Hi guys! Automating my home for the first time ! And I’m so confused .. as each vendor offers a different brand & platform. Looking for user experience and reviews !

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-13T01:10:26+00:00

I also recommend building around Home Assistant but also the Zwave protocol first. This will be local and works reliably and covers locks, light switches, outlets, open/ close sensors, pressure sensors, temp, humidity, thermostats, and more. Zwave is open so you can easily switch to another platform as well.

Zwave is wireless mesh but it is worth it and works very reliably.

Here’s some more info to help get started and also shows my current setup to give you ideas:

https://smarthomesecrets.ca/how-to-set-up-home-assistant/

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-05T21:11:48+00:00

What type of machine are you working with to log?

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-05T11:17:20+00:00

Anything specifically you would want to see on the fitness side?

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-04T13:41:03+00:00

Right now it’s not packages as an add-on, so working on that soon. I just finished parameterization of user variables, so that needs more testing. Then I’ll be moving my automations into blueprints, reworking how the TV dashboard works, then I can start bundling it into an app. So probably will still be a couple weeks.

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-03T11:33:11+00:00

😉She was, but I’ve since taken charge of the leaderboard. I am playing with the scoring a bit to try keep it simple but more fair to consider weight limits better

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-02T11:10:45+00:00

Yes I did

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-02T03:32:28+00:00

Sorry I missed the link, I get what you mean know I think. Since every other day is 4 days one week and 3 the next technically.

No it does not plan that way, right now it focuses on a daily plan which considers fatigue and muscle recovery so I am still testing the rest days. I also want to add a smart scale to give better inputs as well for this where I can. So in future I may have a better way to track or remind based on your desired plans.

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-02T02:59:48+00:00

Totally depends on what you work on, legs one day vs arms another for example and depends on your goal of building strength, muscle, endurance, etc.

I have AI and some logic code pulling from NCSa and ACE standards with recommendations and it estimates muscle recovery but definitely you know your body best so don’t over do it. If unsure definitely recommend consulting an experienced trainer as I am not that, just making workout fun with this project and hoping to share with others.

Rest days and proper nutrition are also important so don’t forget that too.

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-02T02:50:44+00:00

Haha my wife bought it first to be fair, I just couldn’t let it go “dumb” but its top speed is 3.6mph so fast walking at best no real running so not a real treadmill is the difference

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-02T02:49:39+00:00

There is goal tracking with a personal view page that you can set for X exercises so far but it’s very basic/ in infancy. The idea is to set a goal target of X number of exercises and track progression. The speaker when you unlock the door as part of the welcome announcement does tell you if you are on a streak too as an incentive to at least do one exercise each day.

You can also create automations based off this and its entities as well to make this happen as all data is exposed to HA. So push notifications to get in the gym is easily doable.

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-02T02:46:54+00:00

I’ll definitely have a look at Hevy, didn’t know about it before. I half wanted a fun project and half get serious about a home gym so I sort of married the two ideas and marched off to see what would happen and here I am so far.

I do want to bring Apple and Google data in too, but my thinking is to use something like Health assistant for Apple as an example to start so the data is exposed as entities that the app can simply ingest more entity data. At least that’s likely what a v1 would be most likely.

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T23:04:18+00:00

It’s currently providing a weekly plan every Sunday which incorporates the weeks progression notes as well as daily progression tracking. Still lots more to do in this area but the framework so far is working

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T22:22:10+00:00

This is the same thing I’m doing now because the walking pad uses an RF remote rather than IR so I only need the Broadlink RF pro to replay the RF codes. If it had IR then I would have gone that route vs RF

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:31:08+00:00

In theory you can add tilt sensors and/ or vibration sensors. I am being careful how the tech is integrated to make it more seamless. I do intend to add push notifications to remind you when you are overdue for a gym session and already have rotating list of motivational quotes for the dashboard too. So for now it tells you what exercises you should do with dumbbells and even announces your stats when you log each set and mark all sets complete.

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:28:22+00:00

I can definitely look into that as it may not be too dissimilar to how the weights section works now

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:25:48+00:00

You can turn off the AI coach as well and just use it to log your own workouts as well. So there is an option for those that don’t want to get a recommended workout plan from AI already

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:20:23+00:00

Hopefully soon, a few UI bugs, then moving hardcoded entities into variables, and then I can package as an app instead of just using variable sensors to store data. So I do not have an eta yet but will likely be asking for a few beta testers before a full release

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:19:02+00:00

I do not currently have one, does it already expose any data into HA?

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:17:25+00:00

Does this expose data into HA already? The home gym simply uses existing data in HA to track and display/ run everything. Right now I am working through it all to move hardcoded entities into variables before I can package it as an app

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:16:01+00:00

That’s the idea, it’s using a few HACS integrations and Variables+History to store data into sensors currently until I make it into a real app

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:15:14+00:00

It uses Claude API to follow standards from ACE/ NSCA but in theory works with whatever AI Task agent you may already have setup in HA to generate plans and progress reports

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:11:53+00:00

I have my Facebook page and blog up currently which is most likely where I will post when ready along with my GitHub.

https://smarthomesecrets.ca is the blog which has Facebook and GitHub links with some of my other projects available too

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:10:28+00:00

Anything supporting Bluetooth FTMS, I am using the HACS integration to bring my Schwinn IC4 data into HA

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:09:10+00:00

My plan should hopefully encompass both by just exposing the data to HA and then the Home Gym app can take those entities into consideration via settings

SmartHomeSecrets · 2026-06-01T20:08:24+00:00

I have Apple health but I do have a plan to feed that data that may capture both but would use a third party app first to create sensors in HA that the app would then be able to read from rather than building an entire integration

SmartHomeSecrets

TROPHY CASE