HN Explorer

289 comments

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lukevdp
Looks great, but I just tried on my mobile and after selecting equipment, there's no way to get to the next step
stefanvdw1
It seems you have to click on the next step in the stepper above. But I agree that a “next” button would make more sense
Vincenius
There was a small bug with the button on some browsers - should be fixed now :)
aiibe
Very cool web app!
LelouBil
I was looking for something exactly like this just yesterday !
sander1095
I think this misses an initial step: Your goal. I'm not very experienced with all the different types of gym equipment and what you use them for.

I'd love to see recommendations if my goal would be to build up some muscle and lose weight, and why this would be recommended.

Then this would be very useful for me

hashmush
Yes! I agree, it'd also be nice if the "select equipment you want to use" instead was "select what you have available".

I'm a noob. I have some stuff. Show me what I can do with it!

k2xl
Very cool but it shows me workouts requiring a pull up bar when I said I don't have it (only selected body weight and dumbbell then chose biceps and back)
Vincenius
Thanks for the report - I fixed it in the database :)
pacifika
Love the site, and the workflow.

As a non native speaker I understand you’re trying to keep the instructions brief but I have to read them multiple times to understand what to do.

You could add some physiotherapy exercises with a stick as well.

bgoldste
Also love the site.

> As a non native speaker I understand you’re trying to keep the instructions brief but I have to read them multiple times to understand what to do.

I’m a native speaker and I frequently experience this reading workout instructions. Something about exercise language in general feels very clunky.

Tildey
I found it’s a form of jargon, and once you know more about the field, it becomes much clearer.

Before I started working out at all, I found it really hard to follow any workout instructions (even videos). I couldn’t tell if what I was doing felt right or if my form was off in some important way.

After a few sessions with a personal trainer/physical therapist, and just getting comfortable with the sensations and movements, I found it much easier to figure out what I’m supposed to be doing from an instruction. I had more of the building blocks that I knew were correct already.

Text is still inherently a difficult way to instruct movements though.

BoorishBears
I was still worried about where the LLM fit into all this, but I think we've found an opening!
h1fra
Very nice, I was looking to build something similar.

Definitely needs a fullscreen mode with timer and video. Plus a way to configure step reps/timer :D

Vincenius
Adding a timer is next on my bucket list :)
brigandish
I second steps/reps. I'd also add the reps done in the workout history in the profile.
beaker52
This is awesome. Exactly what I want. Equipment, muscle group selection, simply ui, autoplay straight to the point videos - nothing between me and working out. It’s pretty much the perfect UX for me because anything that’s not aimed doing the work turns me off. Thank you!
RamblingCTO
Why can't I train arms and neck? :(
aniforprez
Why can't I train my calves?

I also hope the prompt to select "what do you want to use" is changed to "what equipment do you have".

Vincenius
Probably there are no exercises for your selected equipment / difficulty settings in my database
jasfi
Neck? Increased sleep apnea risk.
RamblingCTO
source?

I do muay thai and it's essential for clinching and is part of my training anyway.

jasfi
Search on sleep apnea and neck size. Your neck can be strong, actually, it's just that past a certain size your risk increases. That may not be a problem for you.
RamblingCTO
OK thanks haha, yeah I don't have that big of a neck
jasfi
Something like this is definitely needed. I like how you start by selecting what you have access to.

It would be great if a yoga mat were another option. Then you could link to videos of yoga moves, just as you do with other exercises.

Vincenius
Good idea! Actually, I already have data for yoga in my database - I just didn't add it because I wasn't sure if it's possible to generate random yoga workouts or if they need to follow an order to make sense

I'll think of a way to add it :)

jasfi
I don't think they need to follow any order, but some people might like doing them in various orders.
AmericanChopper
I'm sure a lot of yoga instructors would cringe at this comment. Yoga routines generally start out with same few basic warm up moves, they generally focus on a particular area of the body, working up to more difficult poses as the routine goes on, and end with some lighter stretching to cool off, most typically finishing with savasana (aka lying down on your back).

