6 ms·

Show HN: MuscleWiki – A fitness website using gifs

39 points by w0ts0n 11y ago

w0ts0n 11y ago
Today I launched MuscleWiki. The goal of this website is to make a easy to use, to the point, exercise guide. Version one enables people to click a body part and then get quick loading, high res gifs. No 10 minutes intro explaining, no super low resolution. I plan on expanding this into male/female/home/gym/kettlebells/etc options that users can check. I also plan on opening the site up to the community to develop trusted sources of information. I also want to add tools (things like macro calculators and one rep max estimate) I am not a programmer. I have done this to the best of my ability working in an ops background. It leveraged mediawiki, bootstrap and had my friend draw the graphics to get where I am today.
- GoToRO 11y ago
  You have the content so I will use the website for sure. It's already bookmarked! Thanks. I'm not a gym worm so all I need to know is how to do an exercise for some muscle. That's it.
- Raphmedia 11y ago
  Very simple and easy UX. I will share with to my relatives!
- zaid9 11y ago
  Great idea! Have you considered giving the user the option to load gifs individually (or in sets of 2 as your app seems to be organized)? Loading 20+ gifs per muscle groups takes a lot of time and bandwidth on slower connections.
  - w0ts0n 11y ago
    Yup! That's pretty much one of the end goals. I need a dev on board really (and I'm searching)
eecks 11y ago
Awesome. Looks like it will be helpful. Ideas: - Add a challenges section to the site where people can challenge their friends to do the exercise (5 times, 10 times) etc. - Let people add videos/gifs of themselves doing the same exercises - Add a comments section to each exercise
memonkey 11y ago
Idea: add women gifs!
- w0ts0n 11y ago
  That's coming very soon. (the image will change based on selection of male/female) as will the gifs.
wingerlang 11y ago
Awesome, I was just about to go look for straight forward gifs exactly like this.
vincentbarr 11y ago
This is really neat. It stands an easy-to-understand reference among many poorly-written fitness editorials and programs, many of which will require novices to lookup each exercise and assume that the new source is demonstrating them properly. Your exercise selection and order also looked wise, beginning with compound movements and ending with more isolated movements. Suggestions: 1)I didn't see wide grip pull-ups or chin-ups after clicking back and biceps. Why not? 2) Would be nice to see some form of cleans displayed. 3) If you add a program section, you may want to check out Fitloop.co [1] for inspiration. It does a good job of presenting a sound bodyweight program with explanations. [1] https://fitloop.co/routines/bwf-recommended-beginner-routine https://fitloop.co/routines/bwf-recommended-beginner-routine
- w0ts0n 11y ago
  1) Agreed. Right now until I can find someone who knows how to dev. I'm trying to keep the page to 4 movements per page (to helping any loading issues). It'll come for sure though, we also have it filmed. 2) Cleans IMO is quite a complex movement. I'm looking to apply an "advanced" button on the homepage sometime soon that will enable people to select more advanced movments like this (and deadlifts, but I feel they were too important not to include) 3) For sure! Thanks for the feedback. This has been in my mind as a site for such a long time, I'm glad to actually have people seeing it.
nataliam511 11y ago
Are you planning on filling out those body parts that aren't currently clickable? I know you can't really lift weight for wrists, for example, but working on their mobility is fairly important, especially for those of us attached to a keyboard.
- paulddraper 11y ago
  You can lift weights for wrists. Though that's a bit like saying "lift weights for elbows". The actual muscles are in the forearms. https://musclewiki.org/Forearms https://musclewiki.org/Forearms
  - Nadya 11y ago
    Depends how strict you're trying to be... Yes, the extensor indicis and pollicis longus muscles are "part of the forearm" but most people would consider those "wrists". While FPL and FDP would be "forearm". I'd argue pronator quadratus is also "wrists" even though it is also "part of the forearm". Note: Wikipedia for names, I only wish I knew my muscles that well. But I understand what nataliam511 meant by "wrists".
    - paulddraper 11y ago
      True. Anyway, my link shows what you can do for your "wrists" with weights.
thetakach 11y ago
Love this! I usually youtube correct form to remind myself before doing more complex lifts and when deciding my next rotation. BTW, the barbell bicep curl you have posted is actually a Barbell Drag Curl. Here is the bicep curl. https://youtu.be/LY1V6UbRHFM https://youtu.be/LY1V6UbRHFM?
ManlyBread 11y ago
Look great, although I would suggest switching the gifs to webm, the site will load a lot faster and you're going to save a lot on bandwidth.
jpincheira 11y ago
This is pretty cool but it's offline now. Any ideas?

