Apple Watch Workouts Vs 3rd Party Workouts

[Dino F]

Firstly, I have never done any workouts using my Apple Watch, but I going to start to do so but have a quick question!!

I have an app on both my watch and iPhone called '7 Minute Workout' which provides different workouts for different parts of your body, depending on what area you want to improve.

So when I actually come to do my workout, do I choose the '7 Minute Workout' app to record and monitor my details (which has audio instructions on the watch on what to do during hot workout and visual instructions on the phone) or do I choose the integrated 'Workout' app on the watch itself, to monitor everything??!

 

[ftaok]

Not familiar with that app, but if it's like other fitness apps, then you'd use it and not the Apple Workout.

Just make sure you give the right permissions for the 7 minute app to read and write to the health and activity apps.

 

[Dino F]

.....thanks for the above - appreciated.

Just looking at the actual Workout app on the watch itself, what does the 'Other' category show? The exercises I want to do are things like sit ups, and leg crunches (and other exercises where you are on the floor and exercising your stomach). Would the 'Other' section have something for this type of workout?!

 

[Julien]

.....thanks for the above - appreciated.

Just looking at the actual Workout app on the watch itself, what does the 'Other' category show? The exercises I want to do are things like sit ups, and leg crunches (and other exercises where you are on the floor and exercising your stomach). Would the 'Other' section have something for this type of workout?!

All Others use the same algorithms. Other is a general 'catch all' Activity that is best when doing anaerobic or mixed aerobic/anaerobic exercises. Sub naming of Other was introduced in wOS 2 as a convenience but they are all the same as just Other.

 

[JackieInCo]

I just got credit for 30 exercise minutes mowing my lawn and cutting down little trees growing around the yard. I didn't start a workout, just let the watch count everything o it's own.

It's just about 12:30PM here in Denver and I've got my calorie ring, the exercise ring and 10 stand hrs in already. First time in about 45 days of owning my watch that I have completed all three rings. I never got the exercise ring yet.

Also as mentioned above, be careful on what you start a workout as other because it will just give you credit for the move and exercise rings even if you just take the watch off and set it down will you take a shower.

 

[Dino F]

....whilst we're on the subject of workouts - if I decide to go out for a 15 - 30 minute run, and only wear my Apple Watch (to save me from having to carry my phone), will the watch still track my run and then sync back to the Health App on my iPhone, when I get back (is this also true of third party app or does it depend on the individual app?)?

 

[Julien]

....whilst we're on the subject of workouts - if I decide to go out for a 15 - 30 minute run, and only wear my Apple Watch (to save me from having to carry my phone), will the watch still track my run and then sync back to the Health App on my iPhone, when I get back (is this also true of third party app or does it depend on the individual app?)?

Depends on what you mean by "track" and which Watch you have. Of course all Watches and apps will sync back to the Watch whatever data they track. 3ed party apps very in abilities and you must read what they do.

• S0/S1 will track all metrics EXCEPT mapping and will ESTIMATE distance based on the pedometer.
• S2 will track all metrics including the GPS track for mapping and distance.

 

[Dino F]

Depends on what you mean by "track" and which Watch you have. Of course all Watches and apps will sync back to the Watch whatever data they track. 3ed party apps very in abilities and you must read what they do.

• S0/S1 will track all metrics EXCEPT mapping and will ESTIMATE distance based on the pedometer.
• S2 will track all metrics including the GPS track for mapping and distance.

...ok, thanks for that - I actually have a first gen Apple Watch, so that's useful to know!

I'll probably end up getting some kind of sport belt, to put my phone in & other bits (keys, wallet!) so probably will keep the phone with me now (does this mean my phone will also count steps as well as my watch?).

 

[Julien]

......(does this mean my phone will also count steps as well as my watch?).

 

[RamGuy]

I find the stock workout-app to be the best. But it all depends on what you normally use. If you are one who relies on some specific apps on your phone for various training sessions (bicycling, weight lifting, whatever) you would most likely want whatever you do with the watch to be tracked in the very same app.

So if you for instance use Endomondo on your phone to track your workout sessions, I would recommend you to install the Endomondo watch-app and allow it to synchronise data and use the pulse sensor on the watch. This way you will still get all the data in the Endomondo app on your phone while using the Apple Watch for training instead of your phone.

It's the same thing if you normally use Runtastic or other applications for measuring and tracking your workouts. Just make sure you all whatever third-party app you use to track your health-data otherwise it won't show in the app afterwards and you should only rely on apps that have integrated with the Apple Watch enabling you to use the pulse sensor on the watch. If whatever third-party app you use don't integrate with the pulse sensor the data will be pretty much useless anyways.


I for one normally used Endomondo on my phone. But after getting the Apple Watch I only use the default workout-app on the watch. The reason was Endomondo didn't enable the use of the pulse sensor until recently so it was useless to me in the beginning. And even after enabling the use of the pulse sensor I find the watch-app lacklustre compared to the default one and I don't really feel the need to use Endomondo to track my workouts so I have started to simply track things using the Apple's Fitness and Health-app on my phone instead. It's not as detailed and don't feature fancy "virtual private coach" and various other things but I don't use those anyways.


So it's all up to whatever you like to use in terms of tracking your workouts afterwards. If your fine with using Apple's fitness-app and health-app on your phone instead of more advanced options like Endomondo, Runtastic etc there is no reason for using anything other than the default workout-app on the watch. If you prefer the more advanced options like Endomondo to track your workouts you should use the Endomondo-app on your watch as that will give you more detailed tracking with the app.

 

[Dino F]

I've been using the Seven app, to track my workouts (http://perigee.se/apps/seven/) but have to say that although the workouts themselves are quite good, the Apple Watch app is VERY clunky on my watch - it often seems to crash and sometimes, even mid workout (so you have to stop the workout and start it again).

I often wonder if it would be better to just use Apple's stand alone workout app and then just use the Seven app from my phone - that way, the iPhone app will show me what exercises to do, and the watch will track my heart rate and pace.

 

[ftaok]

I would love to use the Apple Workout app exclusively, but my main complaint is that my exercise data isn't available outside of my paired iPhone. I would love to be able to access my excercise data on my Mac/PC ... via a web browser or an app, either is fine. Hell, I'll take access via an iPad as well.