wger - Self-Hosted Fitness and Workout Manager

Overview

wger (Workout Manager) is a free, open-source fitness and workout tracking application deployed in the Fako cluster. It provides comprehensive features for managing workouts, tracking nutrition, monitoring body weight, and creating exercise routines. The application includes a large exercise database with images and videos, making it an excellent self-hosted alternative to commercial fitness apps. It’s accessible via the web interface and offers both registered user accounts and guest access.

Key Features

• Workout Management: Create and track custom workout routines
• Exercise Database: Large database with images and videos
• Nutrition Tracking: Log meals and track calories/macros
• Weight Tracking: Monitor body weight progress over time
• Multi-Language: Support for multiple languages
• REST API: Full API for mobile apps and integrations
• Guest Access: Try before registering
• PDF Export: Generate workout plans as PDFs
• Exercise Sync: Automatic sync of exercise database

Architecture

Components

1. Helm Release: Deployed via Flux Helm controller
2. Django Backend: Python-based web framework
3. PostgreSQL Database: Uses cluster’s PostgreSQL
4. Redis Cache: For performance optimization
5. Celery Workers: Background task processing
6. nginx: Web server and static file serving
7. Persistent Storage: NFS for media files

Resource Requirements

• Django App: 256Mi RAM (request), 1Gi (limit)
• Celery: 256Mi RAM (request), 512Mi (limit)
• CPU: 250m-1000m for app, 100m-500m for Celery
• Storage: 10Gi for media, 5Gi for Redis

Configuration

Application Settings

Infrastructure

• Database: External PostgreSQL cluster
• Cache: Redis with 5Gi storage
• Ingress: trackit.landryzetam.net
• Storage Class: nfs-csi-v2

Usage

Accessing wger

External access:

https://trackit.landryzetam.net

Internal access:

http://wger.wger.svc.cluster.local:8000

Getting Started

1. Visit the site: Navigate to the URL
2. Choose access type:
   • Register new account
   • Use guest account
   • Login with existing account
3. Create first workout:
   • Browse exercise database
   • Create workout routine
   • Add exercises with sets/reps
4. Track progress:
   • Log workouts
   • Track weight
   • Monitor nutrition

Mobile Access

• Responsive web design works on all devices
• REST API available for custom apps
• Progressive Web App (PWA) support

Exercise Management

Database Features

• Automatic Sync: Celery syncs exercises daily
• Images & Videos: Visual exercise guides
• Categories: Organized by muscle groups
• Equipment: Filter by available equipment
• Custom Exercises: Add your own

Creating Workouts

1. Templates: Use pre-made routines
2. Custom Plans: Build from scratch
3. Scheduling: Set workout days
4. Logging: Track completed sets
5. Progress: View strength gains

Operations

Database Initialization

The database is initialized via job:

# Check init job status
kubectl get job wger-db-init -n wger

# View initialization logs
kubectl logs -n wger job/wger-db-init

Managing Users

Django admin interface:

# Create superuser
kubectl exec -it -n wger deployment/wger -- \
  python manage.py createsuperuser

# Access admin at /admin

Backup Procedures

Database Backup

# Backup wger database
kubectl exec -n postgres postgres-cluster-1 -- \
  pg_dump -U postgres wger > wger-backup.sql

Media Files Backup

# Backup uploaded files
kubectl exec -n wger deployment/wger -- \
  tar -czf /tmp/media-backup.tar.gz /app/media

# Copy locally
kubectl cp wger/wger-xxx:/tmp/media-backup.tar.gz ./wger-media-backup.tar.gz

Troubleshooting

Application Not Loading

1. Check pods:

kubectl get pods -n wger
kubectl describe pod -n wger -l app.kubernetes.io/name=wger

2. View logs:

# Django logs
kubectl logs -n wger -l app.kubernetes.io/component=wger

# Celery logs
kubectl logs -n wger -l app.kubernetes.io/component=celery

Database Connection Issues

1. Verify credentials:

kubectl get secret wger-db-credentials -n wger -o yaml

2. Test connection:

kubectl exec -n wger deployment/wger -- \
  python -c "from django.db import connection; connection.ensure_connection()"

