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Intro
Seb Ostrowicz chats with Adam about the new Weightlifting AI app. The episode is available on Spotify, Apple, YouTube (below), and anywhere you listen to podcasts! The outline of the conversation is below.
(1:15) What is Weightlifting AI?
The app is from the brains of Max Aita and he’s teamed up with Seb from Weightlifting House to bring it to market. WeightliftingAI is an individualized, responsive, proven training system for Olympic weightlifting. The app allows you to enter all of your metrics, and it creates an individualized program based on your ever-changing and evolving weaknesses, even between sets. As you train and begin to input data into the program, the AI can respond as quickly as the next set and change your programming path.
(2:42) Who is it for?
At this time, WeightliftingAI is meant for weightlifters only. As the program continues to grow and develop, there are plans to evolve to include anyone looking to get better in weightlifting, like people who participate in CrossFit or people looking to do weightlifting in addition to what they are already doing.
(5:04) Would it be recommended for beginners?
At this time, the app is designed for athletes who can at least perform the lifts, and Seb stresses that the best way to train weightlifting is with an in-person coach. Unfortunately, most athletes either don’t have access to an in-person coach or can’t afford it. WeightliftingAI is for these athletes, which according to Weightlifting House’s polling, is 80% of lifters.
One cool aspect of the app is the performance community. The performance community is a meeting place in the app that allows you to chat with other lifters and get ‘form checks’ on your lifts. In the future, the team has aspirations to have enough coaches on the app to give you real-time feedback as soon as you post a video for a ‘form check’ to help novice lifters.
In addition, Seb shares that the team plans to add instructional videos and technique corrections to the app for beginners to use as a teaching tool. This would be more than just a few videos and articles, but an online course with Max Aita taking you through the ‘how to’ of the movements.
(7:45) Is this app related to the Juggernaut AI app?
Though they have similar names, the WeightliftingAI app is unrelated to the JuggernautAI app. When Weightlifting House teamed up with Max Aita, they started using Coach Aita’s knowledge from scratch. They went to the engineers to piece things together to achieve a personalized, adaptive weightlifting approach and experience.
(9:38) What approach to weightlifting training does the app take?
Since this app is from the mind of Max Aita, the app boils down to the 20+ years of Max’s experience and interactions with coaches from around the world. That being said, Seb says that this app almost makes its system. The app gives you percentages to work from to predict the bar speed for the lift. When you input your information from the lift, the app predicts where you are at in your fatigue levels and adjusts accordingly. So, there are percentages worked in on the back end, but the app changes according to how you execute the lifts and moves the target as you go.
(13:30) Does the app have phases within your training?
The app does provide phases in training, but it is not the same for everyone. It considers things like height, weight, age, ability/fitness levels, and your response to training. So, the phases may change.
Upcoming competitions can also change when you might go into a hypertrophy phase or a strength block before finally going through a peaking phase.
(16:21) What kind of equipment do you need?
As of right now, the app does not know what equipment you do or do not have access to. In its current state, the app will suggest a movement. Still, if you don’t have access to specific pieces of equipment for that movement, you can switch exercises, and the app will give you a hierarchy of movements to choose from for accessory movements. They are currently working to be able to swap movements for the core lifts (the snatch and clean and jerk complexes), but as of right now, you are unable to swap those complexes/movements. In the future, they hope to be able to receive input from the user as to what equipment they have access to before beginning the programming.
(18:57) Data Collection Discussion
You put in age, height, and fitness level when you first onboard. You also put in how many days you want to train, what day you want to start, and when do you want to max out or when you compete. After that, the app collects data on your lifts, breaking down where your weaknesses might be. It does this by asking your max snatch, then different positions like max snatch from below the knee, above the knee, power, overhead squat, etc. The app uses this information to program lifts and accessories to address the weak areas of your lifts.
The app collects input during the lifts using RiR for strength/accessory exercises and a ‘white light’ system during the lifts.
(25:35) How long are each training session?
There is a timer built into the app, but your typical session lasts anywhere from an hour to an hour and a half, depending on how the speed of the user.
(28:13) What do you think the most impressive part of the app is?
Seb shares that he is most impressed by the responsive aspect of the app. When you follow a template, everyone does the same thing and lacks individualism. Seb brought up that you could have a personal coach that you go to online that writes a program just for you and your weakness, but the responsiveness is still lacking. The app can make changes within the training session based on how you are feeling and performing, which you wouldn’t be able to get unless you have a live/in-person coach.
(31:20) How long have you been using the app?
Seb had a few years off of weightlifting due to injuries. With the app coming to market soon, he rehabbed himself back to a point where he could lift again and jumped on WeightliftingAI. The testing team that has been using the app has been using it for 20-30 weeks. During that time, Seb had been down with the team as they trained and input into the app, seeing how it would respond and making sure it was doing what it was supposed to do. He is currently on week three and has been sharing some of his progress as he comes back from a time off of training and begins to rebuild.
(39:36) What do you think about the app as it ages?
Max and the rest of the team always say that whatever version of the app you are doing is the worst version of the app because it is always getting better and improving. The more user data the app collects, the better it can target people’s weaknesses. It also teaches you as a lifter. After completing a cycle, the app knows how you respond to different stimuli. If the app is using an exercise, but it has little to no effect on you, you won’t get that exercise anymore. Your programming will get better and better the more you use it. Updates are being pushed out almost daily to improve the app or add more features.
(42:29) When is it going to be released to the masses? And, cost?
The app costs $40/month and has been available for a while in its beta stage, but they have since brought it to the app store, and it is available now!