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How Fitbod Creates Your Workout
Table of Contents
How Fitbod Creates Your Workout
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why can't Fitbod generate a workout with my selected combination?
Why doesn't Fitbod have fixed workout programs?
I have fresh muscles, why isn't Fitbod recommending a workout?
How does Fitbod know which muscles need recovery?
What if I don't like an exercise in my workout?
Can I control which muscles to focus on?
Why are the exercises in this order?
How Fitbod Creates Your Workout
At Fitbod, every workout is a step toward your personal fitness goals, our approach goes beyond one-size-fits-all routines. Instead, we tailor every exercise, set, and rep to match your unique preference, progress, and equipment availability.
We get to know you! Before generating your workout, Fitbod builds a personalized fitness profile.
Here's what we track:
Your Personal Details: Age, gender, weight, and height.
Your Fitness Goals: Whether you're focused on bodybuilding, strength training, muscle tone, etc.
Your Experience Level: From beginner to advanced.
Your Available Equipment: Dumbbells, barbells, kettlebells, resistance bands, and more. No equipment? No problem - Fitbod works with whatever you have.
Your Workout Preferences: Workout duration, whether you like warmups/cooldowns, your muscle split (like push/pull/legs or upper/legs), etc.
We learn from your past workouts. The more you train, the smarter Fitbod becomes. Every workout you log in to the app reaches the system how to better serve you. We learn from you by taking a look at your Exercise History, what exercises you've done, when you did them, and your performances (sets, reps, and weights). Your Muscle Recovery Status, we track which muscles are fresh and ready to work and which still need recovery time. And of course, we track your Strength Progress, Fitbod monitors your strength gains and progress over time to keep you moving forward.
Using this data, we are able to generate your next workout- Fitbod crafts a session designed strictly for you. We do this by Goal - Driven Selection, exercises are selected to support your fitness goal, whether it's strength, hypertrophy, or anything else. We are Equipment Aware, No Barbell? No problem. Fitbod recommends exercises using your available equipment. Your Likes and Dislikes, we track which exercises you seem to like and dislike and adjust your workouts accordingly.
***Important Note: Your first few workouts are just the beginning. As you progress Fitbod adapts, continuously improving your experience with time. Stay consistent and you will see how Fitbod evolves with you!
FAQ
Why can't Fitbod generate a workout with my selected combination?
There are several possibilities as to why there may be limited workout generation, such as:
- Equipment Constraints - For instance, there are no bodyweight bicep exercises so if you don't have any equipment, we are unable to include biceps exercises in your workout. Please note, that a pull-up bar is considered a piece of equipment, even though body weight serves as the resistance in the exercise.
- Time Constraints - If you select several muscle groups but only have (say) 30 minutes, it wont be possible to include them all. For example, a one-hour typically has around 8 exercises and if you manually target 10 muscle groups, Fitbod will not be able to accommodate all of the selected muscle groups.
- Bodyweight-only enabled - If you play with your workout preferences you will see a setting called "Bodyweight Only Workouts." If you turn it on, you will not get any exercises that require weights.
Why doesn't Fitbod have workout programs?
Fixed programs are static and have a defined end date. But your fitness journey never stops. Fitbod adjusts based on your goals and progress, keeping you on a path to continuous improvement.
I have fresh muscles, why isn’t Fitbod recommending a workout with those muscle groups?
While fresh muscles are important, Fitbod considers overall workout balance, goal alignment, and equipment availability. If we don't recommend an exercise, it's because we believe another option will serve you better.
How does Fitbod know which muscles need recovery?
Every time you log a workout, Fitbod tracks which muscles were worked. If a muscle is very fatigued, we may deprioritize it in the next workout (though depending on the constraints - muscle split, equipment, etc - it may still be targeted). This helps you train efficiently while avoiding overuse and injuries.
What if I don't like an exercise in my workout?
No problem! You can swap exercises at any time by using the Replace Exercise feature. Even if you don't want to replace the exercise uou can utilize our Recommend More, less, or Exclude feature as well. When you do, Fitbod remebers your choice and adjusts future recommendations.
Can I control which muscles to focus on?
Absolutely! Fitbod prioritizes your input. If you manually selected muscle groups (like "Back" plus "Chest"), we will focus on exercises targeting those areas. If you need help choosing your Target Muscles, check out our article on Editing Workouts - it's full of helpful tips to get you started!
Why are the exercises in this order?
