It's kind of like D&D, except it makes you healthier, and might get a tan.

August 26, 2011 3:26 PM

Are there any other MeFites on Fitocracy? Join the Metafilter group, and come get fit and level-up with us! We can be virtual running buddies.

Not on Fitocracy yet? Use invite code 'METAFILTER' to sign up.

posted by schmod to MetaFilter-Related at 3:26 PM (67 comments total)

_{Gah. That "Headline" box on the 'New Post' form is way too small, and makes me make dumb typos, like that one.}
posted by schmod at 3:27 PM on August 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

Is it just for running? Or swimming and biking too?
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:05 PM on August 26, 2011

As far as I can tell, it's a catch-all fitness log.

The killer feature (for me) is that it syncs with RunKeeper, which offers more advanced tracking abilities for running and cycling. Open data FTW.

However, unlike RunKeeper, Fitocracy also lets you track weight/resistance training activities, and just about any other kind of exercise that you could imagine. Also, it adds a fun social component, and functions like a role playing game.
posted by schmod at 4:15 PM on August 26, 2011

neat!
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:23 PM on August 26, 2011

I want to join, and requested an invite a few days ago, but never got invited. :'(
posted by threeants at 4:47 PM on August 26, 2011

That was a post-ironic emoticon, by the way. JUST SO WE'RE ALL CLEAR
posted by threeants at 4:48 PM on August 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

threeants, use the invite code METAFILTER.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 4:50 PM on August 26, 2011

I just signed up without an invite code, FWIW. (Not that I don't love y'all, but I wanted to see if it would work.)
posted by catlet at 5:04 PM on August 26, 2011

threeants, use the invite code METAFILTER.

Thanks! I'm, uh, just going to pretend I was going for ironic lack of reading comprehension there.
posted by threeants at 5:10 PM on August 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

It took me a while to figure that out, too.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 5:12 PM on August 26, 2011

Woo Fitocracy! Between this, HealthMonth, Fitbit, and RunKeeper, I have the power to be completely excessive in self-tracking.
posted by dorque at 5:39 PM on August 26, 2011 [2 favorites]

Hey, my friend started this company. AND they were just on xkcd. Bigtime!
posted by Brittanie at 5:47 PM on August 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

I've been on for a while as "Thufir" and just joined the meta group.
posted by ghharr at 6:46 PM on August 26, 2011

Ok, I have concluded that I find Health Month hopelessly irritating, but I am willing to try this out.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 6:56 PM on August 26, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm in.
posted by facetious at 7:41 PM on August 26, 2011

I joined!
posted by sweetkid at 7:52 PM on August 26, 2011

I joined! Is there any way to import my stuff from Garmin Connect to RunKeeper (and thus Fitocracy)?
posted by synecdoche at 7:59 PM on August 26, 2011

Joined!
posted by bluedaisy at 8:36 PM on August 26, 2011

Done.
posted by bayani at 8:57 PM on August 26, 2011

I just logged two workouts and I got a BILLION points. My eyes are filled with stars!
posted by munchingzombie at 12:58 AM on August 27, 2011

I'm joethedough on there.
posted by Jofus at 1:33 AM on August 27, 2011

I joined. I heard about fitocracy from kotaku, but I never bothered joining until now. I might check out some of the other websites posted.
posted by BurnChao at 1:52 AM on August 27, 2011

Mefi lurker here. I signed up for the Fitocracy under the same handle.
posted by vansly at 3:24 AM on August 27, 2011

I need to learn how to run first.

Ok, I have concluded that I find Health Month hopelessly irritating, but I am willing to try this out.

No, YOU'RE hopelessly irritating! But you're kinda right, HM is a bit pushy when it comes to making rules for a new month; if I'm only eating white flour once a week already, let me keep eating it once a week, dammit!
posted by Alvy Ampersand at 6:19 AM on August 27, 2011

Joined under tclancy. I feel my username here might cause issues there.
posted by yerfatma at 7:23 AM on August 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

Joined (username: AnotherUsername), but Is there a way to set up your own goals / schedule or pick certain "quests" to log progress towards? It seems like I can only log things I have already done, rather than show what I "should" be doing and track my overall progess?
posted by Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory at 7:31 AM on August 27, 2011 [2 favorites]

I just joined and logged my workout from last night. Username is 'tediseasy'. OK!
posted by carsonb at 7:43 AM on August 27, 2011

Joined. User name "_paegan_".
posted by _paegan_ at 9:08 AM on August 27, 2011

I'm in! Same username. Hoping that what Health Month did for flossing, going to be on time and eating my veggies, Fitocracy will do for exercise. External accountability FTW.
posted by ambrosia at 9:52 AM on August 27, 2011

I joined, w/ the same username. I've been using runkeeper for a little while and this looks like a fun addition.
posted by Harpocrates at 9:59 AM on August 27, 2011

I joined as Eumachia because I need some motivation to resume my workout schedule. And because I'm a joiner.
posted by Eumachia L F at 12:09 PM on August 27, 2011

I joined with the same username because what the hell, right?
posted by Kicky at 12:20 PM on August 27, 2011

I'm with Another Fine Product From The Nonsense Factory - I'd like to be able to see the quests. It would be a good way to try new things. (Did that sound serious and adult? I also really like finishing quests.)
posted by catlet at 1:20 PM on August 27, 2011

AFPFTNF and catlet, if you click on 'Quests' in the gray floating box it gives you a pop-up that lists all the different quests available and clicking on one will show you what needs to be completed to complete the quest. I don't think there's a way to select particular ones to make goals, but that should give you an idea of how to proceed next time you're working out.
posted by carsonb at 2:02 PM on August 27, 2011

username randomproxy over here. Been meaning to do the couch-to-5k thing for a while. I'm a fiend for achievement points - this seems like the kind of thing that appeals to my brain chemistry.
posted by The demon that lives in the air at 2:43 PM on August 27, 2011

