New Workout App Has Pros and Cons
It is truly undeniable to say we are living in a technological age. Advancements in technology have become a part of our everyday lives, all the way down to how we manage our health. This particular lifestyle has shown itself through the RWU athletic community over the past months with a new training program designed for athletes.
Volt Athletics, commonly referred to as Volt, is an online platform that combines top strength and conditioning expertise with cutting edge technology. The app, which is available for the iPhone, provides athletes with specific exercises for their sport, along with instructions on how to complete each exercise all in the palm of the athlete’s hand.
Of course, with any new types of technology, there is an adjustment period, and definitely some pros and cons associated with them.
“I have never used a program like Volt to train, so a lot of the aspects to it were new to me,” Eli Harris, a first year member of the basketball team, said.
Before Volt, athletes and teams accessed their workouts at the front desk of the fitness center or by taking pictures of the workouts posted on a whiteboard in their locker room.
“The advantages of using an app like Volt is that it puts everyone on the team on the same workout program,” Harris said.
A disadvantage Harris pointed out is that there is not a specific area of the body being targeted in each workout.
“I haven’t used a program like Volt,” said Lauren Liscio, a member of the track and field team and a transfer student. “I am new to Roger Williams Athletics. It seems like a lot of athletes use it but from the few people I have talked to, they don’t enjoy it.”
When asked if she thinks having the workouts right on your phone would hold an athlete more accountable for doing them, Liscio said it depends.
“I think it depends on the athlete. Having it on the cell phone is convenient but whether or not it makes the person more or less motivated all depends [on the athlete’s mindset].”
Something else athletes noted was the schedule it provides for them.
“I actually like it because it gives me a set schedule that I can work with and I know what my coaches are looking for from me,” Kyle Rector, a sophomore member of the track and field team, said.
As fall sports enter the final half of their season and winter sports get ready to begin, it looks like we will see if the transition to a more technologically savvy workout program pays off for the Hawks.