Our exercise order is deliberate. It's a mix of exercise science and learning from your personal preferences. We are constantly experimenting with that though, to find out what works best, so it's possible that in different workouts you see the same exercise in different positions.
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How Fitbod Recommends Sets, Reps, and Weight
Table of Contents
How Fitbod Recommends Sets, Reps, and Weight
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
If I stop using Fitbod for a while, will the app automatically reduce my weight recommendations?
I haven’t been working out, how long will it take Fitbod to adjust my strength recommendations?
How Fitbod Recommends Sets, Reps, and Weight
When an exercise is selected, Fitbod will suggest a number of sets and repetitions (reps) to perform based on the specific exercise and your fitness goal. In addition, if you performed the exercise in the past, Fitbod will incorporate prior sets and rep counts and recommend a weight based on your previous input. Fitbod uses a sophisticated Warm Start model to provide initial workout recommendations for both new exercises and new users. This system helps Fitbod quickly understand your capabilities and tailor them to your needs from day one. Learn more about how our Warm Start Model works and how it ensures you receive personalized workout plans right from the start.
Fitbod's algorithm selects a sets and reps scheme that is appropriate for your fitness goals and the exercise. It then estimates your theoretical One-Repetition Maximum - how much you could lift in one set of one rep - based on what is known about you. Finally, it uses a modified version of the Brzycki formula to calculate an appropriate weight given the sets and rep scheme and your estimated one-repetition maximum. That is how the optimal number of sets and reps and the optimal weight for each of your exercises in each of your workouts are determined.
Sets, reps, and weight recommendations are also based on the non-linear periodization resistance technique, which alters the intensity/volume relationship in every workout. With this technique, you may not hit your limit or max effort in every workout, but the method will ensure that intensity and volume are varied and periodically increased over time. This ensures maximum effectiveness for both hypertrophy (muscle gain) and burning calories for weight loss. Fitbod gives you the flexibility to adjust your recommended sets, reps, and weight based on how challenging you find the initial recommendations. If you completed the initial recommendations without making any adjustments the app will prompt you with an Exertion Rating, which helps Fitbod understand how you liked or disliked the recommendation. If you modify the initial recommendation the app will take that into account and assume you adjusted the workout to your capabilities and take that into account for future recommendations.
FAQ
If I stop using Fitbod for a while, will the app automatically reduce my weight recommendations?
Yes, Fitbod will! If you take time off due to vacation, need a break, or recovering from an injury, Fitbod will reduce your Estimated Strength depending on the duration you've been away, lowering your strength recommendations. If those recommendations feel off, please safely adjust them and Fitbod will adjust your future recommendations accordingly!
I haven't been working out, how long will it take Fitbod to adjust my strength recommendations?
Fitbod's muscle strength decay logic typically kicks in within a few weeks from when you stop logging workouts. Although you will not get a notification from the app, you will notice that the weight recommendations for exercises not performed during this time will decrease.
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How Fitbod Measures Muscle Recovery
When you log an exercise, Fitbod measures the impact of the particular exercise, including the sets, reps, and weight on a targeted muscle group. This helps determine how fatigued the muscle is after your workout. After completing a full workout, Fitbod provides a composite heat map that visualizes how the set of exercises performed has collectively impact your muscular system.
For an individual muscle group, Fitbod examines the sum of all exercises targeting that muscle group and assigns a muscle recovery percentage between 0% and 100%. Muscles fully recover over a 7 day period in Fitbod.
If you're an iOS user and have granted sync permission for Apple Health, Fitbit, or Strava, or input any of your body stats (i.e. Height, Weight, Age, Gender, etc), Fitbod will just your muscle recovery percentage appropriately. For cardio exercises, Fitbod will also consider how frequently you perform the exercise along with the intensity of a given exercise when computing muscle recovery state.
Fitbod attempts to design a full workout considering the relative freshness of all muscle groups. However, it's not necessary to avoid a muscle until 100% recovery. You can continue to work semi-recuperated muscle groups as long as you provide ample recovery time. You can also adjust your recovery state if you feel as if your muscle groups are fully recovered or too fatigued. Fitbod will never recommend an exercise that targets a 0% recovered muscle group, unless under specific conditions.
Related Resources: Muscle Recovery
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How Fitbod Recommends Weight to New Users
Table of Contents
How Fitbod Recommends Weight to New Users
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Why is Fitbod recommending weights that are so low?
Why is Fitbod recommending certain weights?
