ACSM-style Mapping

This page shows how to express classic ACSM-style prescriptions in OpenSet. The focus is on big rocks — FITT-VP structure and intensity — not on reproducing every disease-specific guideline.

How ACSM maps onto OpenSet (FITT-VP)

OpenSet is designed to encode guideline-driven prescriptions such as ACSM’s FITT-VP framework without baking any specific guideline into the schema.

• Frequency & Volume (F, V) — Represented by:
  • How often a workout appears in a program/phase (workouts array on phases; duration on program/phase for overall plan length).
  • Set, series, and workout-level volume via dimensions such as reps, rounds, duration, distance, and optional tags (e.g. "sports": ["strength"]).
• Intensity (I) — Captured by existing dimensions and value types:
  • Cardio: heart_rate, heart_rate_zone, power, pace, speed using fixed, range, min, or max values.
  • Strength: load, rpe, rir, velocity for resistance and effort targets, again with value types like fixed, range, and max.
• Time (T) — Modeled with:
  • Workout/program duration estimates.
  • Set-level duration, duration_per_side, and rest_after (and series-level rest_after) to capture bout and rest structure.
• Type (T) — Expressed using:
  • sports on workouts/programs (e.g. "running", "strength", "fitness").
  • exercise_id and tags to distinguish modalities (e.g. walking vs. jogging vs. cycling).
• Progression (P) — Implemented structurally:
  • Multi-phase programs (PROGRAM → PHASE → WORKOUT) where later phases increase volume, intensity, or complexity.
  • Within-workout progression using blocks and series (e.g., "Warm-up" → "Main work" → "Cool-down"), and by adjusting set-level value objects over time.

ACSM and similar guidelines remain clinical/coach logic that choose and sequence OpenSet documents. OpenSet focuses on providing a precise, sport-agnostic prescription format and a separate execution layer so those guideline decisions can be audited and analyzed over time.

Example 1 — Beginner walking program (general health)

A simple 3-day-per-week walking program aimed at ACSM’s general health targets (e.g. building toward ~150 min/week of moderate-intensity activity).

Program document:

{
  "openset_version": "1.0",
  "type": "program",
  "name": "Beginner Walking — General Health",
  "sports": ["running"],
  "duration": { "value": 8, "unit": "week" },
  "metadata": {
    "goal": "Build toward ~150 min/week of moderate-intensity walking",
    "author": "Example Coach",
    "provider": "OpenSet Example"
  },
  "phases": [
    {
      "name": "Weeks 1–4",
      "goal": "Establish habit, accumulate at least 90 min/week",
      "workouts": [
        {
          "openset_version": "1.0",
          "type": "workout",
          "name": "Walk — 30 min, 3x/week",
          "sports": ["running"],
          "duration": { "value": 30, "unit": "min" },
          "blocks": [
            {
              "name": "Main walk",
              "series": [
                {
                  "execution_mode": "SEQUENTIAL",
                  "exercises": [
                    {
                      "name": "Brisk walk",
                      "sets": [
                        {
                          "dimensions": ["duration", "pace"],
                          "duration": { "type": "fixed", "value": 30, "unit": "min" },
                          "pace": { "type": "range", "min": 10, "max": 12, "unit": "min/km" }
                        }
                      ]
                    }
                  ]
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Weeks 5–8",
      "goal": "Progress toward ~150 min/week",
      "workouts": [
        {
          "openset_version": "1.0",
          "type": "workout",
          "name": "Walk — 40–50 min, 3–4x/week",
          "sports": ["running"],
          "duration": { "value": 45, "unit": "min" },
          "blocks": [
            {
              "name": "Main walk",
              "series": [
                {
                  "execution_mode": "SEQUENTIAL",
                  "exercises": [
                    {
                      "name": "Brisk walk",
                      "sets": [
                        {
                          "dimensions": ["duration", "pace"],
                          "duration": { "type": "range", "min": 40, "max": 50, "unit": "min" },
                          "pace": { "type": "range", "min": 9, "max": 11, "unit": "min/km" }
                        }
                      ]
                    }
                  ]
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

• FITT-VP mapping
  • Frequency: implied by scheduling this workout 3–4 times per week in your app/calendar.
  • Intensity: controlled by pace (min/km range); apps may also attach heart_rate in %HRR or rpe if desired.
  • Time: duration at workout and set level.
  • Type: sports: ["running"] and "Brisk walk" exercise name.
  • Volume & progression: program duration, phase goals, and increasing time/pace across phases.

