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The New Year always brings with it a renewed interest in getting things done that we said would in the year prior. One of those things tends to be getting in shape. Walk by any gym and you will see them packed full between January 1 and January 7^th. Then reality sets in, and attendance fades. What if we could accomplish getting fit without a gym and on our own time? Truth be told, we still need the motivation and a trainer who won’t let us give up. Apparently, there is now an app for that too!  Yes, Drill Sergeant for iOS promises to whip you into shape with routines that don’t require a gym membership or expensive equipment, just open space.

Attention!

Yes, Drill Sergeant features a collection of intense workouts spanning anywhere from 15 minutes to several hours, led by one of four virtual trainers. With tough talk, discipline and the military all in mind, the app uses a combination of burpies, pushups, running, marching, situps and crunches to target all of those areas that tend to be a bit stubborn because, well, you are stubborn too.

Not For The Weak!

Firing up the app reveals four virtual trainers all of which have a backstory. For example, “Sergeant McTesty “ is a 22 year career marine who grew up on a ranch, branding cattle, played High School Football, joined the marines and excelled in the military. Selecting your trainer then brings you to the Mission Menu. This menu contains the respective trainer’s program divided into parts called “Missions”. Think of each mission as a routine, with each subsequent routine becoming more demanding. In the case of Sergeant McTesty, you have in order: Bootcamp, Basic Training, Exercise March, Combat Run and the Gun Show.

Completing a workout allows a set number of points to be accrued. Every mission within each workout has settings for difficulty level, number of minutes (in increments of 15), and allows you to select a playlist on your device as the music to accompany your workouts.

In Practice

Once you select your mission and tap on the play icon, the app prompts you to verify that you do in fact want to use the chosen playlist to accompany your workout. From there, you’re off! The selected Virtual Trainer then puts you in your place with some tough talk and direct orders. The clock starts ticking and the workout piece you are supposed to complete (i.e. marching) is listed on screen. Once you complete the task at hand, you are directed to complete the next task.

Tired? When in workout mode, an icon on the top left of the screen called “Give Up” allows you to throw the towel in. Try to refrain from giving up! If you do, you are given a stern “talking-to”. Whether you complete the mission or give up, ending a workout gives you analytics which allows you to track your progress. As the app is GPS enabled, you can track distance and time among other things.

Verdict

Yes, Drill Sergeant is well thought out and well intentioned.  Here you have a collection of workouts that can literally be done anywhere and cuts your chances at making excuses. Virtual Trainers aside, nothing will get done unless you are truly motivated and actually follow the orders. While nothing beats having a real personal trainer at your side (which unlike the app, will cost you an arm and a leg), if you have the motivation, the workouts included can get you in shape as well as any live program or DVD set can.

Of the four included Virtual Trainers, only one is free. The rest are available as inexpensive in app purchases. The app is worth checking out. A true exercise guru knows that having any other set of routines at their disposal equals a better chance at getting and staying in tip-top shape. That said, whether you are looking to get in shape, or widen your workout palette, Yes, Drill Sergeant deserves a look.

GMA