Earlier quoted context omitted.
I was just reading that the optimum reps count was somewhere between 8 and 12. I was doing something that suggested 16 reps and that felt a little more like cardio or something, and I dug into it and it is a whole debate, but what I got out of it was that for what I was doing eight or so is about right.
Just do whatever's difficult. Some days show up and do 10 sets of 3, some days show up and do 6 sets of 4. Total volume is the deciding factor (other than, of course, recovery). Mike Isratel's work on Maximum Recoverable Volume is probably the best piece of work for deciding things like rep ranges.
Show HN: I made a community sourced fitness routine database
161–170 of 194 posts
Re: Show HN: I made a community sourced fitness routine database
#162Features I want to see in things like this: 1. Images/videos showing the exercises 2. Program generators. I have {equipment} and n days per week. Which programs work for me? Or, I have {goal} and n days per week, what should I do? The programs would be populated with exercises from the DB, programs could be exported, etc. 3. As much ELI5 info as possible - the barrier to exercise for a lot of people (myself included…
> 1. Images/videos showing the exercises And all the possible mistakes explained thoroughly. What I want of an exercise database is detailed information on how to do the exercises right so I would use proper muscles and prevent injury.
Re: Show HN: I made a community sourced fitness routine database
#163This is in no way a critique of this project (which looks nice!) but my dream fitness program would be something like, "do all the things in this book, in order, and by the end of the book you'll be mostly fit". I'm sure it works great for some people but I get bogged down by choice paralysis when I'm presented with a list of workouts.
I haven't done this program, but I've always liked the way this guide is put together: https://www.julian.com/guide/muscle/
Re: Show HN: I made a community sourced fitness routine database
#164Earlier quoted context omitted.
You should look into the FitBod app. You tell the app what equipment you have and it does the programming for you, with short videos and text descriptions for form.
Fitbod is great, but no significant updates in a year. No additional exercises in the database from when I started, can’t log over 29 reps of a weighted exercise, lots of other niggles. Has this been your experience?
After the first use I was sold and paid for the annual subscription. But it's so buggy (especially when paired with an Apple Watch) that I've nearly stopped using it.
When I first started, I used the app DESPITE the bugs. Eventually the bugs got too painful to deal with. Now I do What Feels Right when I work out. Probably a worse strategy, but I prefer it over fighting through the bugs. (I keep the subscription in hopes that they will improve their app.)
Re: Show HN: I made a community sourced fitness routine database
#165Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fitbod is great, but no significant updates in a year. No additional exercises in the database from when I started, can’t log over 29 reps of a weighted exercise, lots of other niggles. Has this been your experience?
This has been my experience. Fitbod is a good example of solid product-market fit (for me at least) without followup execution. After the first use I was sold and paid for the annual subscription. But it's so buggy (especially when paired with an Apple Watch) that I've nearly stopped using it. When I first started, I used the app DESPITE the bugs. Eventually the bugs got too painful to deal with. Now I do What Feels…
Re: Show HN: I made a community sourced fitness routine database
#166This is in no way a critique of this project (which looks nice!) but my dream fitness program would be something like, "do all the things in this book, in order, and by the end of the book you'll be mostly fit". I'm sure it works great for some people but I get bogged down by choice paralysis when I'm presented with a list of workouts.
Then a couple months before the pandemic I joined the author's new subscription service called Mark Lauren On Demand. It's a library of workout videos and programs, organized by difficulty. It's like $8.99/month and I think it's the best thing I pay for. I'm definitely in the best shape I've ever been.
Workout videos are surely not a new idea, but I hadn't tried that format before this, and I like that the videos are literally him doing the exercises along with you, including warmup and cooldown. It means I can look at the timestamp and know exactly how long it'll take to do a workout that day. And I like that it's all scheduled out for me. I just have to show up (in my basement).
Book + workout program is at https://marklauren.com/
Re: Show HN: I made a community sourced fitness routine database
#167Would be cool to have a section for crossfit style workout of the day and crossfit style mobility workouts.
Have you added any crossfit routines to routinedb? I would be interested in knowing how well they fit in to this format. Let me know if you have any feedback!
First, "Have you added any crossfit routines to routinedb?" There are at least two on there as of the time of me writing this. The Murph [1] and Strict Nicole [2]. I hope you come up with a way to credit the originators of programs / workouts that people submit.
