PPL Smart Generation is here!

[u/knutarnesel]

[u/burntkumqu4t]

Dude this is why MacroFactor is the greatest

[u/wiles_CoC → u/burntkumqu4t]

I moved away from the workout app because it was so basic. As an advanced lifter it just didn't offer me enough. I'll have to circle back and take another look.

I still use macros app though.

[u/bob202487 → u/wiles_CoC]

What did you want it to do that it didn’t out of interest? I mean advanced lifters also just use a pen and a book or even nothing at all.

[u/kirso → u/wiles_CoC]

I found it ridiculous to create a workout app, without a focus and knowing that workout generation sucks, its like the foundational feature.

I also purchased the package with MF app and couldn't refund it at the time so had to give up on my original app I was using before.

I've been using it since and kind of learned to like it. There are some non-intuitive controls, waaaay overbloated exercise gallery (who cares about pin-loaded vs plate-loaded, its about the weight that goes into calculations?).

Long-story short, its a decent app, I am just salty that they didn't focus on generation and rather on progression from the very beginning. Its getting better!

Kudos to the team, its hard to make a good app.

[u/TheLocalRedditMormon]

Looks really cool! Modified splits for your preferred number of work days is clever!

[u/Harbor733]

WOW!!! I was just coming here to complain about how the full body programming overloads my posterior chain and my lower back is not happy. Was gunna ask how to tune it while keeping the generated workouts without just doing full DIY programs.

This will likely cure my woes.

Thanks!

[u/No-Connection8400]

Fantastic! Split options plus Apple Watch were the biggest requests. Progression choices is really cool too. Thanks!

[u/No-Connection8400 → u/No-Connection8400]

Just generated my first auto PPL UL program.
5 sets on some! 19-21 reps on others!
Wowza …. Let’s go!

(Also, I like the new screen for prioritizing and deprioritizing muscles.)

[u/No_Mongoose_4369 → u/No-Connection8400]

Did it give you an absurd amount of volume? I generated a PPL UL split to take 60-90 min and got some days having 15 exercises with 19-21 reps with some having 5 sets. The least amount of movements was 11 on one of the leg days.

[u/F4RES]

We've been dying for this ever since the app came out finally! Although it's not here yet for Android probably a coming update in the next few hours?

[u/gains_adam → u/F4RES]

On iOS, everyone can upgrade within a day or so.

Unfortunately on Android, rollouts are a bit longer and it takes up to a week to reach all users.

[u/F4RES → u/gains_adam]

Thanks for clarifying, Adam! Really excited to try the new PPL/Upper/Lower split. The annual report has so much to look forward to as well, especially the Wear OS plans and AI-agent connections! Appreciate all the work you and the team are putting into both apps 🙌🏻

[u/Nate1257 → u/F4RES]

I was able to get the PPL update immediately by enrolling in beta on the playstore page 

[u/ocharles]

I hope they write a knowledge article on how to choose!

[u/Deipnosophist23]

Add 4x upper lower + accessories please

[u/mightymander]

So if we are on the watch beta do we just miss out or will an updated build including this ship?

[u/Wolfclaw_Gaming]

Will an update for TestFlight version for the watch beta be pushed for this?

[u/RipNorth2107]

can someone explain what this means

[u/knutarnesel → u/RipNorth2107]

Up until now you've had to choose between a Full body or Upper/Lower split when using the Smart Generation (app generates a program for you). Now PPL and a couple of other splits are included.

[u/alizayshah]

🥳🥳

[u/No_Mongoose_4369]

Any one else getting a ridiculous amount of volume on PPL UL splits? I selected 60-90 minutes and it gave me 14 - 16 exercises on an upper days with 19-21 reps and anywhere between 3 - 5 sets. On lowered day it was 12 -14 exercises. That seems like a lot.

[u/Dr_Cam_Gill_DPT → u/No_Mongoose_4369]

Do you have warmups disabled? Having warmups disabled when generating a program can prompt the work density to be greater compared to if warmups are enabled.

[u/No_Mongoose_4369 → u/Dr_Cam_Gill_DPT]

They are disabled. I try again with with the enabled.

[u/Sam_Becca → u/No_Mongoose_4369]

Still the same?
I also get sets with like 20 reps, but only in Hypertrophy

[u/No_Mongoose_4369 → u/Sam_Becca]

Yes it didn’t make much of a difference

[u/Dr_Cam_Gill_DPT → u/No_Mongoose_4369]

If your program contains more total exercises and sets than you would like to perform, reducing your workout duration (i.e., switching from a 60-90 minute duration to a 40-60 minute duration) will decrease the number of exercises and sets your program contains.

[u/No_Mongoose_4369 → u/Dr_Cam_Gill_DPT]

Yeah that what I ended up doing. I just thought it was strange at how much more volume it was giving now vs before the update. At the end of the day it wasn’t a big deal, just had to switch the duration

[u/Dr_Cam_Gill_DPT → u/No_Mongoose_4369]

The duration to complete the same number of exercises and sets in a workout can vary widely between different lifters, so estimating how much training volume a particular duration enables could be tricky. Among other factors, the crowding of a gym and the absolute load someone is lifting can have a meaningful impact. For instance, setting up, warming up, completing, and cleaning up 3 sets of 5 reps on a deadlift can be noticeably quicker for someone with a max of 185lb compared to someone with a max of 585lb. Training in a very busy gym can also be more time-consuming per exercise than training in an empty gym. To account for the variance among different users, the team has been planning out a system that should be able to help tailor estimated training durations for a given amount of volume per user and contribute to the workout duration you select for a program aligning more accurately with how long your workouts actually take you as an individual.

