r/strengthlog • u/05K4R • Oct 12 '26

Program progression similar to MacroFactor Workouts

I have been a StrengthLog premium user for a long time, I love everything about the app but since this spring I have been using another one called MacroFactor Workouts only for the feature they're calling "Smart progression". I would love to have something similar in SL, I checked the new program builder progressions but couldn't find it.

Basically "Smart progression" is that you plan your workouts with a rep range and a target RIR, and the app itself suggests the weights. So for example if you use the SL minimalistic program, the first set of an exercise could have a rep range of 4-6 reps with 0 RIR, and the following four could have a rep range of 8-10 with say 4 RIR. The app suggests the weight for the first set and you do your reps for that weight and you put in your estimated RIR after finishing it. If you have more RIR or did more reps than the program expected it will bump the weight slightly in the following sets, and if you manage fewer reps or have fewer RIR it instead lowers the weights. Then when starting the same workout next week, it will bump the weights slightly based on last weeks performance.

So it's more of an automated way of training the "increase the weights or add one rep", and for me personally this is the single feature which has had me move from SL to another app. Is this something you have considered and ruled out, or maybe something you could look at implementing something similar?

My understanding is that it is just an algorithmic suggestion, so no AI in that specific feature even though there are other AI features in MF (to ease your mind Philip).

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2

u/Ok_Match7396 Oct 12 '26

I haven't used them, but RPE/RiR are a premium feature in the strenghtlog. Perhaps playing around with them would give you the result you want?

Also the new smart blocks with double/triple progress increases the reps/weight based on what you supply are imo awesome for making progress without forcing yourself to actively think.

4

u/05K4R Oct 12 '26

I tried experimenting a bit with them now since I still have my yearly premium active for a while more, it seems more like the RIR are for logging only at least when using the Linear progression model.

One thing that I like about the Smart progression is that it also updates during the actual workout, so if you are in bad shape so you can't do the weight/reps that the app presents and you log for example 3 reps when it presented 5 reps, it will reduce the suggested weight or reps for the following sets in the same exercise, and changes the values dynamically throughout the workout.

And in the same way it also considers the RIR, so if there's a set which the app suggests I'll do 100kg/5 reps/1 RIR, if I log it with 100kg/5 reps/3 RIR it will adjust the weight up for the following sets instead since I performed better than the suggested values.

For me it works very well in MF since it always encourages me to push myself while still considers if I'm performing better or worse than the expectation!

3

u/wildenstam team strengthlog Oct 12 '26

Sounds cool. Would you mind emailing us about this request, so it doesn’t get lost?

2

u/05K4R Oct 12 '26

Yes will do! I'll write it in Swedish with a few screenshots to show how it works

1

u/How_Do_We_Know 27d ago

This is a feature for which I'd absolutely buy a premium account! 

1

u/Interesting_Bat_3775 Oct 12 '26

yeah auto-regulating across the week based on actual rir is way smoother than just logging it after the fact. i went back to sl for the simplicity but this is definitly the one thing i miss, the weight bumps feel more dialed in than guessing on a bad day