Generating Feedback on Repeated Testing Performance – Smartabase Help Center

When optimizing human performance, we apply interventions to improve the performance of individuals and teams. We monitor those interventions by repeatedly measuring specific metrics to make sure that the intervention is having the desired effect on the individual. Alternatively, the metrics may highlight some necessary tweaks to the intervention to get back on track. It’s important to record these metrics over time so that we can objectively look for changes and look back on these trends if we apply the intervention again - either at a later date or with a different cohort.

It’s also important that people believe the intervention will improve their performance. One way that you can achieve this is by providing people with feedback about their performance. Often we use dashboards to display the feedback as we can present the data in a visually appealing way, but we can also use performance alerts to send direct, instantaneous feedback straight to the person.

This tutorial will use the example of a strength building intervention, where testing sessions to determine the maximum amount of weight that a person can lift for one repetition (1-rep maximum or 1RM) need to be tracked in Smartabase. We will focus on one exercise (the back squat) but you can edit or expand this workflow to include other main lifts. This workflow could also apply to other testing results such as sprinting, cognitive performance or even wellness metrics.

In this tutorial, we’ll be sending performance alerts via email so that we can show you how to send a summary of the testing information in a PDF. If you don’t need to include any data in the email, you could send app notifications instead, which will appear on the person’s mobile phone if they’re logged into the Smartabase Athlete app.

Goals

The goal of this tutorial is to create an event form to capture information from strength testing sessions about a person’s 1-rep maximum (1RM) for a back squat and automatically notify them via email of an improvement compared to their previous attempt.

Note that because this workflow uses History calculations, the feedback won’t be generated until after the record is saved.

Outcomes

Create a database for strength exercises.
Create an event form to capture performance testing data.
Configure a performance alert to send a notification if a new 1RM is achieved.
Test your workflow.

Outcome 1: Create a database for strength exercises

Create a new database form called Strength Exercises.
Add a Single line text field named Exercise.
Add a Dropdown field named Type. Set the Options in the sidebar as:
- Upper body - horizontal push
- Upper body - horizontal pull
- Upper body - vertical push
- Upper body - vertical pull
- Lower body - horizontal push
- Lower body - horizontal pull
- Lower body - vertical push
- Lower body - vertical pull
Save the database form.
From the Database forms tool, select Add/edit records for the Strength Exercises form.
Hover over the Options button and select New strength exercises.
Enter a Back squat exercise, which is a Lower body - vertical push type exercise.
Save the record.

Outcome 2: Create an event form to capture performance testing data

Using the Event forms tool, create an event form called Strength 1RM Testing.
In the advanced form properties, set the Print page format to Portrait.
Add a Database field and name it Exercise. This is how you will select the relevant exercise performed in the testing session from the database.
- In the field properties, choose the Table entry mode. This will create the first column in the table.
- In the advanced field properties, set the Preferred width to 150, Show in PDF reports to False and the default number of Table rows to 3. You can customize the width to a different value but this will increase the width of the column when filling out the information.
Add a Number field named Weight. This is where you will record the 1RM value.
- In the field properties, ensure that the field is in Table entry mode like the Exercise field.
- In the advanced field properties, set Show in PDF reports to False and the number Format to 0.00.
Create a new section and name it Session Summary.

So far, we have chosen to exclude the table fields from the PDF as we don't want to include them in the performance alert in Outcome 3. The calculations that we add to the Session Summary section will be included in the PDF to summarize the testing data.
In the Session Summary section, add a Table calculation for the back squat to get the maximum value for the session. Name the field Back squat and ensure it is in Normal entry mode.
- In the advanced field properties, set Show in PDF reports to True and the number Format to 0.00.
- For the Calculation, set the aggregation as lastnonzeroifpositive and the equation as:
```
if(contains(Exercise, "Back squat"), Weight, -1) 
```
  When referencing a Database field in an equation, the value that is returned includes an ID and delimiters (e.g. 12345 | Back squat |). Therefore, we need to use the contains function to search for the “Back squat” portion within the value. If we had used Exercise = “Back squat” instead of contains(Exercise, “Back squat”) then the if function would be false and the calculation would return -1. It is also important that “Back squat” is written into the function in the exact same way (including case sensitivity) that it is exists in the database.
To get the previous back squat value, add a History calculation. Name the field Last back squat.
- In the advanced field properties, set Show in PDF reports to True and the number Format to 0.00.
- For the Calculation, set the equation as:
```
lastvalue(Historical Back squat)
```
Add a calculation called Back squat difference to calculate the difference between the last test result and the current test result.
- In the advanced field properties, set Show in PDF reports to False the number Format to 0.00.
- For the Calculation, set the equation as:
```
if(isempty(Back squat), 0, Back squat - Last back squat)
```
Add a calculation named Back squat percentage difference to get the percentage difference between the last test and the current test.
- In the advanced field properties, set Show in PDF reports to False and the number Format to 0.00.
- For the Calculation, set the equation as:
```
if(isempty(Back squat), 0, ((Back squat - Last back squat) / Back squat) * 100
```

Add a Text calculation named Back squat feedback to convert the difference scores into a text string.

In the advanced field properties, set Show in PDF reports to True.

For the Calculation, set the equation as:

if(isempty(Back squat), '', 

if(gt(Back squat difference, 0), 
concatenate("Well done! You improved your back squat 1RM by ", Back squat difference, " pounds, which is ", Back squat percent difference, "% different"), 

if(lt(Back squat difference, 0), 
concatenate("Your back squat 1RM decreased by ", Back squat difference, " pounds, which is ", Back squat percent difference, "% different"), 

"Your back squat 1RM was the same as your previous score.")))

A screenshot of a strength testing event form with a table to collect results and some calculations for a back squat exercise. A warning message is shown below the form.

Note the warning message that the Back squat difference and Back squat percent difference field names may be too long to show in tables. The field names may be cut off in reports but it won’t affect the workflow.

If you want to extend the workflow to other exercises, duplicate each of the calculations and configure them using the same technique described above.
Set any other advanced form and field properties and save the form.

Outcome 3: Configure a performance alert to send a notification if a new 1RM is achieved

After giving your role the Write data permissions to the Strength 1RM Testing event form and Strength Exercises database form, open Smartabase Online and navigate to the Performance alert management tool.
Select the button to Setup performance alerts and then Create a new performance alert.
Name the performance alert New back squat 1RM achieved.
Set the Alert criteria to the Strength 1RM Testing event form and Match all criteria. Add an alert criteria where Back squat difference is greater than 0. With this configuration, an alert will be sent when the back squat 1RM for the current record is different to the previous record.
Set the Notification criteria to All updates. This configuration assumes that the record will not be edited after the original save, otherwise the alert will fire again.
Enter a Message such as: “Congratulations - you achieved a new back squat 1RM!”
Set the Communication preferences to Email. This allows a PDF summary to be sent with the email alert.
Tick the options to Send PDF and Include direct link.
Save the performance alert.
Add the appropriate Monitored athletes or Monitored groups, and add Notified users.

Testing your workflow

Test your event form by adding multiple records for an athlete across different days. Include the back squat exercise in most records but also include some records with no back squat test. Add some more exercises to the Strength Exercises database and check that they aren’t included in the back squat calculations. Ensure that your calculations return the correct response.

If you need to update your calculations, you will need to Resave the form from the Event form tool in the builder interface.
Test your performance alert by adding yourself as the Notified user and entering a record for a test account which is included as a Monitored athlete or within a Monitored group. Make sure the record results in an improved back squat 1RM.
Check the layout of the PDF in the performance alert. Make sure the orientation and fields shown match your settings in Outcome 2.