You could probably algorithmically generate routines like this, but I wouldn't suggest a randomly generated one for best results (or safety). There's a few really good instructors on YouTube, and I'd personally recommend looking there if you're after a thoughtfully composed routine to follow.

jasfi
The site is missing warmups in general, and would be a good addition. Perhaps there some warmups would only be for specific exercise types. E.g. yoga warmups for yoga moves.
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tiku
I don't need a workout routine. I need someone that checks if I arrive at the gym. There is no service for that. Once I am at the gym I work out.
bhaskara2
Will you be able to elaborate on this? How would a service check if you arrive at the gym, and even if it does how will that motivate you to go to the gym.
Tildey
A personal trainer is the service you’re looking for. Or a gym friend group
peepee1982
I think software (or a service) won't be the solution to your problem. I know some people are trying to solve this with gamification or accountability apps, but in my experience those only work short-term because they don't address the core issues responsible for the lack of motivation, although I'm sure they help establish good habits in some cases.

Lack of motivation usually stems from a lack of energy, which can stem from both physiological as well as psychological issues, which can stem from spiritual issues (the sense of self and how it relates to your environment).

If I'm well rested and in harmony with my authentic self, I usually don't have a problem finding the motivation to do things that are good for me.

krisroadruck
Two options:

-- Accountability Coach

-- Personal trainer

Of the 2, personal trainer is probably better if you are new to the gym (been lifting 0-2 years) because they will also help you nail technique/form so you don't get yourself injured swinging around ego lifts.

You don't have to pay a lot for this either - don't get the $120/hr folks at big 24 hour gyms, find a private gym where one trainer might be working with about 6-8 folks at any one time. They will queue up each set of exercises for you, check your form and then do the same for someone else while you are doing the bulk of the work.

The place I go to charges $45 per 90 minute session for this and it's great. I don't need to figure out my workout, track my weights/reps for progressive overload or anything. They take care of all of that. I just show up, do the work and get on with my day.

trewqasdf
The UX is efficient to get started. I would also like to have something similar for office ergonomics, like stretching your back or neck when taking a break from the 'puter.
rzmmm
Seems to work nicely. I like how it saves the workout even without registering.
seagullriffic
Very well done. It would be good if the video pop-overs were a bit larger by default (even double the size) as on my resolution screen they're pretty small. One of the videos was face-on (mountain climber) so I couldn't see really what was going on with the legs.
Vincenius
Thanks! Improving the video sizes is on my list and will hopefully come soon :)
jrnkntl
Nice work and pleasant to use. One improvement idea I have after getting to the exercise list is to add a warmup routine for the chosen muscle groups. Before beginning the exercices.
shadowfax92
This is incredible! Love how simple and intuitive it is.
tom___n
Very nice, thank you for creating this! I love how it looks on mobile device, definitely will start using it.
shubhamjain
What an awesome execution. This app goes to show how you can build an excellent product even in a crowded market like Fitness. There must be gazillion workout builders out there, but OP's is the first one that I have seen which shows every exercise with example videos, and allows you to build exact workout you need without multiple google searches.
Vincenius
Thanks a lot!!
hamasho
This is truly fantastic, thank you!

The overall experiences are so great. And I have strong respect for apps like this where I can enjoy a lot of features without being required to create an account. I understand it's difficult in corporations where KPIs like registration rate matters. But even when given a choice, it must be challenging to design seamless UX/UI and write code which works well with both locally stored data (without an account) and remotely stored data (with an account). I hope more apps adopt this approach. There are very few examples. Excalidraw is the one that comes to mind.

Anyway I really love your app, thank you! I'll use this in the next gym session (if I finally hit the gym...)

ano88888
it is very well made.It gives me confidence that every vertical is up for grabs if you really pay attention to details and attack from your own unqiue angle. No softwre or solution is feature complete or done.
edpichler
Awesome execution. I totally agree.
felixguendling
Very nice! What can be added is to group exercises in beginner, medium and advanced and add warmup and stretching routines.
Vincenius
Thanks! The beginner / intermediate / advanced selection is available on the screen where you select the muscles. Adding warm-ups and stretching rountines is on my list :)
bjornasm
Just make sure it doesn't end up to advanced and convoluted (maybe an advanced mode/easy mode?). Really nice work :)
Physkal
Thanks I had to check twice. My eyes glossed right over that and went straight to the muscle group.
andyjohnson0
This is great. I love the simple, effective UX.
willhackett
This is fantastic! I'll be using this in the AM.
have_faith
Is there an open database for muscles / muscle groups with relationships to exercises?
tonyone
www.musclewiki.com Edit: I just saw that this is the source for workout.lol
dodos
I'm not sure if this is exactly what you are looking for, but there have been a couple discussions here about musclewiki in the past.

https://news.ycombinator.com/from?site=musclewiki.com

have_faith
I noticed that workout.lol was scraping data from there. The website itself says that it's fine to re-use the data but I was imagining more a SQL database with an explicit license etc.