Some programs / workouts are given away for free to drum up business for trainers; others, such as crossfit WODs (work outs of the day), are used in competitions, and other programs are documented in a book that is sold and is a source of revenue for the author.
> Thanks for the feedback. "They're everywhere. They're in books, they're on sites, they're in magazines, they're on forums." - this is the problem I'm hoping to solve with RoutineDB.
What is the problem you're trying to solve for? Discoverability? If that's the case, then why don't you create a flowchart linking to various resources on the web.
Who is your audience?
I assume you're in tech, so you know there are some criteria for success and goals that should be set before going on to build something. There are different approaches depending on the constraints. Similarly, this applies to training. There is no "best program". A flowchart would be able to help people with identifying goals up front and then determining the appropriate on-boarding point.
As someone who has spent a lot of time reading blogs, forums, magazines, and books on strength and conditioning I don't see how this will help someone progress. This seems more like a dictionary of "workouts" than anything structured and progressive.
If you're not already familiar with some of the online strength communities, then I can offer up a few suggestions to look over ways that they structure training programs as opposed to workouts.
https://www.strongfirst.com/ - minimalist training in terms of equipment (focus is mostly body weight and kettlebells) and time investment. aimed at "general physical preparedness"
https://startingstrength.com/ - powerlifting and football
https://www.elitefts.com/education/training/workouts-program... - powerlifting with the 5/3/1 program popularized by Jim Wendler being associated with this site previously
https://www.crossfit.com/ - following the crossfit WODs (work out of the day) isn't what the top crossfitters do. The top crossfitters (as of a few years ago) focused on doing some sort of progressive overload of the big compound movements (squat, deadlift, bench press, overhead press, pull ups) followed by what they call(ed) "metcons" or metabolic conditioning sessions. That's where they would complete the "WODs". The metcons would follow some prescribed patter, too, they wouldn't be random.
http://danjohn.net/ - "the goal is to keep the goal the goal" pretty much sums up his no nonsense routines. coaches and competes at a lot of different levels
https://gymjones.com/ - responsible for the 300 physiques and Henry Cavil in Superman. Or at least Mark Twight the founder was
https://www.californiastrength.com/ https://www.burgenerstrength.com/ - olympic weightlifting
There are some good reads on those sites about programming and progression. There are trainers that maintain blogs discussing how to take untrained individuals and get them up to speed without hurting them. Going from 8-12 hours slumped at a chair to lifting weights off the floor definitely requires some progression.
There are also numerous websites dedicated to training for specific sports. So, going back to goals can help to figure out where to go.
[1] https://www.routinedb.com/routine/ckpx0a5th172811md0gddqba6 https://www.crossfit.com/workout/2005/08/18#/comments
[2] https://www.routinedb.com/routine/ckpx0rb3e276411mdvq9zjqla https://www.crossfit.com/190607
Re: Show HN: I made a community sourced fitness routine database
#168Earlier quoted context omitted.
Lazy lifter? That sounds exactly like a thing for me. I'm willing to trade upvotes here on HN for that method :)
I would also look into 5/3/1! It's a very easy to follow program, and doesn't take much time at all. Slow and steady gains. Granted, if you're a beginner, there are much quicker programs (since noob gains are a very real thing), but 5/3/1 is a very simple program to follow, can be repeated for an extremely long time, and isn't very intense stress on the body. I increased my lifts pretty drastically over 2 years, but…
Re: Show HN: I made a community sourced fitness routine database
#169i.e. I follow a 10 week program that I repeat (you guessed it) every 10 weeks. At the end of the 10 weeks I will update the 1RM and the entire spreadsheet of ~120 rows of exercises, stretches, and warmups will immediately update to show me the correct weights to use.
Once you get past the beginner stages of exercise (learning movements, stretches, etc) fitness routines are just numbers on a page. For that reason I'll stick to Excel.
But this seems like a useful tool for those very new to the scene.
Re: Show HN: I made a community sourced fitness routine database
#170Anecdotal - In Excel I can have one cell to track my 1RM in KG, and then use a percentage of that weight on any particular workout routine. i.e. I follow a 10 week program that I repeat (you guessed it) every 10 weeks. At the end of the 10 weeks I will update the 1RM and the entire spreadsheet of ~120 rows of exercises, stretches, and warmups will immediately update to show me the correct weights to use. Once you get…