard work, so you can get on with training safe in the knowledge you’re fueled for results.

• Convenient shopping list – add ingredients straight from your meal plan. Meal prepping for a busy week ahead? Simply increase serving sizes to make more for your fridge and freezer.

• Expert, real-world nutrition advice from sports dietitian Angie Asche.

Mind
Your mindset is going to play a big role in your fitness journey. The Centr app is packed with practical tools to help you take control of stress, get pumped up to train, eat mindfully and sleep better.

• Our tip: start with the ultimate beginner’s guide to meditation – the Learn to Meditate series narrated by Chris Hemsworth. As Chris says: “Want bigger biceps? Get lifting. Want to get stronger mentally? Meditation is the key.”
• Stress can disrupt your sleep, your hunger hormones and your muscle gains. Our Stress Relief Toolkit is designed to help you tackle what stresses you from every angle.
• Recover well and lock in all benefits of your training with Power Sleep. Chris’s calming voice will help you fall asleep, stay asleep and wake up primed and ready.
• We know there’s more to your day than just working out and meal prep. Need help focusing on work or study? Try the Soundscapes our members love.
• Struggling to get the kids to bed? Let Chris and Taika Waititi bring calm to your house with Sleep for Kids.

You’ll also find expert advice on every aspect of your health and fitness journey, from things you’re curious about (is intermittent fasting for me?) to things you really need to know (when will I actually start seeing results?).

Your beginner fitness app FAQ

Still have questions about finding the best fitness app to kickstart your fitness routine? Not a problem – we’ve answered some of the most common for you here.

1. Are fitness apps really worth it?
Yes, by choosing the right fitness app for your experience and goals you can get real, sustainable results.

Make sure the app you go with:

• Offers workouts tailored to your goal and your level of experience. Plus plenty of variety so you don’t get bored.
• Packs in practical tools that help you build good habits, like a shopping list and progress tracker.
• Has your nutrition needs covered, too. Because what you eat is a huge part of the puzzle.
• Gives you a 24/7 support network, so you’re never going it alone!

Don’t forget, choosing and downloading a fitness app is just the beginning. To make results happen, you need to show up for yourself.

Fortunately, having the tools you need in the palm of your hand removes a lot of the obstacles to working on your health and fitness. Can’t get to the gym? Select a no-equipment home workout. Too busy to work out? Jump onto the Centr app to squeeze in a 5, 7 or 10-minute workout whenever you can.

If you have been inactive for some time, also know that the first week is going to be a struggle – but that every little bit of movement helps. And, as Centr expert Maricris Lapaix says: “We’ll be with you every step of the way to keep you motivated and smiling.”

2. What apps are best for gym workouts?
We get it: if you’ve shelled out for a gym membership, you want to get maximum bang for that buck. While there are plenty of apps that offer gym workouts, Centr can help you get more out of every session with next-level personalization.

• Commit to your goal with a dedicated gym workout program like Centr Power, Upper-Body Builder or Power Shred in Gym.
• Make the most of all that amazing gym equipment with programs tailored to specific machines and gear. Cable Builder is a 9-week muscle-building program designed specifically for cable machines. Or hit the bench and dumbbell rack to build functional strength and achieve total-body sculpting with Centr Circuit: Strength.

• The self-guided workout style on Centr gym workouts allows you to check your technique and take sessions at your pace (or the pace of the dude hogging the equipment you’re waiting to use).

And if you prefer to work out at home, you can do that with Centr too. Equipment filters on the app allow you to quickly find workouts to suit the equipment you have at home.

3. Is the Centr app worth it?
We definitely think so – but why not try it for yourself? You can start your free trial right now.

Whatever your goals, whatever your current level of fitness or experience, you’ll find what you need to get started, then take it all the way, on Centr.