Apple Likely Researching Strain Sensors to Improve Apple Watch Strength Workout Tracking

Tim Apple also researching how to strain our bank accounts
In my experience, Apple always supplies good value and product longevity. Total cost of ownership (TCO) is always low with Apple products. My experience goes back to the 1984 Mac. I am currently using a 2016 MacBook Pro, a 2008 MacBook, a current iPad Mini, an iPhone SE Second Generation, an Apple Watch SE. An original iPad Mini stayed useful for 11 years. Original cost for Apple products can look expensive until you consider all things related to product ownership—functionality, ease-of-use, durability, product support… Just my opinion.
 
There was a watch or tech you stick to a barbell years ago that measured force through momentum. I can't find the link but it's been done before and i'd like to see something. I remember an app that showed you if you're moving the weight optimally
I wondered about the app showing how to move the weight optimally.
 
Sounds like a good idea. HIT workout monitoring could benefit from this. Beyond workouts, blood pressure monitoring by Apple Watch could be very useful to people working to reduce their blood pressure through relaxation response, a scientifically-verified method developed by cardiologist Herbert Benson at Harvard Medical.
 
That would be a welcome addition indeed. I was surprised how little the Apple fitness offers for strength workouts. And while I'm generally happy with GymBook, additional sensors that support these workouts would be one the potential improvements that could make me upgrade.
Weight Lifting would really benefit their customer base. So they are not really interested in getting people lean and fit. They will offer cardio exercises because they know that people overeat afterwards (stress increases and overestimation of calories spent lead to overeating). So they won't lose their customers.
 
Won’t this increase price massively? The tech around strain gauges to make them accurate and reliable is really expensive just look at cycling power meters $1000+ for dual pedal power meters
 
What a wasted opportunity has been the apple watch. Basically the same health features since 9 years!. And the way the summaries are presented is very poor.
Polar and Garmin still cant be matched in activity tracking and reporting. The AW is not a serious device, just a notification screen on my wrist.
It's never been intended to compete with Polar or Garmin, and it's a massively larger and more financially successful business than both. AW Ultra is slowly closing the gap and will continue to do so. Once native recovery metrics appear on AW Ultra, and they absolutely will, my Fenix 7X will get less and less use. It's about as far away from a "wasted opportunity" as it's possible to imagine (I've been running with Garmin and Polar for over 20 years, btw - and neither have cellular yet). Mapping will slowly get better (it's far better on Garmin than any other device still) but I also use that mainly for adventures that are way out of town and where safety is a bigger factor. Run tracking with Series 8 is actually excellent - and a huge improvement over earlier models.
 
Without a chest strap sensor you can't use the Apple Watch HR sensor during strength training. It is COMPLETELY unreliable and the values are off by a wide margin.
The AW is unable to detect rapid changes in HR (from baseline to peaks) in a short amount of time (typically when you rest and then conduct your weight lifting set)
How do you define “short amount of time”? The way the AW does it is the oldest way of counting beats, plethysmography. Shine a green light on the skin and it get darker when filled with blood, at the peak of the beat. But it’s an averaging technique so it may have to count over 15 seconds to get a good reading.
 
Won’t this increase price massively? The tech around strain gauges to make them accurate and reliable is really expensive just look at cycling power meters $1000+ for dual pedal power meters
The actual tech for strain gages has been pretty stable and unbelievably reliable for years. That’s not where that $1000 goes. $20 maybe. I worked with medical devices for years and watched the sensors develop over the years (35). The ones they use now are incredibly good. And they’re relatively cheap (not including the cost for it being “medical”).
 
How do you define “short amount of time”? The way the AW does it is the oldest way of counting beats, plethysmography. Shine a green light on the skin and it get darker when filled with blood, at the peak of the beat. But it’s an averaging technique so it may have to count over 15 seconds to get a good reading.
Bear in mind that your HR isn't a reflection of the work you're actually doing. It's part of your physiological RESPONSE to that work. This is why power meters in cycling (and now running) are so useful as training tools. 200W is 200W, whether you're tired, hot, cold, if it's windy, calm, snowing, etc.
 
Bear in mind that your HR isn't a reflection of the work you're actually doing. It's part of your physiological RESPONSE to that work. This is why power meters in cycling (and now running) are so useful as training tools. 200W is 200W, whether you're tired, hot, cold, if it's windy, calm, snowing, etc.
I understand. With my Stationary bike workout Apple apparently measures calories burned by heart rate, and maybe some input from the movement sensors. That's why it's all over the place.
 
I understand. With my Stationary bike workout Apple apparently measures calories burned by heart rate, and maybe some input from the movement sensors. That's why it's all over the place.
If the bike doesn't have GymKit or a power meter that you're able to connect to, then yeah...it'll vary pretty widely.
 
Won’t this increase price massively? The tech around strain gauges to make them accurate and reliable is really expensive just look at cycling power meters $1000+ for dual pedal power meters
No. In the quantity that Apple would use them, the strain sensor itself would be pennies and the electronics to interface the sensor would be less than $1. Integration of the sensor might be complicated depending on what they want to use it for. Those pedal power meters are expensive because they do not sell many of them.
 
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