Q: How does GymAware measure all the parameters?

A: GymAware measures time and displacement(distance)of the weights bar. Its time base is quartz crystal generated with a resolution of 1 in 10,000 and distance is measured by first principles with an optical encoder and so requires no calibration. So this means distance, height and acceleration are first principle measurements. When weight is entered the other parameters such as power, work and force are calculated. For full details of how these parameters are interrelated have a look at our sports physics page

Q: Of the many parameters GymAware can measure, which is recomended and why?

A: GymAware's primary purpose is to measure velocity of movement and power outputs during exercise.  To do this the system very accurately measures time and position of the bar. So with Velocity and power you have the option of reporting it at the set or rep level.

We recommend using rep measures (either peak or means) if you are short on time and a little less particular about the results your after.

We suggest that the set measures are better (as they are the average of the rep measures) but as a coach you have to take greater care with the protocols of use and check your dash-page on login to correct any suspect results prior to generating reports.

Q: What secondary measures do you find useful?

You can use GymAware to look at distance of movement,  and track whether the athletes range of movement decreases with heavier weights. Look at how far each individual dips in their squat or use the system to automatically collect Jump height information. This way users can do away with the pencil and paper recording of vertical jump height and batch test, record and report on large numbers of athletes in a fast simple manner.

Q: Is GymAware accurate?

A: Very.... Accurate enough to track small changes in individual athletes over time. Its comparable to a force plate and it measures much more, it's highly portable and considerably less expensive. Plus its acually more accurate at measuring power and measures such as jump height.

Our aim is to make GymAware affordable to everyone. The system itself allows you to monitor all your athletes regularly whenever and wherever they train. This is a key strength of the system as an athlete's performance changes daily depending on what they are doing. The simplicity of GymAware allows you to turn every training session into a testing session.

Q: Can I use GymAware on the Palm without connecting to the web ?

A: We have had a number of users ask this. It's an understandable question as many people are still new to the idea of the internet being a place to run programs and store information. But there are many examples of this already in the mainstream such as gmail.com, flickr.com, hotmail.com etc. And then there are all the internet banking web sites as well. Just like gymaware.com all of these sites are known as web applications. There are many reasons why the web makes the ideal platform for GymAware but probably the most important is that it allows us to provide the best possible service to our customers. Our aim is to give you simplicity, security, accessibility and reliability and the best way to do that is through the web. It's like having a dedicated IT support team that focuses entirely on protecting and managing your gym data.

Q: What is the storage capability of the Palm hand-held?

A: The Palm hand-held supplied with the GymAware system has a base storage capacity of approximately 28 meg. Considering the type of data that the GymAware system collects this quite substantial. We have successfully tested the system up to 500 sets of data. This base storage capacity of the Palm is easily expandable by use of expansion cards up to 1 Gig.

Q: What is the difference between the Palm and the Web Application?

A: The instant feedback that you get in the gym on the Palm is great for motivating athletes on a day to day basis but it becomes far more powerful if viewed in context with the ongoing state of the athlete and the team as a whole. This is where the GymAware web application steps up. You can monitor your athletes over time and see exactly what effect your training and competition are having on your athletes.

Q: Which of my athletes is responding well to the training?

A:To be successful in modern sport athletes need to train intelligently. This means identifying areas in need of improvement and then setting up a program to achieve the desired improvements. Then the athlete needs to be closely monitored to make sure that the program is effective. Ideally this monitoring needs to be simple enough to be performed regularly without interfering with the training program itself, while being accurate enough to provide real knowledge to the coach.

Q: What is the best load to use to develop power and speed?

A: A lot of research has been done in this area and the general consensus is that power and speed are developed best by training at weights that allow the athlete to develop greater than 90% of their peak power for the exercise. This weight range can be determined by measuring the athlete’s power output at a range of weights until a peak power is observed. We call this the Optimax, the optimum weight for maximum power.

Q: How can I be sure my athletes are doing quality sets?

A: Reps sets and total tonnage tell us very little about the quality of a workout. Sure the weight was being lifted, but was the athlete just going through the motions? Was he shortening up? Even if you have the time to watch each rep, you still only get a subjective measure of the power and speed of the exercise.

Q: How can I motivate athletes in the gym day after day?

A: Lets face it; weight training can get monotonous for young energetic athletes. One of the reasons for this is that most people need constant feedback on their level of achievement. If they can't see improvement they lose motivation to work hard. Another great motivator is competition. If athletes can see how they compare to each other, they will strive to out perform every day.

Q: How can I detect early signs of injury, illness or over training?

A: Unless you have a reliable measure of an athlete’s benchmark performance for a range of exercises it can be very difficult to see downward trends associated with illness or over training. It’s quite possible that an athlete will complete a full set workout when getting ill, its only by monitoring parameters such as power and velocity, that these negative trends become apparent.

Q: Is my rehabilitation program working?

A: As injury is an inevitable part of competitive sport, it is imperative that coaches and physios can see that the rehab programs are having the desired result. This can be ensured by regular monitoring of the injury while the athlete works through the rehabilitation programs.

Q: What operating systems are compatible with GymAware?

A: GymAware is compatible with all operating systems as it runs via a standard internet browser connection (we recomend Fire Fox). Any computer system that has access to the internet is able to use GymAware.

GymSync - the program which synchronises data from the Palm PDA to users web accounts is currently only compatible with Windows XP service pack 2 or later. Please contact us for MAC user options.