How Fitbod Recommends Weight to New Users
Are you a beginner to weightlifting?
Not sure how much weight you should start with?
No worries! Let Fitbod do that work for you! With close to 8 million workouts and 52 million sets logged, Fitbod uses data science to recommend a starting weight for any exercise tailored to your fitness goal, fitness level, and body profile (age and gender). Using this data, the app is able to determine a theoretical Estimated Strength (1 rep max) for a given exercise. To reduce the risk of injury, especially for those who are new to strength training, Fitbod makes slight adjustments so that predicted values are more on the conservative side. The app then creates a set and rep scheme following 85-100% of the predicted value as your starting weight.
It is important to keep in mind that these are conservative recommendations so if you feel like the set, rep, and weight scheme provided to you is too easy, feel free to adjust the weight slightly. It is best to perform the set and rep recommendation to completion while feeling challenged during the workout. This will allow the app to create a better workout for you going forward.
FAQ
Why is Fitbod recommending weights that are so low?
There are a lot of reasons that might be happening. One of the most common is that Fitbod is still trying to figure out your capabilities. When you first start using Fitbod, it will set you up with starting weights. Adjust them to fit your capabilities, and then continue to change them as you keep training.
If you have any additional questions or concerns on the weight that is being recommended to you in the app please see our article on Fitbod’s Algorithm FAQ. If you’re still unsure please feel free to reach out to our support team at support@fitbod.me.
Why is Fitbod recommending certain weights?
A lot goes into Fitbod’s weight recommendations. One of the most important is your workout history. If you don’t have any past performances of an exercise, Fitbod looks at your performances with related exercises to make an appropriate recommendation. If you have no workout history, Fitbod uses a “warm start” value, meaning Fitbod generates a recommendation based on the 87 million logged workouts we have in our database that share a similar body profile, goals, and experience level as you.
***Don't like the recommendations? Let us know by emailing support@fitbod.me.
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How Fitbod Calculates Calories Burned
Table of Contents
Introduction
Fitbod calculates calories burned based on the volume of weight lifted during a workout and the duration of the workout. Additionally, Fitbod uses your Weight, Height, Gender, and Age to further refine and improve the calories burned estimation. For iOS users, if you're using an Apple Watch as well, Fitbod will read in heart rate to factor into the calorie calculation.
Weight is a required entry for Calories Burned to be estimated. Input your weight by either connecting Apple Health (for iOS) within the Fitbod app (this will use your height and weight data from Apple Health) or input your weight manually (for Android). Instructions for both can be found below.
iOS
Connect to Apple Health
- Open the Fitbod app
- Log tab
- Settings (top right corner)
- Connected Apps
- Apple Health
- Select the option to Sync
Important note:
***You must have Fitbod Read permissions turned ON in Apple Health. To view this setting, please use the following steps:
- Open Apple Health
- Select your profile (top right)
- Apps (under the Privacy section)
- Fitbod
- Date of Birth, Height, Sex, and Weight under the Read Data section should be toggled ON
Manually Enter your Body Profile Stats
- Open the Fitbod app
- Log tab
- Settings (top right)
- Body Profile (under the ABOUT YOU section)
- Manually enter your body profile stats
Important note:
***If you have Apple Health synced with Height and Weight permissions turned ON, this data will automatically be filled in for you.
Android
Manually Enter your Body Profile Stats
- Open the Fitbod app
- Log tab
- Settings (top right)
- Body Profile (under the ABOUT YOU section)
- Manually enter your body profile stats
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How Fitbod Normalizes Superset/Circuit Weight
Introduction
With Fitbod's superset and circuit feature, complete your exercises in rounds to take your workout intensity to the next level. To make your time at the gym easier, you have the option to normalize the weight for exercises within your superset/circuit to reduce the amount of equipment you need.
For supersets, Fitbod will normalize the weight of the second exercise to match the first if the equipment used is the same between both exercises (like the example shown below). The algorithm will match the weight but alter the set and rep scheme based on your exercise history (Estimated Strength).
For circuits, Fitbod will normalize the weight of subsequent exercise based on the preceding exercise of the circuit. If exercise equipment differs or no exercise equipment is used in the preceding exercise, the algorithm will not normalize weight for subsequent exercises.
Please see the superset example below:
Before Normalization of Weight
After Normalization of Weight
For instructions on how to normalize weight in a superset/circuit, please visit Editing Workout: Normalize Weight in Superset/Circuit.