Thanks, carsonb! Now to keep myself from overloading on possibilities, getting hurt, and returning to a life of sloth....
posted by catlet at 2:57 PM on August 27, 2011

@synecdoche You can export as TCX or GPX from garmin training center or garmin connect and then import into runkeeper.
posted by pixie at 3:09 PM on August 27, 2011

username karamakaze, because I am creative like that.
posted by Karmakaze at 5:18 PM on August 27, 2011

Alright. I joined. I'm SarahMonster, though, because it didn't like this username. Maybe pretending it's a computer game will help exercising suck a little bit less :/
posted by Green Eyed Monster at 6:23 PM on August 27, 2011

Joined as limace. I'm hopeful, though find the interface annoying on the iPhone.
posted by purenitrous at 6:52 PM on August 27, 2011

Yeah the mobile interface sucks. Wish there was an app for it. Otherwise loving it.
posted by spikeleemajortomdickandharryconnickjrmints at 9:18 PM on August 27, 2011

It is weird how they don't have any biking activity except for "Mountain Biking". I want to collect on my 8-mile commute.
posted by threeants at 11:50 PM on August 27, 2011

threeants, search for cycling.
posted by loriginedumonde at 11:54 PM on August 27, 2011 [1 favorite]

Whee at last, the metafilter group has more than three members!
posted by coriolisdave at 12:04 AM on August 28, 2011

Joined as ppiixx
posted by pixie at 1:44 AM on August 28, 2011

This is hard, because I don't know technical names of the exercises I do. Am I doing a hammer curl, or a priest curl, or one of fifteen other possibilities. What's the difference between a pull up and a chin up? They seem the same even after trying to research. How should my cooldown factor in my run?
posted by BurnChao at 2:45 AM on August 28, 2011

I think most of the strength exercises you might do are here somewhere.

Hammer curl, hold the dumbbell vertically - preacher it's horizontal with the palm up.

Chin up = palms facing you, pull up = palms facing away. I think.

Cooldown, either incorporate it into the recorded distance/time or add a separately timed run/walk session to the activity. Personally I don't bother to include it.
posted by dickasso at 6:35 AM on August 28, 2011

Hmm...apparently I completely misunderstood the logging interface. You build up your entire workout on one page, then save it. I was deleting the workouts after logging them, so it only saved the last thing I did yesterday. I think I was able to reconstruct most of it from memory, though.

I agree that it desperately needs a specialized mobile interface or an app.
posted by jedicus at 8:18 AM on August 28, 2011

Oh, and I'm jedaily over there.
posted by jedicus at 8:21 AM on August 28, 2011

Can we link this to Nike+?
posted by purenitrous at 9:16 AM on August 28, 2011

I probably should have just waited until today to sign up, since the last two days I've been very deliberately sitting on my ass in prep for this morning's 5k
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 9:57 AM on August 28, 2011

Done! I am HeatherInPDX there. Off for a short run...
posted by ugf at 10:40 AM on August 28, 2011

I'm hoping this and HealthMonth will get me back on to the healthy train.
posted by reenum at 1:36 PM on August 28, 2011

I'm on too... Bellebelle over there.
posted by jonathanstrange at 3:28 PM on August 28, 2011

Someone mentioned Fitocracy and then I saw it here, so I took it as a sign to join. Signed up as reachjer. Too bad it's a month after I finished training for and running a marathon.

It's got some strange achievements though.
posted by meowzilla at 3:35 PM on August 28, 2011

Joined under the same handle. Need to train for a half this fall.

Good, old-fashioned willpower will still be the main requirement, but this can't hurt, right?
posted by stroke_count at 6:11 PM on August 28, 2011

Joined as Lexica. First attempt to enter an activity (kettlebell swings) thwarted because they measure by number of swings, while I've been doing 7 minutes. Foo. Now I'll have to count next time.

Is it possible to enter number of steps walked in a day, rather than however many minutes of whatever intensity?
posted by Lexica at 6:33 PM on August 28, 2011

Joined as shriekingviolet!
posted by shrieking violet at 5:39 AM on August 29, 2011

in as blackrangerblue
posted by emmling at 7:34 AM on August 29, 2011

Joined. Heavy gardening, or indeed gardening of any sort, is not a valid activity on Fitocracy, which is a shame. At least my new flowerbed looks nice though.
posted by infinitewindow at 10:44 AM on August 29, 2011

I am intimately familiar with the exponential-curve idea, but I think it's a little silly that two workouts got me to level 4. And I still have two hours of karate tonight.
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 10:48 AM on August 29, 2011

So I get achievements for working out now?
posted by cirrostratus at 1:43 PM on August 29, 2011

I'm Kicktoria over there. I'm having the same problem as BurnChao, 'cause I'm doing stuff and I don't know what it would be called - sprinting with a weighted stick over my head? Duck hops? Ladder runs? I HAVE NO IDEA.
posted by Lucinda at 6:46 PM on August 29, 2011

In. On a related note, WIRED had a great cover story in June on using this kind of feedback loop to encourage desired behavior.
posted by Vectorcon Systems at 6:57 AM on August 30, 2011 [1 favorite]

I'm in too. I had "new social network" fatigue at first, but if it hooks in to RunKeeper, then there's no extra work!
posted by web-goddess at 9:36 PM on August 30, 2011

I am absolutely twitching because it's down for maintenance and I have a workout to enter. GOTTA GET MY POINTS MAN!
posted by restless_nomad (staff) at 9:31 AM on September 6, 2011

Just joined the metafilter group, fitocracy username is markmark.
posted by markr at 5:13 PM on September 13, 2011