How Auto-Progression Works
Auto-Progression tracks your logged workouts and gradually increases difficulty to help you get stronger. It applies to live workouts, templates, and AI-generated workouts.
The system needs at least 5 logged workouts to generate personalized recommendations. Before that, you're in the Learning Phase where Motra uses default values based on your profile.
Once calibrated, Auto-Progression adjusts weights and reps based on:
Your recent performance (weights used, reps completed)
Your selected progression level
Wellness data from Apple Health (if enabled)
Auto-Progression Levels
You can choose how aggressively Motra increases your weights:
Level | Progression Rate | Best For |
None | No changes | Users who want full manual control |
Low | ~2% increase per 2 weeks | Beginners, injury recovery |
Standard (Recommended) | ~5% increase per 2 weeks | General fitness, toning, muscle building |
High | ~8% increase per 2 weeks | Advanced users, faster strength gains |
Extreme | ~10% increase per 2 weeks | Experienced lifters, aggressive progression |
How to Change Your Auto-Progression Level
From Settings:
Go to Settings > Workout Settings > Auto-Progression
Drag the slider to your preferred level
The setting saves automatically when you leave the screen
From Generate Workout:
On the Generate Workout screen, tap Advanced Settings
Tap Auto-Progression
Adjust the slider
Wellness Factors
Motra can use data from Apple Health to fine-tune progression recommendations. To manage this:
Go to Settings > Workout Settings > Auto-Progression
Tap Wellness Factors
Toggle which health data Motra uses for predicting progression
Troubleshooting
"Auto-Progression doesn't seem to increase my weights"
Check your level: If it's set to None or Low, increases will be minimal or absent. Try setting it to Standard or High under Settings > Workout Settings > Auto-Progression.
Log enough workouts: Auto-Progression needs at least 5 logged workouts to start making personalized recommendations. You'll see a "Learning Phase" indicator until then.
Be consistent: The system needs at least 2 consistent workouts with the same exercise before it recommends an increase. If you're changing exercises frequently, it has less data to work with.
Use templates or generated workouts: Auto-Progression only works with templates and AI-generated workouts, not fully custom/free-form workouts.
"The suggested weights don't match my gym equipment
Auto-Progression may suggest weights in increments that don't match your available equipment (e.g., 17.5kg when your gym only has 2.5kg plate increments). This is a known limitation — round to the nearest available weight at your gym. We're working on making this smarter.
"Auto-Progression is suggesting weights in the wrong units (kg vs lbs)"
If your weights are switching between kg and lbs when auto-progression applies:
Check your unit settings in Settings
Force-close and reopen the app
If the issue persists, contact us — this may require a server-side fix
"I updated my weights during a workout but auto-progression still uses the old ones"
Auto-Progression builds on your logged workout data. After you complete a workout with adjusted weights, the next time you do that exercise, the new weights should be reflected. If you also want your template to reflect the change, update the template manually: open the template, edit the weights, and save.
"What's the difference between Auto-Detection and Auto-Progression?"
These are two separate features:
Auto-Detection is the Apple Watch feature that automatically counts your reps during a workout
Auto-Progression is the AI feature that adjusts your recommended weights and reps over time
To turn off Auto-Detection during a workout: start your workout on the Apple Watch, tap the top-right corner, and toggle Auto-Detection off. Note: this must be done each workout — there is no permanent toggle yet.
To change Auto-Progression: go to Settings > Workout Settings > Auto-Progression and adjust the slider (or set it to None to disable).
Still Need Help?
If Auto-Progression isn't working as expected, contact us through the app (You > Chat with us). It helps to mention your progression level, how many workouts you've logged, and what exercises are affected.