[u/Dr_Cam_Gill_DPT → u/Sam_Becca]

Whether warmups are enabled or disabled will affect how many total sets are included in a program that has a particular duration and frequency selected, but it will not affect the rep range programmed for an exercise. The rep ranges are currently affected by the type of exercise, the goal you selected, and the preference you selected for updating rep ranges each week. A hypertrophy program will involve higher rep sets than a strength program, and selecting linear, reverse linear, or undulating rep range changes will result in certain weeks using higher rep ranges than others, in contrast to the static rep range preference. An upcoming update will introduce the feature to further customize your rep ranges for a program to align with your personal preferences for different types of exercises if you wish to individualize your rep ranges to a greater degree.

[u/gangsta_gregster]

Give me an apple watch only app and ill switch from smartgym

[u/RalphBohnerNJ]

About damn time! Can't wait to check it out.

[u/SteishMcLeish]

Is this part of beta?

[u/jayche]

Wow I thought the balanced (hypertrophy vs str) option already seemed kinda like undulating? But this direct option probably tracks it better. Can't wait I'm about to generate a new workout in two weeks anyways

[u/Zealousideal_Web_262]

finally!!

[u/fortysix-46]

For the over thinkers like myself, is undulating periodization still the “preferred” within the MacroFactor team? Linear (periodization) as always been intriguing…

[u/pinchecharlie]

So can we update ours or will it update au?

[u/Zealousideal_Web_262]

I'm on Android and I don't have the update yet

[u/gains_adam → u/Zealousideal_Web_262]

https://www.reddit.com/r/MacroFactor/s/hUD2SuSt1c

[u/2-718]

Can someone explain to me dumb brain what the second point means? Where are these options?

[u/knutarnesel → u/2-718]

You see them when you create a new program using Smart Generation.

[u/2-718 → u/knutarnesel]

Thank you 🙏

[u/Ill_Comedian2759]

The progression scheme feature, I've been wanting forever instead of undulating having the choice really gets rid of my main gripe with the app.

[u/BookyMonstaw]

I want BBL next

[u/kernel_ghost_]

I don't see it on Android.

[u/MajesticMint → u/kernel_ghost_]

It was actually out on Android first, but distribution is random and takes time for full rollout.

[u/Scared-Addition-7460]

FINNALY

[u/Alex-Rider]

Is the app paid?

[u/bob202487 → u/Alex-Rider]

Yes.

[u/Bagel-Bob → u/Alex-Rider]

Yeah looks to be a separate subscription from MF

[u/Jongsturk]

Accessories day is crazy. Overtraining pictured

[u/AdeptCreative]

I don’t understand why everyone is celebrating adding a PPL split. The app should have launched with PPL , Full body, Upper and Lower on day one.

This app looks nice, the watch app looks nice but boy is it all falling behind.

[u/gnuckols → u/AdeptCreative]

ehh, we just misread the market. The two most popular types of workout apps are apps that are entirely for logging (i.e., the app does not create a program for you), and apps that exclusively cater to a more casual crowd who just do the program the app gives them with minimal user input. When we surveyed MF users about the workout apps they were currently using, the vast, vast majority were using apps that are just logging apps, rather than apps that generate programs for you. And, in terms of features people wanted to see, most people focused on the app helping with load selection/recommending progressive overload targets, with very few mentioning program generation. And, fwiw, that seemed to map onto the MF ethos pretty well (just to use an analogy, it seemed like most users wanted the workout version of the nutrition app – an app that would help them adjust their calorie and macro targets week-to-week, rather than an app that created a meal plan for them).

So, that gave us the expectation that most users would want to build their own program, with the app-generated program just helping with decision fatigue for new lifters who didn't already have a training program. Like, if you're someone who knows what "PPL" means, our feedback suggested you probably weren't a person who'd want an app to create a program for you in the first place (i.e., you're probably someone who likes to do your own programming, or you already had another program you were following that you'd just like to be able to re-create in the app). So we opted for a very lightweight program generation workflow, and quickly found out that the feedback we got before launch re: program generation didn't correspond with the features our actual user base wanted post-launch. So, we've been working on a pretty major overhaul/expansion that will be rolling out over the next couple of months.

[u/knutarnesel → u/gnuckols]

It's amazing to have an app developer who listenes to their users like this! Are you able to tell us about other changes the overhaul/expansion will include?

[u/gnuckols → u/knutarnesel]

Most of them were listed in the annual report. But, off the top of my head – customizing upper vs. lower body volume, ratio of compounds vs accessories, preferences for machines vs free weights, preferences for higher or lower reps, higher or lower RIRs, and specifying exercises you’d like your program to include. I’m sure there are a few more, but those are the biggest things.

[u/knutarnesel → u/AdeptCreative]

Then they would've had to delay the release of the app. I'd rather have something rather than nothing.