C. Scott Brown / Android Authority
I’ve always been an active, sporty type of person. I regularly cycle, run, lift weights, hike, and swim. I’m beyond terrible at the last one, but I try.
However, I have a specific fitness goal in mind, which is to get a six-pack, and that requires a bit of planning instead of doing random sports activities based on my mood, like I’m used to.
It’s not my first attempt at it. I used to watch a lot of videos on YouTube about how to achieve my dream physique, read a bunch of science-based articles, and then tried to make a plan and follow through. The issue was that there’s just so much noise online and contradicting info, making it hard to know who to trust. And even when I made a plan and started working towards my goals, I eventually hit a roadblock — like weight not dropping, for example — and it was hard to figure out why that was. Online research didn’t always help, unfortunately, as it just left me more confused. It’s sort of like when you’re sick and you Google the symptoms and come to the false conclusion that you’ll die in a day or two. Sometimes, the internet is not all it’s cracked up to be.
After a few failed attempts, I wanted to give it another shot. Learning from past experiences, I knew I only had to listen to one voice, as listening to five different fitness influencers usually results in getting six different opinions. I also knew that I’d hit a roadblock and would need help along the way. With those two things in mind, I figured Gemini could be the best tool for the job, although I was a bit reluctant at first since the chatbot sometimes fails at even the most basic tasks. I’m glad I gave it a chance, though, since the whole experience has been a pleasure so far, but I did run into various issues along the way that make me scratch my head.
Would you trust AI as your fitness coach?
2 votes
Yes
0%
No
100%
I’m not sure yet
0%
Here’s what worked
Mitja Rutnik / Android Authority
The setup process was a breeze and didn’t require a lot of mental gymnastics from my end. I gave Gemini my goal, which is to get a six-pack, and it guided me through the process. I gave it my height, weight, and other measurements it requested. I even uploaded a few pictures of myself so it could analyze my starting position.
I also told the AI that I’m a vegetarian, gave it a list of things I like to eat, and explained I wanted to work from home and needed advice on what type of equipment I would need that would allow for intensive bodyweight exercises.
It took a bit of back and forth, but I was able to set up a training and a diet plan based on my preferences. Gemini explained that I need sufficient protein for my plan, as I’ll just lose too much muscle during the process if I don’t. It suggested I should get a pull-up bar that would make it easier to reach my goals, so I bought it, and my journey officially began.
What I really liked is that whenever I ran into a problem, I could just talk to Gemini, and we changed the plan accordingly. There were specific exercises I didn’t want to do since they stressed my joints too much, so Gemini suggested new ones. I was also not strong enough to complete specific reps on various exercises — like the pull-up — and the AI suggested I get a band to help me since reaching the target rep is important.
Gemini figured out I wasn’t drinking enough water.
Then there’s my weight. The plan was to drop 1.1 lbs (0.5 kg) per week, which wasn’t happening despite the deficit and training. This is the part where I usually give up, but thanks to Gemini, I was able to pull through. It basically explained exactly what was going on in my body, especially when it comes to fluid retention. It suggested that I may not be drinking enough water, which paradoxically causes my body to store more of it, and said that the water would flush out as soon as I started hydrating more. Plus, it also explained how weight loss isn’t linear and that a so-called “whoosh effect” is coming soon.
The whoosh effect is a somewhat controversial topic in the fitness world, which Gemini acknowledged, but said that it’s a real thing despite the fact that the mechanics of it are perhaps not completely understood by science. This is the part where I got skeptical, but it turned out Gemini was right.
I started drinking more water, I limited my salt intake, as that retains water as well, and waited for the famous whoosh effect. And it happened — I lost more weight in one night than in two weeks prior. And no, it didn’t come back.
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I’m only five weeks into my fitness journey, but so far, I’m very impressed with Gemini and how it has helped and guided me through it. I already lost 2 inches (5 cm) off my waist, and while the six-pack is still nowhere to be found, my body fat percentage is going down, and I can see the outline of my upper abs. Not to mention that I feel better, more energetic, and my back doesn’t hurt as much due to my sedentary job.
It’s the best training assistance I’ve ever had, as I can get all the info I want in seconds and always have someone to turn to when I run into an issue. That’s the complete opposite of any generic training plan I can get online or advice from a gym bro.
And here’s what didn’t work
Mitja Rutnik / Android Authority
Surprise, surprise, I ran into a truckload of issues during my journey. I’m fascinated by how Gemini is able to provide such detailed and accurate info on the topic of fitness, diet, and muscle loss, and how precisely it is able to estimate how much weight I’ll lose in a specific timeframe, but it cannot remember which day it is. Seriously, it kept telling me that it was Thursday even though it was either Wednesday or Friday. Unbelievable.
But that’s not all. I punched in my new measurements every few days, and when asked to bring them up at a later date, it pulled out outdated ones. The AI did fix the issue when asked, but I feel like stuff like this shouldn’t happen. Since a lot of data gets logged over time, if I don’t remember the details, I won’t know if the data Gemini pulls up is actually wrong, which could then mess with any future plans we make based on those metrics. And if I could remember all the data, I wouldn’t need to log it in the first place.
Additionally, when I asked it to provide a summary of my day or week, including my diet, calorie intake, protein consumption, and workout plan, it also got things wrong. It likes to mix up dates and leave out pieces of info, like a meal or two I had.
Gemini is full of flowery introductions that add nothing to the conversation.
Then there’s the fluff. Whenever I ask it a question, instead of a direct response, Gemini starts with a flowery introduction that adds nothing to the conversation, often complimenting my “very deep questions” with phrases like, “This is the most profound question to ask today at 7 pm, while the sun is setting.” I can assure you that most of my questions aren’t deep, but rather pretty basic or standard, so the whole thing comes out a bit weird.
The longer my conversation became, the more issues I had when asking questions, but only on the Android app. I prompted the AI something, and it just started scrolling up with lightning-fast speed for what seemed… forever. I then had to switch to a different conversation and back to my fitness one, but in most cases, my prompt didn’t register. I had to type it out again, and sometimes the issue would appear again on the second prompt. It was incredibly frustrating, especially since some of my prompts were long, and typing them again became a tiresome chore.
So, is it worth it?
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
Yes, it’s definitely worth it for me personally. I mean, the results speak for themselves. I really believe I’ll be able to reach my goal, and I will have Gemini to thank for that. It just makes everything easier, saves me time, and is always there to give me the data I need.
The issues do take away from the experience, though, but they aren’t big or important enough for me to ditch the AI altogether. I am familiar enough with it that I know where it may fail on me, so I’m careful with any data it pulls up and have already gotten into the habit of reminding it what day it is.
The chatbot will only get better and better. Gemini 3.0 is here, and I’ve already seen some improvements. I’m happy to see what the future will bring. I’m not stopping my fitness journey anytime soon, and I’ll trust Gemini to help me get where I want to go. And if you want me to keep you posted on my fitness journey I’m on with Gemini, let me know in the comments, and I’ll write a follow-up in a few weeks.
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