You use it every day habitually. When you draw a moustache on your best friends face with a permanent marker. When you actually need to sleep, but decide to 'quickly peek' into your messages and drop it on your face. When you watch the next motivational Youtube video that makes you feel like running through a brick wall.    It's there to watch you hit your first muscle up. And to keep your weight in check. You stroke it with your thumb as a way to say 'hello' when you see it lying right on the table in front of you. And when you pat your pockets to discover it's not where you put it 15 seconds ago, you suffer from a mini heart attack.    It's a piece of metal, glass and electric circuits. Yet you smile, cry and constantly connect with it 24-hours a day. There is an 80% chance that you are actually reading this on that same device. It's your smartphone.  And while I might sound like a jerk for telling you this. Your smartphone addiction can actually help you to launch the habits that will allow you to build more muscle, lose more fat, feel happier and to achieve other goals. How?       

Find The Apps That Don't Turn You Into A Zombie, But Into A Superman

  Your smartphone is a powerful tool. Not just because you look at it every day while sitting on the toilet, but also because it is a low-cost intervention instrument to improve your nutrition and lifestyle (1). Not convinced? Your current smart phone contains more computational power than all the computers that were used to fly the Apollo to the moon and back. Combined. Yes, you have more computational power in your pocket than the entire f***ing NASA back in the sixties, so better put it to good use.     What you should know? A simple application can already increase your awareness of what you are doing. This awareness in turn can be a catalyst for new and better behaviours (2). One study for example showed that people using a mobile phone weight loss app lost 4x more weight on average than the people who had the same goal, but weren't using the application (3). Or led to people becoming more physically active by increasing their step count by as much as 60-69% (4).   Clearly smartphone apps are more than just a fad, but can provide you with a promising potential aid to change your behaviour (5). Or even the ability to 'transform' your relationship with exercise, affecting your friends, family and community (6). If you are looking at your 'super power' cell phone the entire day anyways, why use it as a tool to turn you into a superman instead of a zombie?      

My 6 Favourite Positive Habit Building Apps

  You can use these apps as tools to build the habits you want. Some occasions you might need a hammer, sometimes you might need a screwdriver and in unique situations you might need a tool that only you can make.  It all depends on what you actually want to build. These apps work for me, but there are an infinite amount of other that might work better for you or your specific goals.   However, just putting these apps on your smartphone or looking for positive habit building apps right now, will already increase the likelihood of you using them.  And whenever you unlock your phone, they will the annoying friend to help you remember why you decided to make this change. These are a few of my favourites:  

• Myfitnesspal - Want to start managing your calisthenics diet? Track your calories, macros and nutrients.
• Coach.me - Unable to build a solid habit? Set daily goals, build a winning streak and challenge friends.
• Calm - Feel like you are too stressed or want to speed up your recovery? Relax, sit down and allow your body to recover.
• Headspace - Similar to calm, this is an app that will help you relax. Be guided through the world of meditation and open your eyes, energised and calmed down.
• Quora - Like to read about motivation and help other people? Get the quora app and sign up for subjects that you personally like and start inspiring other people.
• Goodreads - Did you know that out of all activities, the most successful people recommend reading? Find your favourite books, set a reading challenge and see what the people you aspire to be are reading.
• Calisthenics-parks - Stuck at home and want to go outside? Find cool calisthenics parks in your area and go train.
• ProMetronome - Want to carefully check your holding times on static exercises or handstands? Use this simple metronome to avoid yourself from cheating.

       

Upgrade Your Smartphone And Activate Your Super Power Habits

  You can update your body by upgrading your smartphone. It sounds weird, I know. But by finding the right applications -those that put your attention to good use- you can turn your smartphone into a habit building tool.    You have the computing power of an entire multibillion dollar space-shuttle-launching company in your pocket. And you don't even know. You have no clue.  I guess you'll think I'm an asshole for saying this, but goddamn, don't ask me why you can't improve your nutrition or training if you are wasting your limited attention on useless apps all day.  What does this mean for you?   While other people use their smartphone to watch hilarious videos of rhythmically dancing dogs. While other people use their smartphone to filter the hell out of the perfect photo that took them about 100 attempts to make it look like they didn't.  While other people use their smartphone to endlessly scroll down their Facebook feed in a zombie-like state.  You use your smartphone to transform into superman and launch your body into a positive habit building state.   Beast mode ON!   Now I’d like to hear from you: Did you like this post? Or maybe you have a question. Either way, make sure you get your download and leave a quick comment below right now.