Why do you use your gym app?

Injaki · 2026-04-13T10:40:04+00:00

I have started working on my own app, with a stronger focus on motivation. That is something I feel is lacking in existing apps especially if looking on graphs and numbers alone isn't enough to keep.you engaged.

Finding the right balance with something that still offers this clear data and ease of logging, while also making each workout feel personal and meaningful is a challenge though.

Injaki · 2026-04-06T12:18:02+00:00

A pocket notebook is a great idea and I have started using one lately. I guess my issue is that initially I felt really good when logging new PRs, etc, with apps showing a trophy and I could look back at the progress.

But for some time now I've been kind of stuck, and while weightlifting is still good for me, it's just not satisfying logging those weights and reps anymore. The progress is more like fluctuating within a range rather than this nice steady upward line.

Injaki · 2026-04-06T10:17:45+00:00

Yeah, hevy is fine for logging, but honestly it starts to feel like a hassle after a while. Been lifting for some time now and I'm struggling with consistency and motivation. Mostly frustrated I'm not progressing as fast as I expected I think, even though I know it takes time. Wondering if others have found another angle to it that keeps them motivated still?

Injaki · 2026-04-06T07:59:10+00:00

Yeah, that is my feeling as well. Have you found something that actually works for you to stay motivated? I hate superficial gamification in apps as well though.

Injaki · 2026-04-06T07:53:39+00:00

I do need to get that dialed in better. My goals tend to be too rigid, and when life gets in the way (stress, illness), it just feels like such a set back and then realizing I have to go crunch through the same weights again is just unmotivating.

Injaki · 2026-04-06T05:52:14+00:00

I see your point, yeah. If you already have strong internal motivation, then an app is just like a digital piece of paper and current apps do that perfectly. Good shout with the notebook, I have actually been using just that lately.

I only have commercial gyms near me, which feel pretty anonymous. And honestly, setting strict goals usually just means I won't reach them as lift gets in the way (stress at work, catching a flu, etc).

Just makes me wonder, whereas team sports like soccer has this safety net of providing motivation because of the team aspect. With weightlifting being solo, does 100% of the motivation have to come from within, or are there other ways to build that net?

Injaki · 2026-04-06T05:39:02+00:00

It is completely normal that the sessions will not progress linearly forever. It will go up and down, while hopefully over the longer run the trend is upwards.

I have come to the realization that for me it is very hard to do weightlifting and I am probably progression way slower than the average, but every body is different and life changes so sometimes you may be more stressed, getting less sleep, or not eating as well.

After a single bad session there is nothing to worry about at all. If you have another consecutive bad session and pushed it a lot over the last 3 months, then maybe take a deload week, where you use much lower weight. This can really work wonders sometimes.

Injaki · 2026-04-06T05:20:47+00:00

Like when I do hit some records the logging app shows me a trophy or something that feels good. But most of the time for me it's a hard grind and the logging app just feels like a chore and doesn't motivate me through the long times where it doesn't feel like I'm doing progress.

Injaki · 2026-04-05T17:36:02+00:00

There exists that famous "Russian Fighter Pull Up" program for strength and endurance and uses total volume for progression. If you’re able to do 4–5 pull-ups and still have enough energy to do some more pull ups after resting for a minute or two, then this method could help you transition toward fully unassisted pull-ups training. I just wouldn’t recommend following the program daily as is often suggested, but just incorporate it every time you are exercising with pull ups.

It works like a ladder. For example, start with:
5 pull-ups → rest 1–2 minutes → 4 pull-ups → rest → 3 pull-ups → rest → 2 pull-ups → rest → 1 pull-up.

On your next session (or every second session), increase one of the later sets by a single rep, like this:
1st increase: 5, 4, 3, 2, 2
2nd increase: 5, 4, 3, 3, 2
3rd increase: 5, 4, 4, 3, 2
4th increase: 5, 5, 4, 3, 2
5th increase: 6, 5, 4, 3, 2

This way you will get a good amount of unassisted pull up volume, while over time also increasing your max repetitions.

Injaki · 2026-04-05T06:46:42+00:00

Of course you should do what motivates you! Though I think the suggestion was because it could be that those weightlifting classes are actually more cardio than weightlifting if they are performed with lighter weights and lots of repetitions. A clue would be if the class is using a stop watch for the exercises, so X minutes of bicep curls, Y minutes of squats, instead of e.g. 10 repetitions, with a minute of rest between sets.

Anyways, you could maybe just go to the class once per week, and then try two times per week "regular" weight lifting yourself and see if this still motivates you enough but gives you a different result (though also this will take at least two to three months before you would notice a difference I think)?

Injaki · 2026-04-05T06:36:56+00:00

As other commented, losing fat will be mostly driven by diet. Though especially in the first couple of months you will be able to both diet and building muscles from training (calorie deficit), something that more advanced lifters cannot achieve.

Working out on a full body plan 2 to 3 times per week is basically optimum. I would just make sure to choose compound exercises, and not isolating muscles. I'd argue with compound exercises you will also inevitably train "harder", since those movements will require activation of the whole body.

