Today we are launching Real-Time Feedback in the Metric VBT app. This incredible new feature delivers powerful audible context during your set - so you can track performance from rep-to-rep.
You can experience the new Real-Time feedback for yourself in the Metric app.
Seamless velocity feedback
The scientific support for real-time feedback as a method to enhance acute training performance and it's effect on longer term strength and power gains are well documented, our head of sports science, Jacob, has written extensively about the research supporting the benefits of feedback on the vbtcoach.com blog.
Real-Time Feedback measures and announces your performance at the end of each rep while recording your set. Metric gives you audible feedback through your headphones or the device speakers. (Don’t worry, your music will keep playing!)
You can choose Real-Time Feedback to work with mean velocity, peak velocity, or range of motion and select from several modes of audio feedback to adapt the feedback for your specific training focus.
Announce rep data
Metric VBT will speak the value achieved at the top of each rep for your selected metric. Use this as a way to encourage higher effort levels, create competition or when selecting top set working weights.
Velocity Target / Zone
Determine a specific mean velocity, peak velocity, or ROM target that you want your reps to remain above for the set. The app will provide a positive chime for every rep above the target, and a negative chime when you fall below the velocity zone. This feature is perfect when working to beat your last time scores, or if you want your training to be inside a specific velocity zone to target specific qualities.
Velocity Loss Threshold
Receive feedback when you are approaching or you fall below your preferred % loss threshold. Set a velocity loss threshold between 5%-45% to help you control and adjust your sets and maintain the appropriate proximity to failure that you want and ensure you are training with the correct level of exertion.
How to activate Real-Time Feedback
From the recording preview screen tap the Target card in the top right to open the Real-Time Feedback sheet. From here, choose the feedback type, the preferred metric, and the specific target score you are chasing.
Once you begin your set, Metric will deliver audible feedback though your connected headphones, or the device speakers. Be sure to adjust your volume levels before you start lifting!
The journey to Real-Time Feedback in Metric
For the second half of this year, our stretch goal before 2024 came around was to deliver on the most requested feature in the history of Metric VBT — Real-Time Feedback — in order to help our users step up their training. We knew how valuable this live feedback is to training, so when our lead engineer Davey believed he might have a way to create a real-time solution with sufficient R&D, that was enough for us to invest the time, so he got to work.
We are frankly shocked (and thrilled) to be launching Real-Time Feedback so soon!
Balancing real-time feedback with precision for the Metric velocity tracking app
The bar has been set very high when we began working on Metric.
Our goal has always been to deliver comparable (or better) accuracy to commercially available stringed VBT devices (linear positional transducers) using just the camera on your phone. We achieved this milestone back in 2021 with our invention of a totally novel approach to tracking bar speed with our precision computer vision algorithm.
This fully custom-built algorithm is what separates Metric from other seemingly similar apps - providing higher precision and reliability from a range of recording positions and devices. While this algorithm makes it seem like Metric is instantaneous on most devices, the app is running a short, but crucial post-set analysis on the captured video in order to deliver the incredible accuracy Metric has become renowned for.
To ensure Metric continues to deliver accurate data and be able to provide useful Real-Time Feedback, it has required the addition of a parallel algorithm run during recording. This parallel processing rapidly extracts movement data from the HD 60fps video feed, that matches our existing accuracy all while not interfering with data collection and advanced post-set processing that makes Metric VBT so reliable.
Because of this parallel processing approach, feedback is not available on all exercises, this will be rolled out over the coming weeks and months. Also, you might hear additional feedback during un-racking or bar pick-ups, these events are still filtered in the post-set analysis. There will likely also be minor rounding differences between the Real-Time Feedback reported data, and the post-set analysis.
We hope you love using Metric with Real-Time Feedback and it helps your training. As with all of the breakthrough features we have built for Metric, Real-Time Feedback will be getting plenty of enhancement based on your suggestions.
Use the Report Bug button from the Set Review page if you encounter any issues to send us through your feedback!