About Us | Knack Strength

Why we're building this.

We see a world where people make gains they never thought they could through smarter programming, guidance, and behavioral science. More people should have access to the guidance good coaches give, without the time and money costs that come with that.

What kicks us to build is the status quo: the fitness industry that hasn’t been holding to scientific and professional coaching standards.

Six parts of coaching: the status quo in the fitness industry for each one, and what Knack Strength is built for.
	Status quo	What we build for
Programming	Status quoWorkout generators and online fitness influencers randomly choosing exercises that match to a muscle group	What we build forTailored programs that good coaches would give clients, where each prescription is there based on strength and conditioning principles
Behavioral science	Status quoGuilt trips, short-term motivation boosts including streaks and badges	What we build forResearch-driven strategies for long-term adherence, including planning, emphasizing strengths, building self-efficacy, self-regulation, combatting all-or-nothing thinking
Rigidity and flexibility	Status quoPrograms too rigid, difficult to reorganize, and where falling off feels like failure; or the extreme contrast, on-demand hyper-flexible workouts that build toward nothing	What we build forBalance of rigidity and flexibility, where one progresses and peaks in performance while staying sensitive to real life needs
AI use	Status quoUnconstrained AI use for exercise and medical advice and prescription	What we build forOnly using AI where it can benefit beyond hard-coded algorithms and be controlled under informed constraintsNote: We do use AIs/LLMs to help us build this app. Implementation of it in the app is what is restrained.
Metrics	Status quoRecovery scores and strength scores that ignore individual physiological differences and context	What we build forProgramming and progression driven by individual physiological feedback (soreness, stimulus, joint pain, total work perception) and lived recovery patterns (strength trends, symptoms)
Technique guidance	Status quoJargon-filled instructions or low detail that are uninformed by biomechanics	What we build forClear instructions and attention to detail that promote stimulus and pain-free movement based on biomechanics and coaching practice

Six parts of coaching: the status quo in the fitness industry for each one, and what Knack Strength is built for.

Status quo

What we build for

Programming

Status quoWorkout generators and online fitness influencers randomly choosing exercises that match to a muscle group

What we build forTailored programs that good coaches would give clients, where each prescription is there based on strength and conditioning principles

Behavioral science

Status quoGuilt trips, short-term motivation boosts including streaks and badges

What we build forResearch-driven strategies for long-term adherence, including planning, emphasizing strengths, building self-efficacy, self-regulation, combatting all-or-nothing thinking

Rigidity and flexibility

Status quoPrograms too rigid, difficult to reorganize, and where falling off feels like failure; or the extreme contrast, on-demand hyper-flexible workouts that build toward nothing

What we build forBalance of rigidity and flexibility, where one progresses and peaks in performance while staying sensitive to real life needs

AI use

Status quoUnconstrained AI use for exercise and medical advice and prescription

What we build forOnly using AI where it can benefit beyond hard-coded algorithms and be controlled under informed constraintsNote: We do use AIs/LLMs to help us build this app. Implementation of it in the app is what is restrained.

Metrics

Status quoRecovery scores and strength scores that ignore individual physiological differences and context

What we build forProgramming and progression driven by individual physiological feedback (soreness, stimulus, joint pain, total work perception) and lived recovery patterns (strength trends, symptoms)

Technique guidance

Status quoJargon-filled instructions or low detail that are uninformed by biomechanics

What we build forClear instructions and attention to detail that promote stimulus and pain-free movement based on biomechanics and coaching practice

The sparks.

“My client Steve had knee pain doing step-ups. I coached him to hinge, keep his weight on his heel, and take a wider step back. It wasn't my first time helping a client with an osteoarthritic knee squat pain-free (say that ten times fast). Steve was delighted. I asked him, “That cue I just showed you… what would you think if I put it in an app?” He looked at me like I was a little insane. I guess I am, ’cause here we are.

My realization: no app out there could help folks like Steve. They're built for a “perfect” user, one who robotically follows the plan, nails complicated technique on the first try, and has the joints of a 20-year-old. But as I built this app, I think about how we could coach folks like Steve. I think about how we can coach the new parent juggling a torn ACL and pelvic floor therapy appointments around training sessions. I think about my peers and working professionals that want a coach in their corner guiding and calling the hard shots.

The program needs to adjust to them: pain, schedule, recovery, progression, technique. That's the part I wanted the app to handle well. Thank you to my co-founder, Gavin, who made it real. We really want you to try it, so your first month is on us. Tell us what you think, good or bad. We read everything.”

Jimmy Xiao, CSCS, ACSM-EP

Co-Founder & CEO

The Team

Jimmy Xiao

Co-Founder & CEO

Coached first-timers, collegiate athletes, and lifters in their nineties. Researches the psychology of initiating and maintaining exercise.

Read bio

Gavin Bender

Co-Founder & CTO

Built software for video games, consumer apps, and artificial intelligence. Engineers technology that works for the user, not against them.

Read bio