Beast Sensor Review – Workout Tracker for Strength Training

The Beast Sensor is a wearable workout tracker for strength training that actually shows how you lift using sensors to track repetitions, starting strength, intensity and explosiveness. Data for each repetition I performed was sent directly from the sensor I wore on my wrist to an app on my phone. I was able to review strength, speed and power in “real time” after each rep. This gave me the ability to adjust my lifts and help me improve my athletic performance. During my rest period between sets, I could easily review the data directly in the app on my phone. Using the beast when doing a variety of exercises such as in a CrossFit program, was a bit challenging though. It was difficult to read the effort for each exercise. However, when doing one lift at a time, the data was very easy to read and understand. I was able to see my increments in stamina and strength which helped me adjust and improve my overall workout program. Instead of just guessing or “feeling” like I had a solid repetition, I could actually see my strength and velocity while using the Beast Sensor which provided me with important data to reveal the intensity of my repetition. Even a personal trainer can’t tell you that specific type of information, so it makes using this device very beneficial when strength training.

Set-Up Process
When I first opened the box to unleash the Beast, I noticed how small and compact it was. The band is not big and bulky and the small data sensor fits easily into the band. The only problem that I could foresee with the band is for people who wear wrist guards or straps. It may be difficult to wear the tracker and the wrist guards when doing certain exercises. After downloading the app, it was easy to connect the device to my phone on the first try. Setting my training goals was another easy step and there was a variety of training goals to choose from including maximum strength, hypertrophy, performance tracking, velocity, and power. Now that I had the device connected and the app installed, I felt that it was important to review each training goal so that I had a good understanding of how these goals applied to the Beast tracking technology.

Understanding The Training Goals
There are 5 different training goals to choose from in the app. Of course I have my own definitions of what these mean but I wanted to look up how they are applied in the Beast app. For maximum strength, the focus is on the maximum force muscles can produce. When I first started working out “back in the day” my focus was on strength. I would use slow movements but focus on heavy loads. This training goal would be one I would use when wanting to focus on just my strength.

Now that I have more strength, my focus is on velocity (speed) of my reps. I used this training goal with the Beast Sensor to track how fast I completed the repetition, reviewed the data from my lift and then made adjustments to my speed. It was helpful to measure my speed since before using the rep I didn’t have a way to measure this data.

I used hypertrophy mode when doing exercises such as deadlifts, bench press and sprints. This mode helped me measure my performance over a long period of time. I could then pull up my previous lifts and workouts and make comparisons. This helped me evaluate the efficiency of my workouts over time. My goal is to always improve my performance and I could then compare my data over time to track my progress.

At first, I would use the power training goal when doing power snatches. After reviewing the data I found that my main focus needed to be on velocity since my strength was right where it should be. After reviewing the data I decided to switch the training goal to velocity to focus on speed since this was my weak area. I now use the velocity mode when doing my power snatches so that I can precisely measure my improvements while just focusing on the speed of my lifts.

Overall Rating and Review
In my opinion, this device tracks your body’s reaction to different exercises very well. In order to get the most out of using the Beast Sensor, it is important to review the data and make adjustments to your workouts depending on your cycle. There are times when you can do a lift, check out the data and make adjustments right away to improve performance. There are other times when you will complete a workout (such as a run) review the data, and then make adjustments the next time you complete that particular workout. Most of my workouts focus on CrossFit training. The Beast Sensor was a great device to use when I was completing one movement at a time such as deadlifts, bench press and snatches.

When completing my cross training workouts, the Beast only had one mode to track fitness which was the performance mode. This was a helpful tool so that I could track my CrossFit workout performance over time. However, in CrossFit we have workouts called WODs (Workout Of the Day) which consists of several different exercises such as box jumps, sprints and squats. The WOD has different goals and time increments for different workouts. I would have to find a way to name the particular WOD under performance mode and then pull up the particular performance when completing that particular WOD another day (WODs change each day). For example, if I completed the “Angie” I would do 100 pull-ups, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups and 100 squats. I would want to save my performance for the Angie and then in a month when I revisited this workout again, compare my data to that particular WOD I performed.

Overall, the tracking on my lifts and runs using the Beast Sensor was great. I feel that focusing on my strength and speed and making adjustments to my workouts helped improve my athletic performance. I also like “seeing my lifts” in action using the data on the app. Before using the Beast, I had no way of measuring my lifts and making improvements. I would definitely recommend this device when completing one exercise at a time. When using this device for cross training, the training goal is limited to performance tracking and I could not set any other training goal during this type of workout. My overall rating for the Beast Sensor is 4 out of 5 stars and I highly recommend this wearable tracking device to anyone who wants to track their strength training workouts to help increase their athletic performance. If you’re interested in learning more about the Beast Sensor, visit ThisIsBeast.com to view all of their fitness tracking products along with helpful video tutorials and frequently asked questions.