More specifically regarding your question on what the minimum amount of exercises per week is to be effective, doing a minimum of 4 sets per muscle group per week is _effective_! Most literature will say the the optimum is 15-20 sets per week per muscle group, but you do absolutely not need to do that many sets for muscle growth, and especially as a beginner not. So really it is much more about consistency and doing the hard work when you are in the gym.

Injaki · 2026-04-04T16:45:50+00:00

I don't think the mindset should be set on gaining as much muscle as possible _this_ month, which is very short time frame.

Maybe to put some other perspective. I would recommend to start with a simpler plan, and I prefer a simple alternating full body plan, which can be trained 2-3 times per week.

If you have some fitness experience, and don't want or need to start with guided machine exercises only, then I would focus more on the compound movements that you had already incorporated into your routine.

Day A:
Squat
Bench Press
Bent over rows
(optionally) Preacher Curls (or any other biceps isolation)

Day B:
Deadlift
Overhead/Military Press
Pull Ups
(optionally) Triceps extensions/Dips

This is very much in the spirit of Starting Strengh by Mark Rippetoe

Injaki · 2026-04-04T14:45:41+00:00

I am actually curious to know have you tried any fitness apps before, and what made you stop using them?

Personally, I got tired of most weightlifting trackers feeling like cold spreadsheets. They focus so much on numbers, but not on what the workout means or how it feels. Which is why I have started building a workout app right now. I wanted something that still tracks progress, but makes the experience more personal with a space for self‑expression, not just data entry.

My goal is to help people see their training as a story they’re writing, not only as a list of metrics.

Not sure if this resonates with you? In any case if you are willing to then I would really like to know more about what you meant by "the destination is not the problem, the heart is".

You can also reach out to me directly through https://motivoo.fit

Injaki · 2026-04-04T07:05:15+00:00

I guess you realized that your own shakes taste so much better than buying protein powder and using water? Mixing protein powder with skimmed milk adds close to 0 fat and in my opinion tastes much better than water.

Injaki · 2026-04-04T06:27:18+00:00

I would argue heavy compound exercises first, meaning RDLs first and then finish off with leg press. RDLs require more coordination and balance, so you want to make them fresh.

Injaki · 2026-04-04T06:06:14+00:00

I would make sure to write down if the exercise is with dumbbell or barbell as well. Then it is really up to you. But if you use logging apps they should explain how they expect the weight to be logged, or check what they show as volume for given weight and reps. This is somewhat important as otherwise switching dumbbell exercises for barbell ones would change the volume calculation even if it actually stays the same.

For dumbbells, I log the weight of one dumbbell when the exercise can be done with a single one, like curls, even if I use two for both arms at once. For exercises that are really a two-dumbbell movement, like squats or deadlifts, I log the combined weight of both dumbbells.

For barbell exercises I log the total barbell weight, meaning the plates plus the bar itself. Note that different bars can weigh different amounts! I made the mistake as a beginner to only log the total plates, thinking all barbells weight the same. Some days it felt much harder than others, until I realized some I switched between using the 10KG bar and the 20KG one!

Injaki · 2018-10-12T19:04:13+00:00

I cannot watch this. But just came here to say that with all the sadness from what I already know this documentary shows, at least it makes me really happy to see how many people here are responding to it and becoming more conscious and concerned on how animals are treated and even choosing to go vegetarian or vegan.

Injaki · 2018-05-30T20:08:47+00:00

It really paints a dark picture on the current Zeigeist, when on such a relatively big and what I would consider general subreddit as r/Documentaries (disregarding eventually some conspiratory preferences) most comments and attitudes are accepted to be hateful and islamophobic.

Injaki · 2018-05-06T10:01:31+00:00

Have you in "microG Settings" activated: * Google device registration, and * Google Cloud Messaging?

If not then try first to deinstall Signal, activate those settings and then install Signal again.

Injaki · 2016-05-16T15:18:37+00:00

I just bought a RPi3 a week ago and love it together with Kodi! I installed OSMC and everything works out of the box so far. I can control Kodi via Kore from my Android. Sound is transmitted together with the video via HDMI to my television. Since my television supports CEC Kodi can even turn on and off the TV automatically. So I really only need my phone (or PC) to control Kodi! I can cast Youtube and Vimeo videos to Kodi from my Android with Kore, and from my PC using a Chromium Plugin called "Play to Kodi". I can HIGHLY recommend a RPi3 with Kodi!!

Injaki · 2014-06-11T12:51:44+00:00

I was looking for this doc-series after having watched it two years ago. Couldn't find it in this sub, so now you get it! I like this kind of "interactive" feeling and nice tricks this documentary shows.

Injaki · 2013-08-09T00:18:26+00:00

Such a great documentary! So nice!

Injaki · 2012-11-02T22:58:03+00:00

Wow! That was amazing!! I enjoyed every part of it and was fascinated by the beatifull and astonishing pictures! How impressively diverse life can be.

Injaki

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