39 points by w0ts0n 11y ago

Today I launched MuscleWiki. The goal of this website is to make a easy to use, to the point, exercise guide. Version one enables people to click a body part and then get quick loading, high res gifs. No 10 minutes intro explaining, no super low resolution. I plan on expanding this into male/female/home/gym/kettlebells/etc options that users can check. I also plan on opening the site up to the community to develop trusted sources of information. I also want to add tools (things like macro calculators and one rep max estimate) I am not a programmer. I have done this to the best of my ability working in an ops background. It leveraged mediawiki, bootstrap and had my friend draw the graphics to get where I am today.

GoToRO 11y ago
You have the content so I will use the website for sure. It's already bookmarked! Thanks. I'm not a gym worm so all I need to know is how to do an exercise for some muscle. That's it.
Raphmedia 11y ago
Very simple and easy UX. I will share with to my relatives!
zaid9 11y ago
Great idea! Have you considered giving the user the option to load gifs individually (or in sets of 2 as your app seems to be organized)? Loading 20+ gifs per muscle groups takes a lot of time and bandwidth on slower connections.
- w0ts0n 11y ago
  Yup! That's pretty much one of the end goals. I need a dev on board really (and I'm searching)

eecks 11y ago

Awesome. Looks like it will be helpful. Ideas: - Add a challenges section to the site where people can challenge their friends to do the exercise (5 times, 10 times) etc. - Let people add videos/gifs of themselves doing the same exercises - Add a comments section to each exercise

memonkey 11y ago

Idea: add women gifs!

w0ts0n 11y ago
That's coming very soon. (the image will change based on selection of male/female) as will the gifs.

wingerlang 11y ago

Awesome, I was just about to go look for straight forward gifs exactly like this.

vincentbarr 11y ago

This is really neat. It stands an easy-to-understand reference among many poorly-written fitness editorials and programs, many of which will require novices to lookup each exercise and assume that the new source is demonstrating them properly. Your exercise selection and order also looked wise, beginning with compound movements and ending with more isolated movements. Suggestions: 1)I didn't see wide grip pull-ups or chin-ups after clicking back and biceps. Why not? 2) Would be nice to see some form of cleans displayed. 3) If you add a program section, you may want to check out Fitloop.co [1] for inspiration. It does a good job of presenting a sound bodyweight program with explanations. [1] https://fitloop.co/routines/bwf-recommended-beginner-routine https://fitloop.co/routines/bwf-recommended-beginner-routine

w0ts0n 11y ago
1) Agreed. Right now until I can find someone who knows how to dev. I'm trying to keep the page to 4 movements per page (to helping any loading issues). It'll come for sure though, we also have it filmed. 2) Cleans IMO is quite a complex movement. I'm looking to apply an "advanced" button on the homepage sometime soon that will enable people to select more advanced movments like this (and deadlifts, but I feel they were too important not to include) 3) For sure! Thanks for the feedback. This has been in my mind as a site for such a long time, I'm glad to actually have people seeing it.

nataliam511 11y ago

Are you planning on filling out those body parts that aren't currently clickable? I know you can't really lift weight for wrists, for example, but working on their mobility is fairly important, especially for those of us attached to a keyboard.

paulddraper 11y ago
You can lift weights for wrists. Though that's a bit like saying "lift weights for elbows". The actual muscles are in the forearms. https://musclewiki.org/Forearms https://musclewiki.org/Forearms
- Nadya 11y ago
  Depends how strict you're trying to be... Yes, the extensor indicis and pollicis longus muscles are "part of the forearm" but most people would consider those "wrists". While FPL and FDP would be "forearm". I'd argue pronator quadratus is also "wrists" even though it is also "part of the forearm". Note: Wikipedia for names, I only wish I knew my muscles that well. But I understand what nataliam511 meant by "wrists".
  - paulddraper 11y ago
    True. Anyway, my link shows what you can do for your "wrists" with weights.

thetakach 11y ago

Love this! I usually youtube correct form to remind myself before doing more complex lifts and when deciding my next rotation. BTW, the barbell bicep curl you have posted is actually a Barbell Drag Curl. Here is the bicep curl. https://youtu.be/LY1V6UbRHFM https://youtu.be/LY1V6UbRHFM?

ManlyBread 11y ago

Look great, although I would suggest switching the gifs to webm, the site will load a lot faster and you're going to save a lot on bandwidth.

jpincheira 11y ago

This is pretty cool but it's offline now. Any ideas?