Let's explore different factors that influence your initial weight recommendations as well as how they evolve over time to achieve progressive overload.
INITIAL WEIGHT RECOMMENDATIONS
The weights initially recommended by Gravl are affected by your:
Biological Sex
Age
Bodyweight
Experience Level
You can set all these during the Onboarding process or in Settings and your Fitness plan later on.
Gravl uses this information, along with standard values from scientific research and a vast database, to determine your 1RM for each exercise (1RM = one repetition maximum = maximum weight you can possibly lift for one repetition).
💪🏽 Gravl Tips:
Your initial weights are too low or too high? No problem! Just enter the weights you actually lifted, and Gravl will adjust for next time.
Same applies if you come back to your trainings after a longer break and you need to lower the weights due to decreased strength.
Intermediate and advanced users can enter their 1RM for some exercises during the Onboarding process. This help us give you even more accurate initial recommendations.
EXERTION RATING
Could you do more? (but with good form, of course 😉) - That's what we want to know! Knowing your performance matters a lot, so be honest!
It helps us fine-tune your weights for next time to reach the goal of progressive overload. Just select one of the three possible values.
💪🏽 Gravl Tip:
Tap "0" only if you went to absolute failure in your last set, so our AI won't challenge you more next time.
EXERCISE POSITION
The position of an exercise within your workout affects the recommended weights too, although not as significantly as the factors mentioned above. We adjust the weights based on the exercise order because your lifting capabilities vary depending on whether an exercise is performed first or last within a muscle group.
DID YOU KNOW?
Weights and reps are adjusted for each workout based on your recent performance, exertion rating and exercise position to ensure progressive overload. If you wonder why that's important - Well, if you want to see progress - whether in strength, endurance or size, it is crucial you constantly challenge your muscles. Progressive overload provides consistent stimulus and our AI gives you exactly that with each workout.
We consider your available equipment as well. For example, if you work out at home and have dumbbells up to 30kg, Gravl will adjust accordingly once you hit those 30kg by increasing the reps and/or sets.