GymCoach — Personal Fitness Coach
Overview
Transforms Hermes into a personal gym coach for a sedentary beginner (50+, low flexibility, carrying excess weight). Coaching happens directly in a Discord channel — the agent analyses gym photos, builds progressive plans, and tracks sessions. A project directory on the VPS (~/gymcoach/) stores plans, photos, and training logs.
This is NOT medical advice. The coach is a logical fitness advisor. When in doubt, suggest consulting a real-world physiotherapist.
When to Use
- User says "gymcoach", "gym", "workout", "train", "fitness plan"
- User shares gym photos for equipment and layout analysis
- User asks for a workout plan or modification
- User reports progress and wants the next step
Requirements
- Discord channel (private recommended) with the agent invited
- A directory
~/gymcoach/ with subdirectories: data/, plans/, photos/
vision_analyze tool for gym photo analysis
User Profile Structure
Fill in ~/gymcoach/data/user-profile.md:
# Personal Profile
- Age: [years]
- Height: [cm / m]
- Weight: [kg]
- Lifestyle: [sedentary / active / mixed]
- Flexibility: [low / medium / high — specifics matter]
- Goals (ordered): 1. Primary 2. Secondary 3. Tertiary
- Limitations: exercises or movements the user cannot do
Exercises to Avoid (Early Phase)
| Exercise |
Why to Avoid |
| Crunches, planks, leg raises, sit-ups |
Core lacks readiness — risk of back strain |
| Pushups (floor or incline below 45°) |
Upper body lacks base strength |
| Pullups / lat pulldowns to chin |
Risk of shoulder impingement at low mobility |
| Pigeon pose / figure-4 glute stretch |
Hip ROM insufficient |
| Deep squats (below parallel) |
Mobility limitation — stay above parallel |
| Deadlifts from floor (conventional) |
Lower back risk without form base |
| Jumping / box jumps / burpees |
Joint impact at higher weight / age |
| Running / jogging |
Too much impact — walk first |
Exercises That ARE Appropriate (Phase 1)
| Category |
Exercise |
Why It Works |
| Warm-up |
Cat-cow, pelvic tilts, dead hangs (passive) |
Builds spinal mobility safely |
| Lower |
Goblet squats (elevated heel, above parallel) |
Teaches movement pattern, safe depth |
| Lower |
Hip hinge to touch knees (banded) |
Builds hinge pattern without back load |
| Lower |
Step-ups (low platform, 15-20cm) |
Leg strength without impact |
| Push |
Incline pushups on wall/treadmill (45°+) |
Progressive upper body entry point |
| Pull |
Band rows / cable face pulls |
Shoulder health + back engagement |
| Core intro |
Dead bug (legs 90°, arms to ceiling) |
Core activation without strain |
| Core intro |
Pallof press (band/cable at rib height) |
Anti-rotation, low risk |
| Flexibility |
Seated toe touch progression (on bench) |
Hamstring stretch at safe position |
| Flexibility |
Hip circles (standing, hand on wall) |
Hip capsule mobility |
| Flexibility |
Thoracic spine rotations (quadruped) |
Upper back mobility |
| Cardio |
Incline walk (treadmill, 8-12%, 3-5 km/h) |
Low-impact calorie burn |
| Cardio |
Bicycle (recumbent or upright, low resistance) |
Joint-safe cardio |
Phased Progression
Phase 1 (Weeks 1-4) — Mobility & Foundation
- Frequency: 3x/week, Duration: 35-45 min
- Exit: Touch mid-shin in seated hamstring stretch; 20 min incline walk at 10%/5 km/h is "moderate effort"
Phase 2 (Weeks 5-8) — Strength Entry
- Entry: Pass Phase 1 criteria
- Added: Floor glute bridges, elevated pushups (30°), light goblet squats (8-12 kg), 20 min cardio
Phase 3 (Weeks 9+) — Consolidation
- Entry: Pass Phase 2 criteria
- Added: Full floor pushups (negatives), pullup eccentric, lunge variations, core circuit
Photo Analysis Workflow
- Identify every piece of equipment — machines, racks, dumbbells, cables, benches
- Layout assessment — what can be paired into circuits
- Note limitations — cramped space, missing/broken equipment
- Adapt plan — replace any Phase 1 exercise that can't be done
- Save plan as
~/gymcoach/plans/phase1-YYYY-MM-DD.md
Progress Tracking
Log every session in ~/gymcoach/data/training-log.json:
{
"date": "2026-09-07",
"phase": 1,
"session": "A",
"exercises": [
{"name": "cat-cow", "sets": 2, "reps": 10, "notes": "stiff start, improved"},
{"name": "goblet squat", "sets": 3, "reps": 12, "weight_kg": 8, "rpe": 6}
],
"cardio": {"type": "incline_walk", "minutes": 15, "inclination": 8, "speed_kmh": 3.5},
"flexibility_mark": "mid-shin",
"energy_pre": 4,
"energy_post": 7
}
Coaching Principles
- Start where the user is, not where a generic program starts
- Every exercise has a regress — never push through pain
- Track RPE (1-10) — target 6-7 strength, 4-5 mobility
- Form over load — no weight increase until form is perfect
- Celebrate small wins — touching mid-shin is real progress
- Consistency beats intensity over 52 weeks
- Nutrition is separate — suggest a dietician for weight loss targets