Example 2 — Basic full-body resistance session

A single-session resistance workout that reflects ACSM’s guidance for major muscle groups with moderate loads and repetitions.

Workout document:

{
  "openset_version": "1.0",
  "type": "workout",
  "name": "Full-Body — General Strength",
  "sports": ["strength"],
  "level": "beginner",
  "blocks": [
    {
      "name": "Warm-up",
      "series": [
        {
          "execution_mode": "SEQUENTIAL",
          "exercises": [
            {
              "name": "Bodyweight squat",
              "sets": [
                {
                  "dimensions": ["reps"],
                  "reps": { "type": "fixed", "value": 12 }
                },
                {
                  "dimensions": ["reps"],
                  "reps": { "type": "fixed", "value": 12 }
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Main lifts",
      "series": [
        {
          "execution_mode": "SEQUENTIAL",
          "exercises": [
            {
              "exercise_id": "back_squat",
              "sets": [
                {
                  "dimensions": ["reps", "load"],
                  "reps": { "type": "range", "min": 8, "max": 12 },
                  "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 60, "unit": "kg" },
                  "rpe": { "type": "range", "min": 6, "max": 7 },
                  "rest_after": { "type": "fixed", "value": 90, "unit": "s" }
                },
                {
                  "dimensions": ["reps", "load"],
                  "reps": { "type": "range", "min": 8, "max": 12 },
                  "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 60, "unit": "kg" },
                  "rpe": { "type": "range", "min": 6, "max": 7 },
                  "rest_after": { "type": "fixed", "value": 90, "unit": "s" }
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "exercise_id": "bench_press",
              "sets": [
                {
                  "dimensions": ["reps", "load"],
                  "reps": { "type": "range", "min": 8, "max": 12 },
                  "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 40, "unit": "kg" },
                  "rpe": { "type": "range", "min": 6, "max": 7 },
                  "rest_after": { "type": "fixed", "value": 90, "unit": "s" }
                },
                {
                  "dimensions": ["reps", "load"],
                  "reps": { "type": "range", "min": 8, "max": 12 },
                  "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 40, "unit": "kg" },
                  "rpe": { "type": "range", "min": 6, "max": 7 },
                  "rest_after": { "type": "fixed", "value": 90, "unit": "s" }
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        },
        {
          "execution_mode": "SUPERSET",
          "rounds": { "type": "fixed", "value": 2 },
          "rest_after": { "type": "fixed", "value": 60, "unit": "s" },
          "exercises": [
            {
              "exercise_id": "lat_pulldown",
              "sets": [
                {
                  "dimensions": ["reps", "load"],
                  "reps": { "type": "range", "min": 10, "max": 15 },
                  "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 30, "unit": "kg" },
                  "rpe": { "type": "range", "min": 6, "max": 7 }
                }
              ]
            },
            {
              "exercise_id": "dumbbell_shoulder_press",
              "sets": [
                {
                  "dimensions": ["reps", "load"],
                  "reps": { "type": "range", "min": 10, "max": 15 },
                  "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 10, "unit": "kg" },
                  "rpe": { "type": "range", "min": 6, "max": 7 }
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Cool-down",
      "series": [
        {
          "execution_mode": "SEQUENTIAL",
          "exercises": [
            {
              "name": "Easy walk",
              "sets": [
                {
                  "dimensions": ["duration"],
                  "duration": { "type": "fixed", "value": 5, "unit": "min" }
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

This workout:

• Hits multiple major muscle groups with 2–4 sets of 8–15 reps.
• Uses RPE 6–7 to capture moderate effort in a way that is compatible with ACSM’s intensity domains.
• Can be scheduled 2–3 times per week within a program to meet weekly resistance-training recommendations.

These examples are intentionally compact; real programs may add more exercises, phases, and population-specific extensions (see Extensions) while keeping the same structural pattern.

