# Velocity-based training on gym machines

> Why the speed of your reps says more than the count, and how to use it on the machines at your gym.

[Guides](https://nomae.com.au/guides) · 2 min read

Weight and reps tell you what you lifted. Speed tells you how it went. That’s velocity-based training: reading your sets by how fast the weight moves.

## The pros have done this for years

Strength coaches clip speed sensors to barbells, and that gear can cost over a grand. Most people never get near it. NOMAE does the same idea on the weight stack, for the machines you already use.

## Watch the last reps

Every set slows down as you tire. If your last reps are dragging way slower than your first, you’re close to your limit. If they’re still flying, you’ve probably got more in you. It won’t tell you exactly how many reps are left, and if you slow your tempo on purpose, the reading slows too.

## Same weight, going up quicker

This is the good one. If 40 kg goes up faster than it did last month, that’s a good sign you’re getting stronger, often before you’re ready to add a plate. Compare like with like: same machine, same seat, same weight. One quick set on a good day is just one set.

## What NOMAE shows you

Pick the exercise, punch in the weight, lift. After the set you get your speed and how much you slowed down. Over the weeks it points out stuff like “Faster at 30 kg”. Counts your reps too.

What it doesn’t do: predict your max from speed, yell at you to stop mid-set, score your readiness, or know which exercise or weight you’re on.

Where NOMAE fits

Heads up: speed is an estimate from how the stack moves, so it’s best for comparing you against you on the same machine. We’re still testing the final units. The app is free; AI Coach is optional.

[Shop now · A$199 to 5 November](https://nomae.com.au/tracker#launch)

[Will it fit my machines?](https://nomae.com.au/fit)

## More guides

[**What is NOMAE? Lift speed and reps on gym machines**: What the NOMAE gym tracker does, which machines it fits, the free iPhone app, prices and availability in Australia. · 3 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/what-is-nomae-gym-tracker)

[**Progressive overload on gym machines: a simple system**: Machines make getting stronger easy to measure, if you know what to change and when. · 5 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/progressive-overload-on-machines)

[**Rep speed: what a faster set can and cannot tell you**: Speed is one part of a set. Setup, effort and measurement limits matter too. · 5 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/rep-speed-and-strength)

[**How to set up a gym machine, and remember it next time**: Seat height and pad positions change every lift. Get them right once, then keep them. · 6 min](https://nomae.com.au/guides/set-up-gym-machines)

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Source: https://nomae.com.au/guides/velocity-based-training-gym-machines
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Contact: hello@nomae.com.au