Despite being an absolutely gorgeous summer, I didn't venture out to the beach. The reason? Well, I guess I'm still hanging onto my baby fat. I'm trying to maintain a youthful look, at least that's what I'm telling everybody. I've decided to get a head start on my New Year's resolution and transform myself from a BlubberBerry into a BuffBerry, before I can use my belly as a hand rest while typing on my BlackBerry.

There are quite a few applications out there to consider, if you want an excuse to carry your BlackBerry on/in your gym shorts. Gym Technik informed me about their services, so I decided to check them out first. Besides, they're fellow British Columbians. Gym Technik is a web based workout tracking tool that turns your BlackBerry into your personal fitness journal. This may be the motivation I need, as now I don't have to put my Berry down to start my journey to a healthier lifestyle. So, if you're looking to slim down, or maintain your physique, why not read on?

Let your BlackBerry do some heavy lifting

Have you changed into your gym clothes? Good. The first thing I want you do to, is run over to your computer and head over to www.gymtechnik.com stat. You will have to sign up for a free account before you can start Sweatin' to the "Bold"ies (oh yeah, I went there). The company will be adding a Premium Service in the near future, and what you see is currently the free (and basic) service. You should also add a Gym Technik bookmark in your Berry's web browser. I've been able to access the site on my native Berry Browser and Opera Mini without any hassle. According to their site, all BlackBerrys, ranging between the 6000 - 9000 series are officially supported. One of the reasons why I jumped on this service is because it's web based, allowing me to use my internal memory for other applications.

Now we can hit the gym right? No. Now you have to figure out which part(s) of your body you want to sculpt. It's time for you to setup a workout. Do 20 sit ups then head back to the company's site on your computer. Once you are logged in, clicking "setup workout' will bring you to your Workout Library. Each workout will include of a set of exercises you define, that you typically run through at the gym. When you log into the site on your Berry for the first time, the workout library will be displayed. Since you haven't created any Library entries yet, you won't be able to track your progress on your Berry. On the site, you start by creating a name or a workout, then click add.

the first step to changing your life

The following screen will give you a vast list of workouts to perform. These exercises are organized by type/body part, i.e. Chest, Legs, Cardio, etc. You can also choose to isolate a specific area, i.e. lower chest, inner chest. Each exercise is listed by name, followed by a brief description and instruction. Gym Technik is also continually adding animated examples of each exercise to help you better understand the correct execution of the exercise. Once you have found the exercises you want to tackle, select "add to workout"

I've put together what I call the "CrackBerry Bust Out". In my opinion, this will ensure you not only respond to your emails more quickly, but even run to your carrier's nearest store in less time. For the workout I chose;

Running and Treadmill - to help increase your speed and stamina while running to be the first in line for the latest Berry.

Stair climber - in case your carrier's store is located on a floor above the one you are currently on.

Cable Curl One Arm Standing - this will help you whip out your Berry from your case/pocket/purse to read the latest email.

Cable Wrist Curl - increases your Berry up time, by eliminating fatigue experienced by hours of constant Berry abuse.

Hanging Leg Raise/Oblique Crunches - helping me stay mobile while on my mobile by turning my keg into a six pack.

add your own exercise

Being open to different and exciting exercises, Gym Technik gives you the opportunity to insert your own exercises. When entering your own exercises, you can input a name, type (strength, cardio, endurance, body part) and description. Once your personal exercise is entered, you will be able to access it from any library entry you may create. Ok, we've spent enough time on your butts. Grab you Berry and get ready to sweat. After logging in on your Berry, you will see your Workout Library. Open it up and your list of exercises appear, waiting to be completed. Each type of exercise has a set of fields you have to fill in. Be as honest and as accurate as possible for optional results. Each completed exercise will display a checkmark.

From your Berry, you can start/edit/ resume a workout, view your summary of completed exercises or enter your body stats. That last one is a touchy subject right? Be honest and enter in your weight and percentage of body fat. There's no need to lie as you will only lie to yourself.

hmm not finished yet...

enter in your results

you mean my weight on the Moon right?

Once you are finished at the gym, and with your Berry, it's desktop/laptop time! Head back to your computer (preferably after your shower, phew) and checkout the Track Progress section of the site. Now it's time to see the fruits of your labour. Your progress can be seen on the calendar, detailing when you have exercised and what you did. Depending on the information you have entered, your body weight and body fat changes will be displayed as well. You can also choose for Gym Technik to graph your body stats and exercise progress. I've always been a visual learner, so seeing the graphs and my pants becoming looser tells me that I'm doing well.

see your progress

Whew, time to hit the showers.

Weighing In

Gymtechnik offers an excellent service and excellent support. I was trying to view my progress when I experienced a bit of a crash. Their support team emailed me within 20 minutes to see if everything was okay. Talk about having a great spotter! As long as your gym has reception, I highly recommend giving Gym Technik a try, whether you are a novice or an expert. If you more on the novice side, the online descriptions and demonstrations will help you feel more confident at the gym.

For more information, head over to www.gymtechnik.com

...and now to ice my knees....

Pros

• swift, proactive support
• huge library, with room to increase
• descriptions and demonstrations for exercises
• track your progress

Cons

• must have reception in the gym, unless you have a good memory