Periodization and macro/meso/micro cycles

ACSM’s progression principle assumes that training changes over weeks and months, not just inside one workout. OpenSet represents this progression using the existing document hierarchy:

• Macrocycle — A Program document describing the overall season or long-term plan (e.g. 12-week or 12-month plan).
• Mesocycle — Phase objects within a program (often 4–8 weeks each) with their own goal, week_start, and week_end fields (e.g. hypertrophy, strength, deload).
• Microcycle — Weekly patterns of Workouts inside a phase; each workout holds the detailed set prescriptions.

Mapping ACSM-style progression to OpenSet

For resistance training, ACSM often describes progression across weeks, for example:

• Start with higher reps and moderate loads.
• Gradually increase load and reduce reps.
• Insert deload weeks when needed.

In OpenSet, this looks like:

• Macrocycle — A program-level goal (e.g. “increase strength over 12 weeks”) plus overall duration.
• Mesocycle — Phases such as "Hypertrophy 1", "Strength 1", "Peaking" with:
  • goal: phase focus.
  • week_start / week_end: the weeks this block covers.
  • Optional periodization extensions like x_mesocycle_index, x_phase_type, and x_intensity_trend.
• Microcycle — Individual workouts (e.g. Push — Week 3) with:
  • Optional extensions like x_week_in_phase, x_day_in_microcycle, and x_split.
  • Set-level changes over time (e.g. load and reps changing from week to week).

See the Advanced Example — Periodized Strength Program in Examples (program-hypertrophy-strength-periodized.json) for a complete JSON document that encodes multiple mesocycles and weekly progression.

Example — Bench press mesocycle progression

The table below is a classic strength mesocycle (similar to what many coaches use):

Week	Sets × Reps	Load
1	4×10	70 kg
2	4×9	72.5 kg
3	4×8	75 kg
4	5×6	80 kg
5	5×5	85 kg

Here is how you might encode those five weeks of bench press in a single Phase using five separate push-day workouts, each tagged with its week in the phase:

{
  "name": "Hypertrophy → Strength Bench Mesocycle",
  "week_start": 1,
  "week_end": 5,
  "x_mesocycle_index": 1,
  "x_phase_type": "hypertrophy",
  "workouts": [
    {
      "name": "Push — Week 1",
      "x_week_in_phase": 1,
      "x_day_in_microcycle": 1,
      "x_split": "push",
      "blocks": [
        {
          "name": "Main Work",
          "series": [
            {
              "execution_mode": "SEQUENTIAL",
              "exercises": [
                {
                  "exercise_id": "bench_press",
                  "sets": [
                    { "dimensions": ["reps", "load"], "reps": { "type": "fixed", "value": 10 }, "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 70, "unit": "kg" } },
                    { "dimensions": ["reps", "load"], "reps": { "type": "fixed", "value": 10 }, "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 70, "unit": "kg" } },
                    { "dimensions": ["reps", "load"], "reps": { "type": "fixed", "value": 10 }, "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 70, "unit": "kg" } },
                    { "dimensions": ["reps", "load"], "reps": { "type": "fixed", "value": 10 }, "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 70, "unit": "kg" } }
                  ]
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "name": "Push — Week 2",
      "x_week_in_phase": 2,
      "x_day_in_microcycle": 1,
      "x_split": "push",
      "blocks": [
        {
          "name": "Main Work",
          "series": [
            {
              "execution_mode": "SEQUENTIAL",
              "exercises": [
                {
                  "exercise_id": "bench_press",
                  "sets": [
                    { "dimensions": ["reps", "load"], "reps": { "type": "fixed", "value": 9 }, "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 72.5, "unit": "kg" } },
                    { "dimensions": ["reps", "load"], "reps": { "type": "fixed", "value": 9 }, "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 72.5, "unit": "kg" } },
                    { "dimensions": ["reps", "load"], "reps": { "type": "fixed", "value": 9 }, "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 72.5, "unit": "kg" } },
                    { "dimensions": ["reps", "load"], "reps": { "type": "fixed", "value": 9 }, "load": { "type": "fixed", "value": 72.5, "unit": "kg" } }
                  ]
                }
              ]
            }
          ]
        }
      ]
    }
  ]
}

Subsequent weeks (3–5) follow the same pattern, with updated reps and load to reflect the mesocycle progression. Apps can use:

• x_week_in_phase and x_day_in_microcycle to group workouts into microcycles.
• week_start / week_end, x_phase_type, and x_intensity_trend to visualize mesocycles across the macrocycle.