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Ideas
Improve the "manage workouts" and "manage exercises" menus
As a new user, the distinction between "Manage workouts" and Manage exercises" is not clear. So the app's first page the new user sees, no matter how attractive it is, is confusing.
And for the experienced user, the first page generally accomplishes nothing. It's just an extra tap.
Suppose I, as a new user, decide to explore the two manage options. I tap one and see Dr. Muscle and Custom. So I go back and try the other. Once again I see Dr. Muscle and Custom. My little exploration showed me there is no difference.
So I decide to try again but deeper. I try the first and Dr. Muscle. I see Gym, Home gym, and Bodyweight. That makes sense. Then I back all the way out and try the second button and Dr. Muscle. Wow! All I see here is an overwhelmingly long list that with no obvious use.
So I back out again and this time look at the two Custom options. The first has two blank lists headed "Workouts" and "Programs" Then reflecting on the first buttons, they said Workouts and Exercises, now there are Programs also and I still don't know what any if them mean. Plus, the main button said it's about managing workouts, and now it seems to be about managing programs too.
So I try the other and find I'm directed to create an exercise, and I still don't know what one is. But I'm left with the puzzle of how these exercises are related to the other button's workouts, and where do programs fit in?
Unfortunately that over-long stream of consciousness pretty is much my initial (and current) impressions, so any suggestions I might have are probably wrong, but here goes anyway.
A manage button might display this operating explanation: "A workout is a group of exercises. Select from this list of workouts or enter a name to create a new one ______."
(If a name is given, give the option of selecting from the list or entering a name of their own creation.) (this would be repeated until the user taps a Finish button. etc.
If I happened to have accurately described workouts and exercises, they appear to be so closely related that dividing them between two separate, top-level buttons only confuses their relationship.
I also suspect that few users will tweak beyond this. My guess is that a Program is a collection of workouts. While it might seem inconsistent to separate programs from workouts, but if most users don't create programs, separating it keeps it from cluttering up workout creation.
Regarding the second level of choice between Dr. Muscle and Custom, If I understand them correctly, separating them is artificial. Every program, workout, or exercise should be equally available to the user who is building his own structure. Separating them at a higher level prevents the user from building a program combining Dr. Muscle and his own workouts.
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As an experienced user of the app, I now understand what all the buttons do and mean. But I agree with everything above. I LOVE the AI and the base purpose of the app. And I applaud Carl for putting it all together. I shouldn't be one to judge, because I could never do anything like this. -- But I think compared to the majority of other apps out there, many people don't give Dr Muscle a chance because it doesn't look like an expensive app. It looks like an old monotone DOS program. It's very smart, and very much for people who care more about an app's function that it's looks.
I agree it would be nice to be able to switch to a different exercise on the fly. For instance if the program exercise is set up for shoulder presses, I have been doing those on a smith machine. If the smith machine is being used if I could change to shoulder presses on a machine that would be great. Also, the program has me doing 227.5 pounds on my tri push downs. The stack machine only goes to 220 and I add two 5lb weights to get to 210. The program should be able to allow me to lower the max set weights and adjust the reps accordingly. I add the reps to the finished set however the program should be able to make this adjustment so I'm not guessing.
Hi Gary,
Thanks for your comment here, and great suggestions.
You can switch to a different exercise on the fly using our swap feature (http://drmuscleapp.com/news/swap/). (See image below.)
Please vote for the maximal weight suggestion here: https://muscle.userecho.com/communities/1/topics/132-along-the-same-lines-is-there-a-way-to-implement-a-maximum-weight-a-person-may-have-available-to.
All the best,
Carl
The app seems to take great pains to give users freedom to manipulate the session, to make it more complex, but it doesn't help the user who wants it simpler.
How about adding a "simplify" switch, a setting that makes the day's routine simpler? Just the basic function displays with one button to move to the next display, and on every display that button is large and in the same place. Users shouldn't have to hunt around and shouldn't have to learn the peculiarities of the app.
Maybe this sequence:
Welcome
Exercise list
Rep list
Rep
Rep
Rep
etc.
Summary
Next exercise's rep list
etc.
etc.
Session summary.
Note to self for "Weekly planning" feature
Option A
Redo workouts menu to:
- Include programs
- A screen for each program with the recommended weekly schedule (customize schedule)
Option B
Add a setting to settingsPage
I can imagine each exercise consisting of one page of a list of sets with the first one highlighted and enlarged. Oh, an image reminder illustrating the exercise in the background and it's name at the top.
Each line will show weight / reps / rest time. Don't number the lines.
Maybe in highlighting and enlarging the current line don't do it to the timer. Highlight and enlarge it while it's running.
When the user completes the first sets he taps the screen anywhere to start the rest timer and the emphasis moves down to the the second line.
Manage the list so that lines above and below the enlarged line do not jump around.
After completing the last set, the anywhere tap displays the exercise summary. One more anywhere tap displays the exercise list with the completed exercise(s) greyed out.