A new entrant in the fitness tracking wearable space is set to bench press the competition. PUSH is a device coming out of a Toronto-based startup of the same name that tracks and analyzes your performance at the gym. Unlike other fitness trackers on the market, which are more or less ‘digital pedometers’ that count steps and estimate calories, PUSH measures your power, force and balance.
PUSH is not aimed at people who just want to walk or run around the city. This device is for the avid gym-goer, pro athlete, or athlete-in-training who are serious about seeing improvements in their performance. PUSH is expected to be a fully adjustable, antibacterial, impact and water resistant armband with an expected price point of $149.00. The device is currently in the prototype phase and alpha versions are being tested in-house.
For the first version of PUSH, users will have to push a button on the device before each exercise to collect information. Co-founder Mike Lovas told BetaKit that the vision for PUSH is to have a device that can be activated once at the start of a workout and have it understand and track what exercise you are working on based on your activity.
Along with an armband, PUSH will be launching a smartphone application which will let users plan and customize their routines. The app is expected to have social features which will let you compete with others in your network and rank yourself on a PUSH leaderboard. This use of gamification has proven to be a huge factor in motivating the user as we have seen with devices like Nike’s Fuelband.
PUSH has the potential to disrupt how trainers and coaches interact with those they work with. The company intends to launch a coach or trainer web portal that would give them access to the data collected during their trainees workouts. Access would allow them to both monitor and review progress in real-time as well as communicate with their trainee and even suggest new workouts with the click of a button.
The PUSH team, many of which are Waterloo-grads, are committed to making this device as scientifically sound and reliable as possible. Lovas told BetaKit that their dream is to have their device worn by Olympic athletes. To do this, they have enlisted the help of University of Toronto’s Varsity Strength and Conditioning Coach, Adrian Lightowler, as their advisor. They are also validating their equipment using methods at the University to make sure that the data they are collecting is accurate.
PUSH recently launched PUSH Labs, an application-based program to gain outside testers for their beta unit. The program had 150 available spaces in total and in just 24-hours the team received an overwhelming 1,000 applications forcing the program to end. Applicants who were accepted will hear from them in September.
The company is gearing up for their crowdfunding campaign which they hope to also launch in September. They are currently in the process of selecting the right crowdfunding platform. Lovas told BetaKit that crowdfunding was the right next step for the company since it’s a great way to engage with customers, test the market and raise capital. The PUSH campaign is expected to have a funding goal between $80,000-$100,000 with use of the funds to go towards manufacturing the first batch of devices.