In 2022 I found some new resources that have proven so beneficial to my health and fitness journey that I wanted to shout out these fantastic products and share them with anyone who may also find them helpful. The first three resources provide all the information necessary for successful nutrition. The last two resources are great resources for workout plans.
RP Strength: RP Diet Coach & Meal Planner (App)
The RP Diet Coach & Meal Planner app provides personalized nutritional guidance based on your fitness goals. It will guide you hourly, daily, and weekly through your personalized goals to gain, maintain, or lose weight. The interface for the app could be better, but navigating and using it is simple enough. There are a number of athletes supporting this app on social, and with the abundance of discount codes available online, I decided to give it a shot. Long story short, I now am a full subscriber and plan on using this app for months or even years to come!
RP Strength: The Renaissance Diet 2.0 (book)
The Renaissance Diet 2.0 book is the blueprint that powers the RP Diet Coach & Meal Planner. The website states that this book is:
The ultimate guide on how much to eat, what to eat, and when to eat it so you can maximize your performance and obtain the physique you've always wanted.
I could not agree more! The book does read a lot like a school textbook, and the amount of knowledge packed into this book is tremendous. This book challenged and affirmed what I know about nutrition while providing answers to questions I did not realize I had! It is a must-read if you are curious about the science built into the app. A great benefit of reading the book is that it gives you more confidence in the guidance provided in the app. The app design focuses on the development and execution of a meal plan but does not try to explain or educate about “why.” The autopilot approach has some benefits, but the drawbacks are that sometimes you find some grey space in everyday life. The book helps you navigate situations needing additional clarity.
In 2023, I am looking forward to reading RPs Scientific Principles of Hypertrophy Training. I like to think I understand the basics for building strength and muscle, but how much of that knowledge is bro-science? I can not wait to find out!
Clean Simple Eats Plus (CSE+)
The CSE+ app offers a variety of products and services that make for a great one-stop shop for achieving your fitness goals. The application includes macro tracking, meal planning, workouts, and more. I value this application because it offers excellent recipes. Having variety in our meals while maintaining my goals with food that everyone in the family enjoys is almost surreal. Of course, not all meals are winners with the three kids, but the odds of success are better than or at least equal to everyone agreeing on the same restaurant.
FITBOD
FITBOD is an excellent app for those looking for flexible workout plans. This app will build workouts based on available equipment, time, and fitness goals. Additionally, after using this app a few times, it will start recommending weights and reps for each of your lifts. My favorite feature of this app is how it tracks muscle recovery and provides the option to build workouts based on that recovery. After using this app for months, I moved away from this app only because I wanted a less ad-hoc and more complete program. However, I recommend this app for those seeking general fitness guidance and the flexibility of building workouts that vary between hotel gyms, your home, or a fully outfitted facility.
BodyFit Fitness Training Coach
The BodyFit app provides outstanding structured programs that cater to all experience levels by some of the top names in bodybuilding, fitness, and strength to help you achieve your goals. Each plan provides nutritional information, supplement information, and instructional videos that bring a sense of personal instruction to the experience. In addition, the app will track your workouts and keep tabs on your metrics. The app interface is less impressive than FitBod for workout tracking, but it is more than adequate to get the job done.
Conclusion
The products cover everything you need for your nutrition and your time in the gym. The only thing left is being committed to the process and execution.