Streaks Workout
The workout app that needs some work
$2.99 Developer Crunchy Bagel, streaksworkout.com Platform Universal Requirements iOS 8.2 or later
The idea of this app is that it can help you with basic fitness by giving you simple exercises in a workout tailored to how much time you have available that day. You try to build your “streak” of consecutive workout days, and watch your improvement over time. You can already do the tracking parts of this with other apps (including the original Streaks app), but the convenience here is that the tracking and workout guides are all in one place, so it’s easier to keep up with.
In practice, we’re not fans of the way the app actually works. You’re asked as part of the setup to choose from a library of exercises which ones you’d like the app to choose from when building your routines, but how do you know which workouts will best help with your particular exercise goals? There’s no indication of the expected benefit of each one. And when you trigger a workout, you’re expected to follow the movements of stick figures going through two- or three-frame animations. That and a brief description are all the guidance you get of posture and range of movement. For an app that bills itself as a “personal trainer,” this isn’t good enough. At the very least, it needs videos and more guidance for its workouts. The app itself works fine, but without more information, we don’t consider it fit for purpose.
the bottom line. A fitness app that aims to be flexible, but that stumbles at the first hurdle with poor instructions.