[HN Gopher] Computationally optimal arrangements of barbell plates
___________________________________________________________________
Computationally optimal arrangements of barbell plates
Author : tibbar
Score : 18 points
Date : 2023-07-09 17:12 UTC (5 hours ago)
(HTM) web link (jacobbrazeal.wordpress.com)
(TXT) w3m dump (jacobbrazeal.wordpress.com)
| jasonpeacock wrote:
| I have a limited amount of time available to get my workout done.
| Optimizing how plates are added/removed as you move through your
| warmup sets to your working sets is important if you want to
| minimize your total workout time.
|
| Sure, if I have 2hrs, no problem - just do whatever is easiest to
| calculate. But if I only have 30min then I need to be economical
| with every movement.
| bo1024 wrote:
| Nice. This solution is a type of dynamic programming, in
| disguise.
| cratermoon wrote:
| As a some-time lifter, the idea of totally optimizing plate
| changes begins to feel a bit like taking the escalators up to the
| gym entrance where there are stairs right there[1]. After a
| couple of years of attempting what the author does here, it
| finally occurred to me that moving around heavy weights was the
| whole point of the exercise, and plate-switching was just a
| different move. Efficiency didn't matter, I was using my body and
| building strength. Shout out to people who are pressed for time
| and want to get their workout done in a small window: You do you,
| just don't hog all the weights and not put them back on the
| racks.
|
| 1 https://medium.com/@nessasaurus/only-in-america-fe7d2d5d461e
| also, I understand there are legitimately people going to gyms to
| exercise who may not have full use of their legs.
| SoftTalker wrote:
| Yes.
|
| I typically load the bar so that I get my desired weight with
| the fewest number of plates. This keeps the weight slightly
| closer to the center of the bar and slightly more stable, also
| light plates have a tendency to wander around more than heavy
| plates (Except for deadlifts, I typically don't use clips in
| case I need to dump the weight).
|
| Optimizing the changing of plates is not really of any interest
| to me, like you said the whole point of being at the gym is
| lifting weight, and as far as warmup sets go I never use
| anything but 45 and 25 lb weights until I get to my working set
| weight.
| anonytrary wrote:
| Agree, moving the weights inefficiently will end up working the
| muscles you don't necessarily target in your main workout. It's
| less efficient, but probably gives a (very slightly) more well-
| rounded workout. If you're pressed for time, it could make
| sense to have a basic understanding of how to avoid dilly-
| dallying during your workout. If you go to a public gym, there
| will be other factors that affect your total time much more,
| like having to share equipment, which introduces a lot of
| uncertainty. Maybe these micro-optimizations are worthwhile if
| you have a private gym.
|
| From a well-being/philosophical standpoint, maybe it's better
| to live life relaxed, and not one where you have to micro-
| manage every minute of your day to squeeze out every inch and
| penny of efficiency you can. That sounds like a horrible
| lifestyle, but I guess to each their own :)
| comfypotato wrote:
| I've always pondered the exercise value of moving weights,
| especially 45s, on and off the bar. Ultimately, I don't think
| it affects gains for an elite lifter.
|
| The "reps" you get moving the weights don't conform to any
| reasonable pattern for making gains. Worse, they're tiring you
| out.
|
| Criticizing plate optimization on your grounds sounds like a
| traditional conservative criticizing a progressive for changing
| the way things are done for no reason other than it being
| different. In this case, the difference is better in every way
| except for being too complicated for lunks.
| ramity wrote:
| While somewhat tangential to this, I'd like comment on a
| different problem. "What's the fewest number of plates you need
| to go from 45lb (bar) -> 220lb at a resolution of 5lb?" Old
| school lifters will probably know this, but look no further than
| the 175lb set[1]. Composed of pairs of 2.5lb, 5lb, 10lb, 25lb,
| 45lb plates, one can do just this. Need to lift 225lb? Buy
| another pair of 45lb plates and your range expands to 45lb ->
| 310lb. Another pair of 45lb plates yields 45lb -> 400lb. You get
| the idea. This approach comes with the added bonus of being the
| most cost efficient method of buying plates, as higher pound
| plates yield slightly better $/lb.
|
| 1:
| https://github.com/ramity/athena/blob/master/notebooks/plate...
|
| Side note: I've yet to do the calculations for kg sets, but I'm
| certain something similar to this exists.
___________________________________________________________________
(page generated 2023-07-09 23:00 UTC)