Guinea Pig

Still on track to expand to a larger beta-test group for Composite, starting next week.  Getting there required a bunch of changes to the alpha – most notably, shifting things up to deliver it all remotely, rather than in-person with a coach.  But, secondarily, revamping movement and exercise selection in the algorithm; it can now account for the equipment that people have (or don’t), and build workouts accordingly.

In the process of setting that up, I also quickly realized that I had waaaay more equipment-based movements (whether with dumbbells, kettlebells, and barbells, or just pullup bars, boxes, and rings/TRX’s) in the library than bodyweight-only stuff.  So, lest I end up assigning people nothing but pushups, sit-ups, and air squats for the next several months, I’ve been testing out all kinds of crazy bodyweight-only movements, to see what which I can add into the lineup.  Stuff like glute bridge walk-outs, single-leg-elevated hip thrusts, inverted table rows, and kneeling squat jumps all made the cut.  A variety of even crazier stuff very much didn’t.

Still, by now, the algorithm can generate home workouts with nearly as much variety and progression as it could previously in a fully-stocked gym.  And at only the cost of a small number of broken household items, a handful of minor injuries, and some likely extremely pissed off downstairs and next-door neighbors (who’ve had to put up with days full of jumping, thumping, and cursing) along the way.

Calling that victory, and charging ahead.