Great idea, you could make a pretty cool app out of this: let people create routines by letting them associate pictures with exercise names and amount of seconds.
They could then create workouts by creating a list of exercises and rest periods and play their routing with the timer you created.
Once again a wonderful example of something incredibly simple but incredibly useful. This would be particularly beneficial for Crossfit style workouts that are closely linked to a timer and where there is a different set of exercises every single day.
For Android, there is a very simple free app called ExerTime ( https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.aisknab.ex... ). It's not pretty and the configuration UI is both annoying and confusing (you must enter the total elapsed time at each step, not the time-per-step), but the normal use case works really well. The right options are available (notification sound, audio channel, text-to-speech, screen lock).
I agree that for the best results, changing it up (also called Muscle Confusion - http://athletics.wikia.com/wiki/Muscle_Confusion_Principle) is also necessary.
Instead of making your own workout (which most people are not qualified to do), we've built an app that asks for your goal, level, time, equipment, etc. to build you a personalized routine that changes as you go: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/pumpup-workout-coach/id57307....
The hardest part of working out shouldn't be coming up with the plan.
"Muscle Confusion" is not a legitimate physiological property.
It seems to be a mutated misunderstanding of "accommodation", which is almost entirely a nervous system phenomenon having almost little to do with adaptations in muscle tissue.
The best form of "changing it up" for hypertrophy is to modulate standard acute training variables. Merely randomly changing exercises is ... not efficient.
I wish I could upvote this several times. Muscle confusion is a b.s. term, you need periodization in your training. Merely doing random shit everyday is going to work while your are a total newb, but you'll never get really strong that way.
Would also just let you set the time interval for cues and have ability keep them repeating indefinitely until you close the app. eg I have 3-4 stretches I want to do after working out and sort of count in my head to 30 seconds for each one.
I assume this is from the recent NYT article about the intense seven minute workout. The order of the exercises is important because it shifts from upper to lower body. You're supposed to do each one as intense as you can and rest for 10 seconds between. The research suggest this type of high intensity interval workout has the same effects as long moderate intensity workouts...very cool and thanks.
My son started doing this and was fumbling with timing on his watch. I'll have him use this now.
Seems the 7 minutes was taken pretty literally in this app. The article suggests doing each exercise for 30 seconds, followed by 10 seconds of rest, for a total of 7:50. I was confused by each exercise started at :26 and rest at :8.
Would definitely be interested in downloading and tweaking this for my own. Github, perhaps?
Edit: FYI, don't release production code with console.log() if you can help it. :-p
It seemed like most of the comments when the article was on HN were saying that this is not a very good workout... Having said that, cool site, looks great!
I don't think that is an accurate summary. There is tons of scientific evidence for short, high intensity training like this. The only legit complaints were the idiot saying it is useless because it won't make you into a power lifter (it certainly won't make you a power lifter, but that doesn't make it useless), and the people pointing out that you should check with your doctor first to make sure you don't hurt yourself.
Even if you don't exercise in your "computer room," it'd be trivially easy to put your laptop or tablet on a chair and do the exercises with it in your field of vision
7's the key number here. Think about it. 7-Elevens. 7 dwarves. 7, man, that's the number. 7 chipmunks twirlin' on a branch, eatin' lots of sunflowers on my uncle's ranch. You know that old children's tale from the sea. It's like you're dreamin' about Gorgonzola cheese when it's clearly Brie time, baby. Step into my office.
Ha ha, I decided to try the 7-min workout last night for the heck of it and I basically wanted something exactly like this. Nice job, it does its purpose perfectly.
One small suggestion: Perhaps a louder audio cue for transitions between exercises in case you aren't looking at the screen.
I forwarded this program to my coworker when I saw it on HN yesterday. Now, I'm going to forward him this link... he refuses to go to the gym because he's too busy so hopefully this will help him kickstart some fitness in his life.
Great work! I tried the workout for the first time after a run this afternoon... it kicked my butt! As I was following along on the ipad I was thinking a simple app would be perfect for this. Love the implementation and visuals!
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[ 4.0 ms ] story [ 230 ms ] threadThey could then create workouts by creating a list of exercises and rest periods and play their routing with the timer you created.
Does this exist? I want one.
Once again a wonderful example of something incredibly simple but incredibly useful. This would be particularly beneficial for Crossfit style workouts that are closely linked to a timer and where there is a different set of exercises every single day.
Brilliant!
I made an app called RipDeck based on the deck of cards workout that is great for providing variety to your routine.
We have a weekly featured deck or you can create custom decks. Great for bodyweight exercises. Give it a try. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/ripdeck/id409921624?mt=8
The featured decks are available on the site if you want some workout ideas for use with a regular deck of cards. http://ripdeckapp.com
It seems to be a mutated misunderstanding of "accommodation", which is almost entirely a nervous system phenomenon having almost little to do with adaptations in muscle tissue.
The best form of "changing it up" for hypertrophy is to modulate standard acute training variables. Merely randomly changing exercises is ... not efficient.
Would also just let you set the time interval for cues and have ability keep them repeating indefinitely until you close the app. eg I have 3-4 stretches I want to do after working out and sort of count in my head to 30 seconds for each one.
My son started doing this and was fumbling with timing on his watch. I'll have him use this now.
Would definitely be interested in downloading and tweaking this for my own. Github, perhaps?
Edit: FYI, don't release production code with console.log() if you can help it. :-p
http://elsbethvaino.com/2013/05/should-you-do-a-newspaper-wo...
Are you sure you are on the right site? This is a pretty tech-heavy news site.
One small suggestion: Perhaps a louder audio cue for transitions between exercises in case you aren't looking at the screen.
"THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT!!!!
That's. The. Most. Ingenious. Thing. Ever.
Now, I just have to bring my phone with me. Woohoo!
When I play it on the computer it ticks down, my phones doesn't so I'll have to pay attention to it, which could be tricky, but that's sweet. Thanks!"
One suggestion would be to add a Switch pop-up if you run into exercises like Side Plank.