The Future fitness app launched in 2019, and in that sense, the personal training program was ahead of its time — we didn’t yet know how accustomed we’d get to Zoom calls in the coming pandemic years, and the idea of a personal training session via FaceTime may have felt especially unfathomable. But as it turned out, that future is now, and four years later, the Future app continues to offer an elegant way to add a personal trainer’s motivating touch to your workouts, without having to secure a gym membership or travel to an in-person trainer’s studio.
But before you rush to sign up for Future, given the appeal of saved travel conveniences and gym fees, you should know it’s still a substantial $149 commitment (after your first month for free). For that reason, we’re here to give the low down on the app that says it’ll elevate your at-home workouts. Can Future really hold you accountable to those New Year fitness goals well past February? Let’s find out.
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Is the Future App Worth It?
Compatibility: iOS/Android |
Cost: $149/month (first month free) |
Workout Types: Future hosts an array of open format exercises that are decided upon between you and your trainer. As a few examples, those could include HIIT, strength training, pilates, running, weightlifting, spinning or yoga. |
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Reasons to try Future: |
You get a tailored training program without the exorbitant expense of an on-call personal trainer |
Your coach will create workout programs week-to-week that fit your availability and equipment, such as creating bodyweight exercises for days when you travel |
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Reasons to skip Future App: |
One of the pricier workout apps, after the free trial |
Apple Watch or smart watch with WearOS 3.0 required for use |
Compatible with both iPhones and Android devices, Future does require its users to have a smart phone of a certain caliber for use. Users will also need a smart watch to accompany their phone for the optimal performance. Don’t fret if you aren’t currently rocking an Apple Watch though. You can borrow a loaner from Future with a $199 deposit. Android users, you’ll need a smart watch with WearOS 3.0 or above, such as a Google Pixel Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch 4, Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, and Montblanc Summit 3.
Although the requirement feels a tad high-maintenance, the smart watch is an integral part of what makes Future uniquely effective. You’ll not only have quick access to your workouts on your wrist, but your coach will be able to monitor and tweak the intensity of your workouts based on your heart rate measurements. Plus, smart watches are great for a well-rounded wellness routine, as they can also monitor other metrics like your time asleep and blood oxygen levels.
How to Use Future
When you sign up for the Future fitness app online, you’ll be directed to choose a coach after answering questions about your background and personal preferences for how you like to be motivated. Some of the questions might feel quirky or out of left field, but you’ll want a Future personal trainer you truly jibe with. In fact, you can even parse for personal traits that’ll help you connect more with your coach. For instance, perhaps your ideal comrade in swoletarianism is a fellow horror movie lover, and you can select accordingly. You can browse coaches yourself, or simply select one recommended by the app after your online questionnaire. Once you’ve selected someone, your coach will arrange a FaceTime call. The call is your trainer’s chance to get a real time rundown of your fitness history and develop your training plan. Plus, you’ll be able to clarify your goals; how many times a week and for how long you intend to workout; and the space and equipment at your disposal, whether that’s a fully decked out home gym, or a few resistance bands and dumbbells. Once those kinks are ironed out and your coach curates a workout routine, they’ll send your first week of programming to the fitness app, which you can access on either of your devices.
Future App Features
Future has a few stand-out features. For starters, it’s hard to bring yourself to use any app that is baffling and hard to navigate. With Future, after signing up online, you’ll start your fitness journey with an easily navigable app, free of distracting bells and whistles. The routine of the fitness app will help you quickly get into a groove as well, with your lineup of Future workouts delivered by your coach every Sunday without fail. Another awesome Future feature is that you can record your reps and send the video to your coach for feedback. That way, you get some reassurance or corrections if you’re concerned that lack of proper form is hindering your progress. The functionality of the smart watch also makes Future unique, since you and your coach get feedback on heart rate, and you won’t be tethered to your phone in order to follow a workout. Future also curates music playlists by genre to pair with your workouts, although you can use your own music if you’d rather take the wheel.
Customization
When recommending a workout program, key call-outs are reasons why the program may — or may not — be suited to your particular fitness goals. For example, one program may limit itself exclusively to high-intensity cardio intervals, or a program focused on weight loss, and another may be for would-be Olympic weightlifters. The beauty of Future is that its customizability makes it truly for any and all fitness levels. All you really need is the desire to be more active, whatever that looks like to you, and Future helps by providing the accountability and expertise of a real person to coach you and craft custom workouts. Customization also means the ability to adjust, so you never need to feel locked into the same activities, intensity, or frequency. And if your coach isn’t the right fit, you can switch up your trainer as well.
Communication Methods
After the initial FaceTime call, interaction with Future coaches is done via an in-app messaging system. Those check-ins will help tailor your fitness plan on an ongoing basis. Workouts for the week are plopped into the app each Sunday evening.
Pricing Options
There aren’t any tiers to Future’s pricing scheme, although the Future personal training app offers a one-month trial for only $19. After that, you’re locked into $149 a month — there’s no option for a yearly lump sum at a discount. Future’s high cost might have you scratching your head. However, when you really crunch the cost of hiring a personal trainer to create tailored workouts (especially one who stays in close, daily communication with you) the cost is more reasonable, given that a single, in-person training session tends to cost around $150.
Future Vs. Peloton
Although the brand is most closely associated with their flagship product, Peloton is well more than a stationary bike at this point. In fact, for far fewer dollars per month than what you’d pay to sync the bike with the app ($12.99 vs $44), you can access a vast catalog of at-home workouts with the Peloton app. The range of exercises available is one of the biggest similarities to Future, although the overlap basically begins and ends there. With Peloton, you’ll have access to live workouts and a robust back-catalog of programming of all different varieties. Think: Yoga, power walking, strength training, dance cardio, kickboxing, etc. However, unlike Future, you won’t have an assigned coach whose job is to keep you personally accountable and tailor your workout plan. Although, that doesn’t take away from the fact that Peloton coaches are uber-popular for a reason, and bring high energy, motivating personalities.
Future Vs. Tonal
The Tonal exercise mirror is in a literal way the tangible version of Future. Rather than being held accountable and customizable via an IRL coach, you have a piece of techy, interactive exercise hardware in your house to guide you. Like Peloton, Tonal has a comprehensive array of exercise types to choose from, so you can mix up your fitness routine pretty much indefinitely. Tonal will adjust resistance automatically as you workout, making transitions between exercises seamless, almost as though a personal trainer really were there guiding you and making adjustments. Of course, unlike Future, there isn’t literally access to a personal trainer, so you’ll have to rely much more on your own wits and expertise to come up with a routine, although Tonal can give you tons of guidance. Tonal is a sizable investment, both ongoing and upfront ($3,495, plus $49/month subscription), so you’ll want to do lots of research to be sure it’s the better fit, unlike Future, which has a far less risky free first month.