Entertainment content-based exercise machine workout intensity control system

A computer-implemented method providing a technical solution to the technical problem of using entertainment content to automatically control an operational aspect of an exercise machine to adjust an intensity of a workout performed by a user, the method comprising:

• (a) playing entertainment content via a content player such that the entertainment content is presented to a user, wherein the entertainment content is already tagged with synchronized intensity and timing annotations correlating to attributes of the entertainment content at various points in time;
• (b) as the entertainment content is presented to the user, providing the synchronized intensity and timing annotations with which the entertainment content is tagged to a workout manager;
• (c) receiving the intensity and timing annotations at the workout manager;
• (d) at the workout manager, processing the intensity and timing annotations to determine a target intensity parameter for each of a plurality of segments of the entertainment content;
• (e) as the entertainment content is played, providing the target intensity parameter for each respective segment, of the plurality of segments of the entertainment content, to an exercise machine;
• and
• (f) in response to receiving each target intensity parameter for each respective segment, controlling an operational aspect of the exercise machine to adjust an intensity of a workout performed by the user for the duration of the respective segment, thereby synchronizing the intensity of the workout with the attributes of the entertainment content;
• (g) wherein the workout manager receives the previously-tagged intensity and timing annotations for the entertainment content and automatically generates a workout experience having various changes in workout intensity based on the annotations and controls the exercise machine in synchronization with the playing of the entertainment content.