Common recording issues in Metric — Docs

Most tracking problems come down to what the camera can or cannot see. Metric detects and tracks the barbell and its plates from the video, so if the bar/weight plates are hard to see due to lighting or leave the video frame during your set, the data accuracy will suffer.

Metric has many affordances built in to calculate accurate lifting data across a range of device angles, positions and environments, but it’s also not magic, and requires a stable position, good lighting, and a clear view of your barbell throughout the entire set.

Here are the issues we see most often and how to fix them.

Lighting

Metric needs enough light to track the plate cleanly through the whole rep.

Too dark. Dim gyms or dark garage setups starve the camera of light which makes object detection tricky. Low light environments force the camera sensor to increase gain creating grainy, low-quality images which hurts image tracking further. Turn on lights, adjust your recording angle or move the barbell so the plates are better lit. Dark gyms coupled with dark weight plates and dark clothing on the athlete is a particularly challenging setup for accurate velocity tracking.
Glaring backlight in the frame. A bright window or light behind the lifter and barbell in the video frame throws the bar into a dark silhouette and makes it impossible for the camera sensor to correctly balance the scene. Adjust your recording angle so that the strong light source is behind the camera (by swapping your phone to the other side of the barbell) or slightly adjust your tripod position so that the light is in the corner of the frame and away from the moving barbell.

Device stability

Metric measures the bar’s movement, so if your device moves during recording, that device motion will corrupt the tracking accuracy of your barbell velocity.

Use a tripod. Don’t try to film your sets with a hand-held device. Even small sway/drift adds noise to your tracking. Use a tripod, phone stand or rest the phone against a stable object like a kettlebell on a box. See the best gym tripods.

Camera angle and position

Metric works by tracking the weight plates on your barbell. To get the best view through the entire range of motion, record from a side angle, between 0º - 30º to the direct end of the barbell.

Front-on recording Shooting from in front or behind the lifter makes the plates impossible to lock onto and track.
Too high or too low. Aim for the device to be within the height that your barbell will pass through during your set. For deadlifts on the floor is fine, for bench pressing or squats, try and raise the phone to knee-chest height so the full range of motion stays in frame. For snatching bring the phone up to chest-shoulder height.
Too close. If the bar leaves the frame at the top or bottom of the rep this part of your rep will not be tracked, move the camera back or zoom out. Keep the entire range of motion visible the whole set.
Distance. Metric provides guidance during setup to ensure the plates are neither too close nor too far away in the frame before you start recording. Keep the full lift in frame by adjusting device distance or zooming in/out.

Plate detection

Metric finds the bar by locking onto a weight plate, so the plate matters.

Non-circular plates. Hex, square, or odd-shaped plates can’t be tracked reliably — Metric expects a circular plate. Use standard round bumper or iron plates on the camera side.
Plates too small or hidden. Very small plates, or plates blocked by collars, clamps, or your body, give the camera little to lock onto. Keep a clearly visible round plate facing the camera.
Wrong plate size set. Tracking uses the plate diameter for scale — make sure your plate size is correct in settings. See custom plate sizes.
Low contrast. A plate that blends into the floor or wall behind it is harder to detect. A plainer, contrasting background helps. (See above about lighting.)

Still not getting clean data?

Confirm your device is on the supported devices list — older or non-flagship hardware may not run the vision system reliably.
Re-check the basics in recording a set.
Report a bug directly in app. We are always looking to improve our reliability and accuracy as well as expand our tracking to more lifts and different equipment, so be sure to send us bug reports in the app. We reply to every report and can offer some custom tips to help you get accurate tracking data in your environment.