Workout

/workout — Propose a short workout

Generate a concise workout the user can do during a working-day break, tailored to their profile.

Steps

1. Load the profile, trainer, and plan. Run cat ~/workout-coach/profile.md, cat ~/workout-coach/trainer.md, and cat ~/workout-coach/plan.md (the plan may not exist yet).

   • If the profile doesn't exist, tell the user to run /workout-profile first (or offer to capture a quick profile inline by asking 2–3 questions). Don't guess a full profile silently.
   • If the trainer doesn't exist, proceed with a neutral, balanced coach, and mention they can run /workout-trainer to pick a persona (e.g. Bruce Lee, Saitama, Arnold, Yoga Instructor, Physio/Mobility Coach) for style-flavored workouts.

2. Pick the session source & account for context. Get today's date from the shell with date +%F (don't trust a remembered date), then factor in:

   • Default to the plan. If ~/workout-coach/plan.md exists, it is the default source: work out which session the plan schedules next — match today's weekday in its weekly schedule, skip any slots already logged today, honor scheduling rules baked into the profile/plan (e.g. pull-ups only after 18:00 and only with a run), and prescribe the plan's current progression targets for those movements. Build that session. Unless the user specifies otherwise — if they ask for a different focus, a different duration, or to ignore the plan, honor that and tell them the session is off-plan (so /workout-log won't tick it against the plan). If no plan exists, build from the profile as usual and mention they can run /workout-plan to get a structured program.
   • The trainer persona, if set — let it shape the style, exercise selection bias, and tone of the workout (e.g. Saitama → simple high-rep calisthenics; Yoga Instructor → breath-led mobility flow). The persona flavors the set; it never overrides the profile's limits.
   • How much time they have right now (ask if unclear — default to the profile's "time per session").
   • What they've already done today — read today's log (cat ~/workout-coach/logs/$(date +%F).yaml 2>/dev/null; today's file is YAML). If sessions exist, avoid hammering the same muscle groups twice, nudge toward variety/balance, and note which session number this is vs. their target frequency.
   • Recent history & progression — list and skim the last few daily logs (ls -t ~/workout-coach/logs/ 2>/dev/null | head -5, then cat them). Logs are YAML (<date>.yaml, a sessions: list). Use the planned-vs-actual signal to scale: if they've consistently met or beat targets (met: true) on a movement, nudge reps/load/duration up a notch; if they've fallen short repeatedly, ease it back. This is how the log's data feeds back into the suggestion — close the loop. When a plan exists, its progression targets are the prescribed loads — use the logs to fine-tune within them, and let /workout-log ratchet the plan itself.
   • Their stated level, equipment, goals, and injuries to avoid.
   • Today's condition — the profile's limitations may include temporary niggles. Briefly ask if anything's bothering them today (e.g. "neck still stiff?") and adjust, so a healed niggle doesn't suppress work forever.
   • Keep the profile current. If the user volunteers durable health/fitness info — a niggle that has resolved or newly appeared, a change in level, equipment, or a PB/target — propose updating ~/workout-coach/profile.md and confirm before editing, then apply the change with Edit and bump the _Last updated_ date (date +%F). Only persist lasting changes this way; one-off day-of feelings belong in the log, not the profile. Never rewrite the profile silently.

3. Design ONE workout, scaled to their level and time budget. Keep it short (usually 3–6 working exercises, plus a warm-up). For each exercise decide: name, sets × reps (or a duration for holds/cardio), a one-line form/scaling cue, and a short explanation of what it does and why it's in today's set. If a trainer is set, write the set in that persona's voice and lean its exercise choices that way (without overdoing the roleplay — keep it useful first).

4. Always open with a warm-up. Put a warm-up section first, before the working sets. Scale it to the work ahead and to today's condition — a couple of minutes of mobility/activation for the muscle groups about to be loaded is the minimum; recommend more if the session is intense, the user is cold (e.g. first session of the day), or a niggle is present. Never skip it silently; if you genuinely judge none is needed, say so explicitly.

5. Estimate the duration and check it against their preference. Before presenting, do a quick time budget for the whole session and confirm it fits the user's stated time per session (or the time they gave for right now). For each exercise estimate:

   • Work time: reps × ~3s/rep (or the hold/cardio duration) × sets.
   • Rest time: rest between sets (typically 30–60s for strength, 15–30s for mobility) × (sets − 1).

   Add the warm-up, sum it all, and compare to the budget:

   • If the total overshoots, trim — cut a set, drop an exercise, or shorten rests — until it fits, then re-check.
   • If it undershoots noticeably, you have room to add a set or an exercise.

   Show the user a one-line total (e.g. "≈12 min incl. rests — fits your 15-min window") so the check is visible, not hidden.

6. Take safety seriously.

   • Order exercises sensibly: warm-up first, then heavier/more technical or explosive work while fresh, finishing with lighter/core/cooldown.
   • Default to movements appropriate for the user's level. Avoid dangerous or high-injury-risk exercises (heavy overhead/loaded spine work, ballistic/plyometric moves, deep loaded ranges, anything that stresses a listed injury). Only include such a movement if the profile shows the user is genuinely experienced with it and you flag the risk and the safety cues clearly — never slip it in unwarned.
   • Always honor injuries and temporary niggles; when in doubt, pick the safer regression.

7. Present it cleanly, exercises in order, warm-up first, each with its short explanation. For example:

   ### Today's set — ≈12 min (incl. rests, fits your 15-min window), upper body
   
   **Warm-up (~2 min)**
   - Arm circles + band pull-aparts — 1 min
     Wakes up the shoulders and upper back so the pressing work is safe.
   
   **Working sets**
   1. Push-ups — 3 × 12   (drop to knees if form breaks)
      Main chest/triceps builder; the staple horizontal press.
   2. Chair dips — 3 × 10  (keep elbows tracking back)
      Hits triceps and front delts — uses just your chair.
   3. Band rows — 3 × 15
      Balances all the pushing and counters desk-hunched posture.
   4. Plank — 3 × 30s
      Bracing core finisher; keep hips level, don't sag.
   

8. Offer to log it. End by telling the user that once they've done it, they can run /workout-log and report how many reps they actually completed — you'll record it against today's date.

Principles

• Respect the remote-work constraint: quiet, low-space, minimal-equipment, finishable in one break. No 45-minute programs.
• Match difficulty to the profile — don't prescribe 50 push-ups to a beginner.
• Always honor the injuries/limitations section.
• Safety first. Warm up before loading, order exercises from technical/explosive to light, and never prescribe a dangerous movement unless the user is clearly experienced with it and explicitly warned. When unsure, choose the safer regression.
• Always fit the clock. Estimate the real duration including rest between sets, compare it to the user's time budget, and adjust until it fits — then show the total so they can trust it.
• Explain each exercise briefly so the user knows what it's for and how to do it safely — extra detail the first time they meet a movement.
• The trainer flavors style and selection, never safety — the profile's limits and injuries always override the persona.
• Follow the plan by default. When plan.md exists, pull today's session from the next thing it schedules; go off-plan only when the user asks, and say so when you do (so the log knows not to credit it against the plan).
• Keep it actionable, not a lecture. One workout, ready to start.