THE MAN I N THE TI GHT GLOWING SHORTS

Smart workout gadgets have finally advanced beyond GPS watches and pedometers.

ATHOS

These nylon shorts (and optional shirt) have sensors that act like a nanny cam for your muscles, tracking when they’re working and exactly how hard. If one side of your body is stronger and more engaged during an exercise, you’ll see it in the app and be able to account for it. If you’re not working hard enough, the app will suggest an increase in weight. Be warned: If you’re skinny, your arms and legs may not fill out the clothing to make contact with all of the sensors. You’ll get a lot of prompts to work harder.

OMEGAWAVE

Omegawave measures your heart rate and aspects of your nervous system before a workout. It also makes you feel like a mental patient, strapped into a chest harness with electrodes wired to your forehead and hand. The final reading tells you how much activity you can handle that day. The system seems more appropriate for athletes who are monitored by trainers, but used over months you can establish a useful baseline. Omegawave will indicate when you’re stressed or sleeping poorly, so you’ll at least know that something is negatively influencing your training.

SMART ROPE PURE

A jump rope that counts reps for you. Since most jump-rope training involves timed intervals or small sets, this won’t replace your rope if you’re already using one. But if you’re just starting a fitness programme, the included interval workouts and a suggested daily number of jumps can be motivating. And you do not want to be responsible for counting to 3 300 on your own.

SKULPT

Hold the device over your skin to measure body fat and muscle quality, a seemingly made-up term to define a muscle’s strength relative to its size. The app identifies weaknesses and suggests supplemental workouts to correct them. Or choose an entire workout plan, based on whether you want to “Bulk Up” or “Trim Down”, that updates reps and exercises as your muscle composition changes. Even if you question the accuracy of the measurements, the fee of about R1 400 for a quality, varying workout routine is a bargain.