Description:
Anyone who regularly takes to the jogging path or biking trail, groans their way through an aerobics session, or pumps a ton of iron needs to be reminded every now and then of where they've been, how far they've come, and where they're going. Now, that information can be as close as the palm of your hand. Developed for Palm OS-based handheld systems, Handango Fitness Suite is a collection of utilities designed to track your performance in a variety of solo activities and thereby help generate a winning routine. It won't tell you what you should do, but it will organize and calculate most everything else. Of the five separate elements that compose Fitness Suite, the deepest is undoubtedly Total Body Fitness. This wide-ranging application records such critical data as body measurements, resting heart rate, caloric intake, various cardio and weight-training statistics, and even the amount of water you've recently guzzled. It approximates your body mass index, sorts by a variety of parameters, and does it all within one convenient shell. Just as intriguing for diehard joggers and bikers is Runner's Log, a nifty utility that stores every pertinent detail regarding your last outing, including date, location, duration, and heart rate. Averages can be calculated, organized races can be sorted from casual jaunts, and esoteric information such as environmental conditions and freeform notes are quickly and easily entered and retrieved. Those who prefer a simple logbook for weight training and cardio will want to turn to Work-It-Out. This is the program you'll want to take with you while you're actually sweating through the exercises, as it provides set-by-set data storage, a customizable rest break timer, and large, easy-to-read characters. The final two applications key on specific interests, all of which are already covered elsewhere within the package. Lift Log is a fairly basic weightlifting diary that records the quantity lifted, number of repetitions, and associated dates. PocketCardio offers similar support for aerobic activities such as jogging, stepping, rowing, and Jane Fonda-type bending and bouncing. Handango Fitness Suite is not without it foibles. For instance, certain elements did cause fatal exception errors on our Palm IIIc. Furthermore, users cannot load the program to their laptop or PC for later manipulation. Yet, as a portable and sometimes inspirational solution for all your fitness record-keeping needs, this suite is otherwise rather sweet. --Gordon Goble
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