Exercise Sync Issues

1. Check Celery workers:

kubectl logs -n wger -l app.kubernetes.io/component=celery-beat

2. Trigger manual sync:

kubectl exec -n wger deployment/wger -- \
  python manage.py sync-exercises

Performance Issues

1. Check Redis:

kubectl exec -n wger deployment/redis -- redis-cli ping

2. Monitor resources:

kubectl top pods -n wger

Security Considerations

Authentication

• Django authentication system
• Brute force protection (Axes)
• JWT tokens for API access
• Guest users have limited access

Data Privacy

• All data stored locally
• No external tracking
• User data isolation
• GDPR compliant

Best Practices

1. Strong passwords: Enforce password policy
2. Regular updates: Keep wger updated
3. Limit registrations: Consider closing if needed
4. Monitor access: Check logs regularly
5. Backup data: Regular automated backups

Customization

Branding

Modify settings:

# Custom site name
SITE_HEADER = "My Fitness Tracker"

Language Support

Add languages:

# Generate translations
kubectl exec -n wger deployment/wger -- \
  python manage.py makemessages -l es

# Compile translations
kubectl exec -n wger deployment/wger -- \
  python manage.py compilemessages

Custom Exercises

Via API:

curl -X POST https://trackit.landryzetam.net/api/v2/exercise/ \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Custom Exercise",
    "category": 1,
    "description": "Description here"
  }'

API Usage

Authentication

Get API token:

curl -X POST https://trackit.landryzetam.net/api/v2/token/ \
  -d "username=user&password=pass"

Example Requests

List workouts:

curl https://trackit.landryzetam.net/api/v2/workout/ \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_TOKEN"

Log weight:

curl -X POST https://trackit.landryzetam.net/api/v2/weightentry/ \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_TOKEN" \
  -d "weight=75&date=2024-01-01"

Monitoring

Key Metrics

• Active users count
• Workout completions
• Database size growth
• API request rate
• Cache hit ratio

Health Checks

Application health:

curl https://trackit.landryzetam.net/api/v2/status/

Performance Monitoring

Cache statistics:

kubectl exec -n wger deployment/redis -- redis-cli info stats

Maintenance

Regular Tasks

1. Daily:

   • Monitor exercise sync
   • Check error logs
   • Review registrations

2. Weekly:

   • Backup database
   • Clean old sessions
   • Update exercises

3. Monthly:

   • Review storage usage
   • Update wger version
   • Audit user accounts

Update Procedure

1. Update Helm values:

# In release.yaml
spec:
  chart:
    spec:
      version: "0.2.5"  # New version

2. Apply changes:

kubectl apply -f apps/base/wger/release.yaml

3. Run migrations:

kubectl exec -n wger deployment/wger -- \
  python manage.py migrate

Database Maintenance

Clean old data:

# Remove old guest accounts
kubectl exec -n wger deployment/wger -- \
  python manage.py cleanup-guests --days=30

# Clean sessions
kubectl exec -n wger deployment/wger -- \
  python manage.py clearsessions

Integration Examples

With Mobile Apps

Configure for app access:

# CORS settings
CORS_ALLOWED_ORIGINS:
  - "capacitor://localhost"
  - "http://localhost"

With Fitness Trackers

Import data via API:

import requests

# Import workout from fitness tracker
data = {
    "date": "2024-01-01",
    "exercises": [...],
    "notes": "Imported from Garmin"
}

response = requests.post(
    "https://trackit.landryzetam.net/api/v2/workout/",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Token {token}"},
    json=data
)

With Monitoring

Prometheus metrics:

# Add Django Prometheus
- name: django-prometheus
  image: django-prometheus
  ports:
    - containerPort: 8001

Advanced Features

Meal Planning

Enable nutrition features:

environment:
  - name: WGER_ENABLE_NUTRITION
    value: "True"

Social Features

Enable sharing:

environment:
  - name: WGER_ENABLE_SOCIAL
    value: "True"

Custom Workflows

Celery tasks:

# Custom task for reminders
@shared_task
def send_workout_reminder():
    # Send reminders for scheduled workouts
    pass

Future Improvements

• Add OAuth2 authentication
• Implement mobile app notifications
• Create automated workout suggestions
• Add social features for gym buddies
• Integrate with wearable devices
• Add video workout guides
• Implement AI-powered form checking
• Create progress prediction models
• Add meal planning integration
• Implement coaching features