Weightlifting training assistance system

Obtaining an objective information about exercise technique, progress and fatigue management is very important in the sport of weightlifting. This information is usually acquired subjectively by an athlete or a coach. Our motivation is to obtain an objective feedback, in our case physical parameters like vertical acceleration, vertical velocity, height and power produced on the bar by the athlete. We used a wireless sensor device that consists of an orientation sensor, which wirelessly transmits the sensors signals to the user. We performed accuracy tests and validated our sensor device with the professional optical motion capture system from Qualisys. With the validated sensor device, we carried out several measurements of muscle snatch weightlifting exercise. By combining sensors signals and a video recording, we performed an in-depth analysis of the exercise. The results show that the system is functioning as expected and produces the desired results. Using such an assistance system in training helps the coach and the athlete to analyze and evaluate weightlifting technique objectively. The work presented here is used in the development of a standalone weightlifting training assistance system.

I. Introduction

Society is becoming more aware of the importance of physical activity for good physical and mental health and well-being. There are many different sports activities and exercises that help us stay in shape. A large number of wearable devices on the market allow the measurement of many parameters of physical activity. These wearable devices measure the number of steps, heart rate during exercise, and other physiological and motion parameters. Unlike the large number of devices used to measure aerobic exercise activities such as running, walking, swimming, etc., there are very few available devices for measuring activity during strength training [1].