I Got Tired of Workout Apps That Don't Listen. So I Built One That Does.

Here's a confession: I've downloaded probably 15 different workout apps over the years. And I've abandoned every single one of them.

It's not that they were bad. They had nice interfaces, decent exercise libraries, progress tracking. All the features you'd expect. But they all had the same fundamental problem.

They didn't care how I actually felt.

The Problem Nobody Talks About

Let me paint you a picture. It's Tuesday. I had four hours of sleep because I was up late fixing a bug. My back is a little sore from sitting weird. And my workout app cheerfully tells me it's "Leg Day" with heavy squats and Romanian deadlifts.

Cool. Thanks. Very helpful.

Or the opposite scenario. I'm feeling great. Slept well, ate well, ready to crush it. And the app gives me some light maintenance workout because "it's a rest day according to the schedule."

These apps treat you like a robot that runs the same way every single day. But we're not robots. We're humans with sleep schedules that change, stress levels that fluctuate, and energy that varies wildly from one day to the next.

I kept thinking: why can't I just tell my workout app how I'm feeling and have it figure out the rest?

So I Built It

I'm a developer. When something frustrates me enough, I build an alternative. That's kind of how we operate.

I started working on Adapt Fit AI earlier this year. The core idea was simple: what if your workout app actually listened to you?

Not in a "fill out this form with 47 questions" way. In a conversational way. Like texting a personal trainer.

You open the app and it asks how you're feeling today. You say "exhausted but I still want to do something" and it builds you a workout that makes sense for that state. Lower intensity. Maybe some mobility work. Still productive, but not going to destroy you.

Or you say "I'm fired up, let's go heavy on chest" and it builds something that actually pushes you.

The AI remembers what you did in your last workouts too. So if you hit legs hard two days ago, it's not going to suggest squats today. It knows you're probably still recovering. It tracks which muscle groups you've been hitting and makes sure you're staying balanced.

What Actually Makes It Different

I want to be honest here. There are other AI fitness apps out there. This isn't the first one. But most of them still feel like traditional apps with AI sprinkled on top.

Here's what I focused on:

Mood-based adaptation. This is the core thing. Tell the AI you're tired, stressed, sore, energetic, whatever. It adjusts everything. Volume, intensity, exercise selection. Not just swapping one exercise for another, but actually rethinking the whole session based on your state.

Conversational interface. No clicking through menus to find what you want. Just say "I want to focus on back today" or "my shoulder is bothering me, skip overhead stuff" and it handles it. Like talking to a human coach.

Progressive overload that actually works. The AI looks at what weights you lifted last time and suggests small increases when you're ready. It's tracking your patterns over time and knows when you're plateauing before you do.

Overtraining detection. If you've been going hard all week and you're about to hit a muscle group for the third time, it'll suggest backing off. It's watching your weekly volume and frequency to keep you from burning out.

The Physique Analysis Thing

I also built this feature where you can upload a photo and the AI gives you an honest assessment. Estimated body fat, body type, which areas to focus on. It's not meant to replace professional assessments, but it gives you a starting point and helps the AI understand what kind of training might suit you best.

Some people find this part a little scary. I get it. But the photo isn't stored anywhere. It's analyzed once and that's it. The insights become part of your profile so the AI can make better recommendations.

Why I'm Sharing This Now

January is coming. I know what happens every January. Millions of people decide this is the year they finally get in shape. They download apps, buy gym memberships, stock up on protein powder.

And by February, most of them have stopped.

I don't think it's because people lack motivation. I think it's because the tools we give them are too rigid. Life gets in the way. They have a bad day and the app still expects a perfect workout. They skip one session and feel like they've failed. The program doesn't bend, so they break.

I built Adapt Fit AI because I wanted something that bends with you. That meets you where you are on any given day. That doesn't make you feel like garbage for being human.

Try It If You Want

The app is live. There's a free tier if you just want to see what it's like. You can chat with the AI coach, get workouts, track your progress. The paid version unlocks unlimited coaching and some extra features like the nutrition scanner where you can photograph your food and get macro breakdowns.

I'm not going to pretend it's perfect. It's still evolving. I'm adding features based on what users actually ask for. But the core experience is solid and I'm genuinely proud of what it does.

If you're someone who's bounced off workout apps before because they felt too rigid, maybe give this a shot. Worst case, you waste five minutes. Best case, you find something that actually works for how you live.

And if you have feedback or ideas, I actually read every message. Building this solo means every piece of input shapes where it goes next. I'd love to hear from you.

Here's to 2025 and training smarter.

Aryan