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How Fitbod Creates Your Workout

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why Fitbod cannot generate a workout with that combination?

Why doesn't Fitbod have workout programs?

I have fresh muscles, why isn't Fitbod recommending a workout?

How Fitbod Creates Your Workout

While the majority of other workout plans are fixed meaning you must perform the prescribed method, even if your body or workout schedule changes. Fitbod designs a unique workout plan - in real-time - based on a variety of personalized inputs. Also with fixed plans, you cannot change an individual exercise and easily understand how the broader workout is affected. However, Fitbod has a dynamic plan construction, you can change individual exercises or a variety of other workout preferences and Fitbod will re-optimize the workout to appropriately incorporate any changes. 

Initially, Fitbod’s first recommended workout is merely an estimation. As you log more workouts and make adjustments, Fitbod learns about your capabilities and will eventually start recommending better-tailored workouts. For more information on how Fitbod recommends weight to new users, please visit this article.

When you open Fitbod, the app will examine the entire workout database & your exercise history to select the top exercise that best satisfies the following constraints:

• Targets a primary & recuperated muscle group that will be a point of focus for the workout.
• Choose an exercise best aligned to your fitness goal (for example, Bodybuilding vs. Muscle Tone).
• Satisfies a variety of personal preferences from strength-training style, gender, and experience with strength-training, available equipment, and more. 

Next, Fitbod will select an exercise that represents the second-best option to satisfy the criteria above. Often this exercise may target the same muscle group, though it may target a different muscle group, representing a secondary point of focus for the workout. Also, sets, reps, and weight recommendations are based on the non-linear periodization resistance technique, which alters the intensity/volume relationship in every workout. 

To round out the rest of the workout (and if the workout duration allows), Fitbod performs a similar exercise selection process to pick more exercises that both target fresh muscles and support the broader fitness goal (for example, Bodybuilding vs. Muscle Tone).

Lastly, strength-training best practices call for a number of core-body exercises that target the Abdominal and Lower Back muscle groups. These muscle groups act as muscular foundations, allowing you to perform proper technique and push the volume and intensity of exercises targeting larger muscle groups.

FAQ

Why Fitbod cannot generate a workout with that combination?

There are several possibilities as to why Fitbod cannot generate a specific workout combination. Fitbod takes a lot into account when generating a workout for you. A few common reasons can be found below: 

• Equipment requirements - You may not have enough equipment; for example, all bicep (and most pull) exercises require equipment, so if you've selected "bodyweight only", you won't get bicep and back exercises in the workout. When the "bodyweight only" option is toggled on, exercises that require any form of equipment, including pull-up bar exercises that are categorized as bodyweight activities, will not be recommended to you in your workout because a pull-up bar is considered a piece of equipment.
• Workout duration - Your workout duration may be too short for the selected muscle groups and Fitbod can only accommodate a limited amount of muscle groups. For example, a one-hour workout typically has around 8 exercises and if you manually target 10 muscle groups, Fitbod will not be able to accommodate all selected muscle groups.

Why doesn't Fitbod have workout programs?

Workout programs aren't usually tailored to your unique data and oftentimes have an end goal. As of today, Fitbod is more of a consistent training program.

I have fresh muscles, why isn’t Fitbod recommending a workout with those muscle groups?

While Fitbod aims to prioritize the most recovered muscle groups, you may not always receive them in your next workout. There are many additional factors that the algorithm must address alongside considering muscle recovery, such as the best exercises for the day, duration, available equipment, cardio settings, and more. Therefore, this is expected behavior currently with the Fresh Muscle Group split.

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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.

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

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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Introduction

iOS

Android

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

1. Open the Fitbod app
2. Log tab
3. Settings (top right corner)
4. Connected Apps
5. Apple Health
6. 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:

1. Open Apple Health
2. Select your profile (top right)
3. Apps (under the Privacy section)
4. Fitbod
5. Date of Birth, Height, Sex, and Weight under the Read Data section should be toggled ON

Manually Enter your Body Profile Stats

1. Open the Fitbod app
2. Log tab
3. Settings (top right)
4. Body Profile (under the ABOUT YOU section)
5. 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

1. Open the Fitbod app
2. Log tab
3. Settings (top right)
4. Body Profile (under the ABOUT YOU section)
5. Manually enter your body profile stats

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.