[steve_adams_86]

Features 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 despite my experience) can be not knowing wtf something is, or why to do it, and generally what the benefits are.

4. Treat warmups like any exercise - a critical part of the routine. Include lots of warm up exercises, whether it's something you make quantifiable progress with or not. Everything from skipping rope and light jogging to dead bugs. Include these as part of program generation.

Maybe something does this, but my favourite tracker (Strong) doesn't cover all of it and I'd switch in an instant if something did. I like the idea of switching programs every year or so, experimenting with warm ups, having convenient access to understanding programs and lifts better, etc. As it is, working out requires a crazy amount of research. Or a coach.

[qwerty456127]

> 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.

[et-al]

Exrx.net is still the grail, but recently someone created Musclewiki.

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=25854523

[thebigman433]

Definitely a good thing to include in these databases. If you have a regular gym membership too, they usually offer a free personal training class. Using this to just ask how to use proper form on exercises is a great way to learn a bunch. My gym offers 2 free classes and I basically got full workouts with explanations on how to do everything from the trainer.

[qwerty456127]

This seemed a reasonable way to make sure decisions are made by competent people rather than the crowd. But today this seems becoming a scam.

[qwerty456127]

This comment was meant as a response to a different one in another thread about electoral democracy how it works nowadays.

[ed]

If you want to feel like you’ve discovered a superpower, pay for “programming” on a marketplace like TrainHeroic.

Lots of trainers actually buy their programming from other trainers, since good programming is a lot of work, so you might as well go straight to the source.

You’ll probably need to buy more gear but that’s kind of unavoidable.

[georgehotelling]

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.

[Vaslo]

I also recommend Fitbod. Excellent tracking and use of watch and workout plans generated for you but plenty of options to customize to get rid of exercises you can’t do it want to avoid. I love that it generates the workout for you and then forces you to max out on a few exercises to calculate your max strength which can be used for suggested weights in further exercises. Can have multiple gym setups with excluded exercises (in case you have a regular gym but also use something much more limited like home.)

As mentioned the videos are great and explanations clear.

[notjustanymike]

I'll second that, FitBod was the single best investment I made during the pandemic. Partially because I didn't invest in AMD, Netflix, Zoom, Gamestop, AMC, Bitcoin or Doge; but also because it taught me how to work out!

[iab]

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?

[dkokelley]

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 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.)

[iab]

Spot-on. Literally the only app I have ever recommended to friends, but it’s buggy nature now is so grating.

[donkeyd]

How I love Apple's new 'App privacy' cards. The app you recommended seems to have pretty decent privacy practices, there doesn't seem to be tracking outside of the app, nor tracking for advertising. This is rare in fitness apps, some of which use health data for advertising, which I find appalling.

So thanks for the tip!

[2muchcoffeeman]

As it is, working out requires a crazy amount of research. Or a coach.

This is my biggest problem with all these apps and videos.

I have trained with a great coach with a good track record of training serious athletes and rehabilitation.

In my opinion, all of these apps are useless at best (unless you already have a good idea of what you’re doing) and dangerous at worst because none of their instructions are complete.

[steve_adams_86]

I agree - I’m meeting with a coach to get programming because I’m kind of tired of researching to get the best results. It’ll cost a fair chunk of change, but it’ll save me a lot of time and energy too. I just want to focus on doing a great program to the best of my ability, not actually programming it all. Or failing to.

[sitesuniverse]

Great feedback, thanks!

[mam3]

1 and 2 are ok, i'd also ad a bit about nutrition which is around 50% of the work

3: oh come on... if your actual limitation is entering the name of the exercice in the google bar literally ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, then your ACTUAL limitation is a base level of motivation and you should rather find another activity.

4: warmups are WAY overrated for fitness. Just don't push too much with max weight and that's all, and listen to your body. I've injured myself way more in my youth where I was doing warmups but egolifting instead that now where I do 0 warmup but work at 90% max.

[steve_adams_86]

I agree about nutrition, that's a great point.

I'm half with you and half not on point 3. I've been working out for a long time, and I still need to refresh myself and review stuff quite often. Maybe my memory is terrible. I also want to be certain I'm getting form right and using all exercises I do as productively as possible though, so I feel the research is warranted in many cases.

I don't mind doing it, my health is worth it. I suppose this is my point though: In programming, I need to research constantly, but the internet is full of bad ideas and red herrings and half truths when it comes to solving all kinds of problems. Fitness is a little more cut and dry in some regards, but the misinformation and low quality is similarly very widespread. I'm very tired of the sifting and sorting, and I'd LOVE to have a resource I knew to come back to for all manner of things fitness. Many things try to be that, but they tend to fail in my experience.

I disagree on 4 - I've become a strong proponent of warm ups as I've gotten older. I focus a lot on locking in good form using lighter movements, loosening up, and getting acquainted with how my body feels that day. I don't think it's only an asset in injury prevention, but also in keying into your performance and how your body's feeling. Definitely less critical for young ones, but I've found it to improve my time at the gym very consistently.

Like nutrition though, we've all got a different set of preferences and needs. If you don't feel like you need a warm up and your track record proves it, I'd skip it. What I'd like to see though is the ability to insert a warm up I love into a routine I do as though it's part of that routine. Then it's very take it or leave it, but supports the shitty inflexible tree people like me who need to be coerced into moving their bodies.