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Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine

workout.lol

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Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine

#131

Post by anakaine »

blitzar wrote: post #109
Brendinooo wrote: post #93

Earlier 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…

I have found it essential to have a plan on the day. No thinking or deciding, just look at the piece of paper and it says do X 3x10 times, and you do it. Then look at the next thing to do. Do the thinking every 4-6 weeks as you rotate the plan - but also repetition lets you track some progress (reps / weight / how hard set was).

This is so incredibly important. As a beginner you can basically hit anything often enough and see progress. Once you hit intermediate and the gains slow down you really do need to walk in with a plan. The plan let's you not think and just work. Just working and not thinking, and basically just being told what to do (even if it is just telling yourself) let's you get through the workout repeatably, and with experiencing less of the grind. It also means you hit the body parts with incremental progressive overload in a planned and repeatable fashion, causing growth. And every 6-10 weeks you get the fun of changing it up.

And then there's the days where stuff doesn't quite work, but you have turned up anyhow. Those are days I chalk up to fun.

Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine

#132

Post by Brendinooo »

blitzar wrote: post #109
Brendinooo wrote: post #93

Earlier 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…

I have found it essential to have a plan on the day. No thinking or deciding, just look at the piece of paper and it says do X 3x10 times, and you do it. Then look at the next thing to do. Do the thinking every 4-6 weeks as you rotate the plan - but also repetition lets you track some progress (reps / weight / how hard set was).

I've been using the Strong app to save workout templates (in a broad push/pull/leg framework) so I have a list of stuff to do each time, but if I'm bored with an exercise or (more typically) someone's been using the rack for 30 minutes and I need to move on, that's when I'll look for an alternative exercise. Apps like Strong or Fitbod or this new site are great in this scenario - can filter by what you have and will show you how to do it.

Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine

#133

Post by [deleted] »

Daneel_ wrote: post #98
herculity275 wrote: post #59

I 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.

[deleted]

Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine

#134

Post by taccicardia »

Daneel_ wrote: post #98
herculity275 wrote: post #59

I 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.

[dead]

Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine

#136

Post by atchoo »

Everyone is very complementary so can I be allowed to be the debbie downer? As a web app, it's neat! Functionally, not a fan as yet.

I've lifted for a couple of decades. I put in the muscles for a pull workout I will be doing today and the results are... dumb. "Dumbbell superman" nah not going to do that. Two types of hammer curl? Nah that's a waste of time. "Bayesian hammer curl" wtf, my eye is twitching. Two types of dead-lift only differentiated with different shaped weights? Nope that's dumb too. It's also suggesting exercises at the wrong level e.g. bands or dead-lifting a kettlebell. I'd need to put all my gym's kettlebells onto a bar for a useful dead-lift :) It also had no vertical pull like a chinup/lat-pull for a back workout which is kinda criminal.

For a beginner, they won't know it's dumb, so this is kind of harmful. They need to use a more carefully designed complete split / full-body-workout, because it matters how multiple days combine, not just a single day.

For an intermediate/advanced lifter, clearer goals are more useful e.g. PL or BB, and then planning intensity/loading/waves/deloads etc. for constant progression. What I find most useful is deep dive discussion by an expert for most effective exercises and how to get the most of out of them with subtleties about grips and cues to increase mind-muscle-connection etc. Suggestions for how to swap out exercises to work around injuries or focus on weak points is very useful. The lifter can then iterate and swap exercises in and out of their routine to keep it fresh and useful.

Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine

#137

Post by anakaine »

faichai wrote: post #94
alfons_foobar wrote: post #90

Earlier 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.

Not unless you chuck a whole lot of weight on inappropriately. The advice for almost all newbies is to start with the bar. Even then they could put some weight on and still not be at any risk at all. The issues don't show up for quite some time with inappropriate form, or u til quite a bit of weight is put on prematurely. Starting off with dome youtube videos is just fine. Getting help when you eventually want to progress further and get more serious is recommended.

Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine

#138

Post by davedx »

matwood wrote: post #114
Brendinooo wrote: post #93

Earlier 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.

Gatekeeping weight lifting? Come on. Let people work out the way that works for them.

Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine

#139

Post by davidguetta »

atchoo wrote: post #136

Everyone is very complementary so can I be allowed to be the debbie downer? As a web app, it's neat! Functionally, not a fan as yet. I've lifted for a couple of decades. I put in the muscles for a pull workout I will be doing today and the results are... dumb. "Dumbbell superman" nah not going to do that. Two types of hammer curl? Nah that's a waste of time. "Bayesian hammer curl" wtf, my eye is twitching. Two types…

Yeah, the idea is great ("what can you do with the equipment you have") but that also kinda promote a bit of fuckarounditis (https://leangains.com/fuckarounditis/) by asking the user "what muscle do you really wanna target", instead of emphasizing a better approach of lifting overall which is strong "functional" compound movements such as the big 6 (bench press / squat / deadlift / pull ups / rows / overhead press)

Re: Show HN: Workout.lol – a web app to easily create a workout routine

#140

Post by taccicardia »

atchoo wrote: post #136

Everyone is very complementary so can I be allowed to be the debbie downer? As a web app, it's neat! Functionally, not a fan as yet. I've lifted for a couple of decades. I put in the muscles for a pull workout I will be doing today and the results are... dumb. "Dumbbell superman" nah not going to do that. Two types of hammer curl? Nah that's a waste of time. "Bayesian hammer curl" wtf, my eye is twitching. Two types…

i have to agree. and i agree with other posters' sentiment of "who is this for?" hitting the randomizer on a bunch of exercises is just awful programming, full stop. the app is snappy and kind of novel, but i'm not exaggerating when i say this is one of the most pointless workout apps i've seen, and i've used a lot.
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