Excellent - is it possible to add advice re reps/sets?
Thanks! Yeah, that's a point on my bucket list :)
Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine
121–130 of 290 posts
Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine
#122If you don't mind, can I ask why you use plain JavaScript rather than TypeScript? The product is truly remarkable, so what technologies used under the hood doesn't matter, but I think TypeScript is natural choice, especially if you 1) start a project from scratch in 2023, 2) have complex local states like choosing equipment and body parts, and proceeding exercises step by step until completed in a single page, and 3)…
Not the OP, but I still start most of my projects without TypeScript, especially if I'm working on it by myself. I do appreciate TypeScript, and I will happily use it in any bigger project or when I have collaborators. But there's just something that I really enjoy about being able to start a project without any build steps or installing stuff. I love to be able to just jam out some code and open a file in a browser to run it, or rsync it to my server and share it with my friends.
Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine
#123Earlier quoted context omitted.
... how are squats "unhealthy"?
If you're new to lifting, your form is likely to be terrible, it's easy to do some damage to your lower back and knees.
i've seen this mentality floating around and i don't quite understand it. i think the real problem is this sense of competition and machismo where new lifters feel like they have to be good at it on day one and can't employ a little humility and patience to work on their mobility. these movements are essential and it blows my mind the excuses people will make not do do them.
to anyone here who routinely jumps to one plate without warming up and struggles to hit depth: know that i pity you, but you can still back off and get good at these movements if you really care.
Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine
#124If you don't mind, can I ask why you use plain JavaScript rather than TypeScript? The product is truly remarkable, so what technologies used under the hood doesn't matter, but I think TypeScript is natural choice, especially if you 1) start a project from scratch in 2023, 2) have complex local states like choosing equipment and body parts, and proceeding exercises step by step until completed in a single page, and 3)…
Sure. To be honest, it's mostly because of laziness. I'm more used to plain JS than to TypeScript, so I'm faster this way.
I also always thought TS is a bit too much for small apps like this, but I get that it would make sense to use it if others want to contribute as well.
Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine
#125I do feel like most beginner/intermediate lifters with gym access would be better served just picking a standard full-body workout routine (e.g. GZCLP) and sticking to it. Figuring out which muscle groups you'd like to be targeting with specialized exercises is not something you should be doing as a novice.
“Just picking a standard full-body workout routine” - that’s the issue, I have no idea what the names of standard routines are or where to find them. I’d love to know several. I know none. Like many things, knowing the name or term of what you’re looking for is the gateway - without that you’re stuck floundering.
Starting strength is the most classic one: https://startingstrength.com/get-started/programs
Or you know, you could go into a couple of fitness forums and see which programs pop up again and again.
Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine
#126Earlier quoted context omitted.
Not sure exactly what you’re arguing here but I think I disagree quite a bit. I’ve been lifting for about six months, and I think this is the longest stretch I’ve been able to go without getting bored with it, because I’m at a gym this time and have access to a ton of equipment. Variety can really make a difference, and some will say it’s good for your muscles anyways to do different exercises that are targeting the…
> without getting bored with it You're not going to like this, but lifting is about finding joy in the grind (like a lot of life). Gains are often incremental, but add up over time. For me, lifting is my alone time to listen to music and think. The lifting part is automatic.
I’ve clocked 4300 miles on my running app since 2011, after growing up hating running, so I’m aware of the grind. But there are different ways to run and some are more enjoyable to different people. I have to believe this is true in the lifting world as well.
If I would have told someone "I don't like running on the treadmill or on the track, it's super boring", the better response would have been to tell me that there are different ways to find enjoyment in running rather than just saying I should suck it up. For me, that was running in flat-ish urban-ish settings to take in the sights while signing up for an occasional race to give me something to work for. I never liked running in the rain so I just...didn't, unless I was on a training plan for an upcoming race or otherwise couldn't work around it. And so on.
For my lifting: variety, access to a sauna, and a public setting that allows me to watch and talk to other people have helped a lot. I'll see how far it carries me! (And I welcome more advice for making it enjoyable.)
Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine
#127Earlier quoted context omitted.
... how are squats "unhealthy"?
If you're new to lifting, your form is likely to be terrible, it's easy to do some damage to your lower back and knees.
If you are new to lifting, you probably shouldn’t be handling weights that can damage your lower back and knees. You will learn the correct form as you progress. Ego is more dangerous than squats.
Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine
#128If you don't mind, can I ask why you use plain JavaScript rather than TypeScript? The product is truly remarkable, so what technologies used under the hood doesn't matter, but I think TypeScript is natural choice, especially if you 1) start a project from scratch in 2023, 2) have complex local states like choosing equipment and body parts, and proceeding exercises step by step until completed in a single page, and 3)…
Sure. To be honest, it's mostly because of laziness. I'm more used to plain JS than to TypeScript, so I'm faster this way. I also always thought TS is a bit too much for small apps like this, but I get that it would make sense to use it if others want to contribute as well.
Thanks! It's reasonable. But I'm pretty sure yours is more complex than many typical SaaS or CRUD-based websites.
Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine
#129I do feel like most beginner/intermediate lifters with gym access would be better served just picking a standard full-body workout routine (e.g. GZCLP) and sticking to it. Figuring out which muscle groups you'd like to be targeting with specialized exercises is not something you should be doing as a novice.
The issue with most of those workouts is that they often incorporate „unhealthy“ exercises like squats (with weights) or situps. I find it really hard to find one that focuses on health rather than building muscle.
Strength training !== bulking up
High (comparative) weight + low reps builds strength (and muscle recruitment) without (necessarily) building lots of new muscle fibers. Muscle hypertrophy happens most often with lower weights and higher repetitions, plus loads of calories. A program like "Starting Strength" is not about hypertrophy.
Any exercise is potentially "unhealthy," particularly if it requires specialized movements. You can learn proper form for "base" lifts like the squat and deadlift without any equipment at first.
Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine
#130I do feel like most beginner/intermediate lifters with gym access would be better served just picking a standard full-body workout routine (e.g. GZCLP) and sticking to it. Figuring out which muscle groups you'd like to be targeting with specialized exercises is not something you should be doing as a novice.
Could you explain why this is considered bad to just pick the muscle groups you want to train as a novice?
let's consider two movements: a deadlift and a prone hamstring curl.
the deadlift is something you've done a million times whether you know it or not, though the novice is probably more uncoordinated than they realize at higher weights. like it would be a struggle if not dangerous to move a couch, for example. this is a very practical skill to develop, and you're still "targeting" the same muscle group as...
...a prone hamstring curl. how often do you find yourself prone and flexing your knees against a load? probably never, right? how do you contextualize a movement like this to someone's day to day? what i mean is, what is even compelling about a movement like this and what does it actually mean to someone just starting out?
i'm the world's biggest proponent of "keep it simple, stupid" when it comes to working out, especially as a novice. super detailed split routines are more often than not overwhelming and set people up to develop bad habits while never meaningfully addressing the core issue that drive many people to go to the gym in the first place: people suck at moving.