This is a story of how I stumbled upon a sleek analog solution to a problem I initially thought could only be solved with software.
After a global pandemic that led to a significant amount of self-reflection, it's no secret that:
"physical exercise can have many benefits for software engineers, it's important for maintaining a healthy and active lifestyle"
- all the studies, ever.
The reasons for having an established fitness routine could not be more clear-cut, just see any study ever done on this subject.
About the inner "PIGDOG"
"Innere Schweinehund" is a German term that refers to the inner voice or impulse that tells a person to avoid doing something that is difficult, uncomfortable or unpleasant. It can be loosely translated to "inner PIGDOG" or "inner lazy-bones". The term is often used in the context of self-discipline or motivation, encouraging individuals to overcome their inner resistance and push themselves to achieve their goals.
Enter ChatGPT: as "personal trainer"
My inner PIGDOG will always find a way to sabotage my attempts at a healthier lifestyle, and lastly it became apparent, that even when I am in the gym, the PIGDOG will find things to throw in my way.
So I decided to ask ChatGPT for an optimized routine that would work out all muscle groups in the span of a week, would take between 45 and 60 minutes to complete, and include all the recovery time needed between workout days.
This is what I got:
Day 1:
===
Squats - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Barbell Bench Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Pull-Ups or Lat Pulldowns - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Standing Dumbbell Shoulder Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Plank - hold for 30-60 seconds
Day 2:
===
Deadlifts - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Incline Dumbbell Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Bent Over Barbell Rows - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Lateral Raises - 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Bicycle Crunches - 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Day 3:
===
Lunges - 3 sets of 8-12 reps per leg
Military Press - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Chin-Ups or Cable Rows - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Push-Ups - 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Russian Twists - 3 sets of 10-15 reps
Even after having this plan, the inner PIGDOG was still bugging me about how I will forget the routine and will always have to look it up on my phone... waste time... get distracted...
The initial implementation
So I decided to set out to build some sort of APP that would only serve this purpose:
- track my sessions
- track my progress during the week
- have the exercises for the day
- have the sets for the exercises
- have an indicator for when I am exhausted
- have a purpose built UI
- no distractions
- no "smart" features
Well, naturally, as a software developer I immediately pulled out my go-to programming language and framework and was using ChatGPT to knock out the boilerplate code.
I don't know about you, but I usually put on a podcast or some documentary in the background when I code, this time I decided to put on some Science without the gobbledygook by Dr. Sabine Hosenfelder and for some reason after the video, the YouTube algorithm served me something completely different, it was a video about the Venus Project
The final implementation
(inspired by the Venus Project)
I was obviously was not deep in the flow, because what I was hearing in the background caught my attention, and I started looking up all sorts of things about this project.
If you don't know what the Venus Project is, do yourself a favor and visit their project page
One thing they teach, with their design philosophy, is: make the thing that you want to build, have everything built-in, and not rely on manuals and rules that people have to follow.
So I scrapped the software solution and pivoted to a pure hardware, analog, "no batteries required" solution:
the humble T-Shirt!
This is the design I came up with:
| front | back |
|---|---|
 |
 |
The gallery
I hope this little project inspires you to come up with novel ways to achieve a goal without consuming cloud services, build servers and generate hosting fees, sometimes there are far simpler alternatives.
One single thing I think of improving: make the text mirrored so that when you are looking in the mirror, you can read the text and also to make other gym goers put in a little more effort into reading my AI generated training program.
In the end, I was happy with my decision to go analog. I learned that sometimes the simplest solutions are the best, and that technology is not always the answer. It was an eye-opening experience.
So, the next time you are faced with a problem, take a step back, and think outside the box. You might be surprised by what you can come up with.
Stay healthy and have a nice day!
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