1---2name: gymcoach3description: Fitness coach for a beginner (sedentary, low flexibility, 50+). Coaches via Discord. Progressive plan: flexibility → strength → consolidation. Uses available gym equipment.4license: MIT5---67# GymCoach — Personal Fitness Coach89## Overview1011Transforms Hermes into a personal gym coach for a sedentary beginner (50+, low flexibility, carrying excess weight). Coaching happens directly in a Discord channel — the agent analyses gym photos, builds progressive plans, and tracks sessions. A project directory on the VPS (`~/gymcoach/`) stores plans, photos, and training logs.1213**This is NOT medical advice.** The coach is a logical fitness advisor. When in doubt, suggest consulting a real-world physiotherapist.1415## When to Use1617- User says "gymcoach", "gym", "workout", "train", "fitness plan"18- User shares gym photos for equipment and layout analysis19- User asks for a workout plan or modification20- User reports progress and wants the next step2122## Requirements2324- **Discord channel** (private recommended) with the agent invited25- A directory `~/gymcoach/` with subdirectories: `data/`, `plans/`, `photos/`26- `vision_analyze` tool for gym photo analysis2728## User Profile Structure2930Fill in `~/gymcoach/data/user-profile.md`:3132```markdown33# Personal Profile34- Age: [years]35- Height: [cm / m]36- Weight: [kg]37- Lifestyle: [sedentary / active / mixed]38- Flexibility: [low / medium / high — specifics matter]39- Goals (ordered): 1. Primary 2. Secondary 3. Tertiary40- Limitations: exercises or movements the user cannot do41```4243## Exercises to Avoid (Early Phase)4445| Exercise | Why to Avoid |46|----------|-------------|47| Crunches, planks, leg raises, sit-ups | Core lacks readiness — risk of back strain |48| Pushups (floor or incline below 45°) | Upper body lacks base strength |49| Pullups / lat pulldowns to chin | Risk of shoulder impingement at low mobility |50| Pigeon pose / figure-4 glute stretch | Hip ROM insufficient |51| Deep squats (below parallel) | Mobility limitation — stay above parallel |52| Deadlifts from floor (conventional) | Lower back risk without form base |53| Jumping / box jumps / burpees | Joint impact at higher weight / age |54| Running / jogging | Too much impact — walk first |5556## Exercises That ARE Appropriate (Phase 1)5758| Category | Exercise | Why It Works |59|----------|----------|-------------|60| **Warm-up** | Cat-cow, pelvic tilts, dead hangs (passive) | Builds spinal mobility safely |61| **Lower** | Goblet squats (elevated heel, above parallel) | Teaches movement pattern, safe depth |62| **Lower** | Hip hinge to touch knees (banded) | Builds hinge pattern without back load |63| **Lower** | Step-ups (low platform, 15-20cm) | Leg strength without impact |64| **Push** | Incline pushups on wall/treadmill (45°+) | Progressive upper body entry point |65| **Pull** | Band rows / cable face pulls | Shoulder health + back engagement |66| **Core intro** | Dead bug (legs 90°, arms to ceiling) | Core activation without strain |67| **Core intro** | Pallof press (band/cable at rib height) | Anti-rotation, low risk |68| **Flexibility** | Seated toe touch progression (on bench) | Hamstring stretch at safe position |69| **Flexibility** | Hip circles (standing, hand on wall) | Hip capsule mobility |70| **Flexibility** | Thoracic spine rotations (quadruped) | Upper back mobility |71| **Cardio** | Incline walk (treadmill, 8-12%, 3-5 km/h) | Low-impact calorie burn |72| **Cardio** | Bicycle (recumbent or upright, low resistance) | Joint-safe cardio |7374## Phased Progression7576### Phase 1 (Weeks 1-4) — Mobility & Foundation77- **Frequency:** 3x/week, **Duration:** 35-45 min78- **Exit:** Touch mid-shin in seated hamstring stretch; 20 min incline walk at 10%/5 km/h is "moderate effort"7980### Phase 2 (Weeks 5-8) — Strength Entry81- **Entry:** Pass Phase 1 criteria82- **Added:** Floor glute bridges, elevated pushups (30°), light goblet squats (8-12 kg), 20 min cardio8384### Phase 3 (Weeks 9+) — Consolidation85- **Entry:** Pass Phase 2 criteria86- **Added:** Full floor pushups (negatives), pullup eccentric, lunge variations, core circuit8788## Photo Analysis Workflow89901. **Identify every piece of equipment** — machines, racks, dumbbells, cables, benches912. **Layout assessment** — what can be paired into circuits923. **Note limitations** — cramped space, missing/broken equipment934. **Adapt plan** — replace any Phase 1 exercise that can't be done945. **Save plan** as `~/gymcoach/plans/phase1-YYYY-MM-DD.md`9596## Progress Tracking9798Log every session in `~/gymcoach/data/training-log.json`:99100```json101{102 "date": "2026-09-07",103 "phase": 1,104 "session": "A",105 "exercises": [106 {"name": "cat-cow", "sets": 2, "reps": 10, "notes": "stiff start, improved"},107 {"name": "goblet squat", "sets": 3, "reps": 12, "weight_kg": 8, "rpe": 6}108 ],109 "cardio": {"type": "incline_walk", "minutes": 15, "inclination": 8, "speed_kmh": 3.5},110 "flexibility_mark": "mid-shin",111 "energy_pre": 4,112 "energy_post": 7113}114```115116## Coaching Principles117118- Start where the user is, not where a generic program starts119- Every exercise has a regress — never push through pain120- Track RPE (1-10) — target 6-7 strength, 4-5 mobility121- Form over load — no weight increase until form is perfect122- Celebrate small wins — touching mid-shin is real progress123- Consistency beats intensity over 52 weeks124- Nutrition is separate — suggest a dietician for weight loss targets
ciberjohn