Copying proven formats took the guesswork out: I filmed all 3 in one gym session, because the structure, timing, text and audio were already proven. My job was just to put my own story and my own body into the container.
On commenting: before posting, I left real questions on 5 creators in my niche instead of "nice bro", and they started actual conversations. After posting, I replied to every comment on my reels with a follow-up question, and one comment ("why just legs?") turned into a 6-message conversation. That thread did more for my reel than any hashtag.