Who needs a personal trainer when you have Centr
Centr comes equipped with everything you need to achieve your fitness goals. Tim Bothwell checks it out.
Two words...Chris Hemsworth. That’s the name that started the buzz around the relatively new health & fitness app Centr. Launched in late-2019, Centr claims to be the ultimate personal trainer in your pocket. In addition to daily workouts, the app also offers up a meal plan tailored to your specific dietary needs and preferences. While Mr Hemsworth may be the recognisable face and owner of the app, he’s certainly not the only one running the show – alongside him are a range of trainers, chefs and mindful experts to help you achieve your goals. Sure, Centr may come at a price premium, but for some it may be the perfect workout companion.
The basics
Getting started. Let’s start with the cost. If you were looking for a free version of the app, then you may want to look away. Like many other all-in-one fitness apps, this one requires a paid membership. Costing $29.99 per month or $119.99 per year (roughly $10 per month), we’ll be the first to admit that the membership cost is pretty high. But compared to a typical gym membership, it may end up being better value in the long run. If you’re new to Centr, you can also take advantage of the seven-day free trial to see if the app is right for you. When signing up for an account, you’ll be asked to choose a fitness goal – either to lose weight, build muscle or improve general fitness – along with your desired food plan (where you can specify if you’re vegetarian or vegan).
Planner. Once set up, you’ll be taken to the Planner tab. Consisting of a weekly calendar, on each day you’ll find workouts, meditations, and recipes all tailored to your chosen fitness goal. If you wish to change a workout, simply tap the ellipses icon in the bottom-right corner and select Swap workout. You can also do the same for recipes, along with mark occasions where you plan to dine out or eat leftovers instead.
Programs. In addition to doing daily workouts from your planner, you can also sign up to one of Centr’s six-week workout programs. Located on the Programs tab, you’ll find a range of programs designed with different goals and abilities in mind, including cardio, strength, and functional movement. Classes run for anywhere between 20 & 40 minutes, with many not reliant on gym equipment meaning you can train at home or outdoors.
Step it up a level
Get moving. Now that we’ve covered the basics, it’s time to start exercising. After selecting a workout either from the Planner or Explore tab, tap the start button to begin the session. Centr has two types of workouts available – ‘self-guided’ workouts consist of short videos showing how to perform each exercise, while ‘coached’ workouts feature an on-screen trainer who guides and motivates you throughout the entire workout.
Workouts. Looking for a particular style of exercise? Centr makes it easy to browse the app’s entire catalogue of workouts. At the top of the Explore tab you’ll find exercises sorted into coached & self-guided workouts. Tap on a workout to see its description, intensity level and duration, along with exercises to be performed. For some workouts you can even adjust the intensity by tapping the slider icon in the top-right corner.
Recipes. Also on the Explore tab you’ll find breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes, plus snacks. Each recipe comes with a list of ingredients and step-by-step instructions, along with the ability to tweak the number of servings – useful if you’re cooking for a significant other. Also helpful is the nutritional information listed at the bottom of each recipe.
Mindfulness. It’s easy for our mental health to take a back seat when focussed on physical fitness, despite it being just as important. That’s why Centr includes an entire section dedicated to meditation. Designed for both kids and adults, in addition to meditations you’ll also find sleep visualisations, affirmations and podcast episodes featuring mindfulness experts. These activities are located on the Explore tab.
Going pro
Filters. While browsing workouts on the Explore tab, you can select the filter icon in the top-right corner to refine results to a particular workout type, piece of equipment (or no equipment), and body part. You can also filter recipes to particular allergies or dietary requirements.
Bookmarks. With so much on offer, it’s easy to lose track of the workouts or recipes you really (really) enjoy. Centr makes it easy to save items as favourites for easy retrieval in the future. You can do this by tapping the bookmark icon in the top-right corner of a workout, recipe, or meditation. Saved items can be accessed from the Explore tab.
Shopping list. There’s not many people in the world who enjoy the weekly grocery shop, especially when food from Uber Eats is only just a few taps away. Centr makes your weekly shop that little bit easier by automatically building a shopping list with everything you need for the week ahead. Located on the Shopping List tab, simply select the recipes from your planner that you wish to cook, along with your desired quantities. Once done, groceries will be automatically organised by category, making it easy for you to check off items as you go.
Streaming. While working out from the tiny screen of your smartphone is great when out and about, nothing beats a big-screen TV. Streaming options are a bit limited – you can only beam workouts to the TV if you have an Apple TV via Airplay, but readers with a Google Chromecast will be happy to know that you can stream workouts from the desktop version of the site by visiting https://centr.com/ and logging into your account.