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Request: custom exercises in workout builder (i.e. strength training) and BUG REPORT

This tool is actually quite good. being able to build a time weight workout with cues as to weights reps and exercises. The list of exercises available in the workout builder for strength training activities is quite good. however...it can never be comprehensive. there are too many out there.

1) problem: all exercises desired in a given workout are not available in the exercise picker within the workout builder

request: would be nice to have the ability to add user defined exercises to this list. doesn't seem like it would be too cumbersome to do so. e.g. rather than just having 1 arm dumnbbell rows" with a note (which you can't read effectively on the watch during the workout) about the position you are doing it in (bent over, plank, etc) you could add exercise "1 arm DB rows in plank"...other examples exist where the exercise is entirely not in the list. a good example of this is stretches...there are in fact only 2 listed. i might like to add specific stretches to my workout.

2) problem: unit of measurement for weights isn't correct

for some reason (maybe i'm missing something?) the watch is changing my unit of measure. on my workout builder and in my settings i have units set to LBS. on the watch during the workout, however, it changes the unit to KG then converts it back (incorrectly) to lbs in the logged activity. e.g. i've entered "20 lbs" in the workout builder for an individual exercise and during the workout it prompts me "20 KG" (which could be worse..at least i know which dumbbell to pick up)..but when it uploads the activity afterwords...it converts "20 kgs" (from the watch) to "44 lbs" in the log. this is problematic for progress tracking.
  • II whole heartedly support the ability to add exercises. I had the same experience with the TRX exercises. TRX requires a list of its own since weight is not a variable other than your body weight and the how far out the suspension system is extended - short, mid, long which of course varies the weight bearing load put on your muscles. I would favor its development.

    Others suggest adding photos or videos. Videos are superior in my view. I use Trainerize (an app) with my trainer and have implemented it on my Fenix 5S with GeniusWrist's IQ app. My Trainer uses the Trainerize app to build Workouts and each exercise within the your Workouts has a video attached. If you explore or create a freestyle workout you find more than one videos exists for exercises with the same names or vice versa. I find a video very helpful during my training session to check form, etc., and in reviewing what I've done in the past. When you open the video page your previous efforts for that exercise are shown: date, weight and reps by date. The downside to adding exercises is the creation of duplicates. For Garmin, that would mean either devoting staff time to keeping the list unique or implementing a means for an individual to build his or her own list (the second option is probably more appealing to Garmin). Now that Strength is an activity separate from Other, we can hope Garmin will give it more attention.

    I agree it is painful and time consuming to try and find an exercise title that fits your exercise, especially without a means to verify that the name fits with your actions.
  • I would also like to be able to add an exercise that I can't find in the list. An empty field for individual texts would be greatly appreciated.
  • Yet another vote for entering custom labels for exercises. I was pretty baffled when I found out this wasn't possible in the current build. I also find the workout builder, although pretty nice to have, a bit cumbersome. The two things I would most like to see make its way into the next build are:

    1. Custom Labels for Excercises
    2. The Ability to copy individual steps in addition to being able to create a repeat
  • Great idea I came in to request custom exercises and found this great post! I use the metric system so the second part of the post does not apply to me.
  • I find it hard to believe that this *isn't* added yet. Honestly, Garmin could collect so much useful information from it. They could gather the sensor data associated with so many more exercises that they could definitely improve their detection algorithms. However, even if it *doesn't* auto-recognize custom names, I don't care. It'd be so much nicer. Maybe have a checkbox that would submit that exercise name to Garmin to consider as an "official" exercise that would show up in the main list too. The amount of fitness data that Garmin could collect from this is staggering, yet they don't bother to implement it. It's a win/win. It helps both consumer *AND* manufacturer. It seems like a no-brainer. But as it stands, it's stupid when there are fairly common exercises that aren't on that list. Plus, the list isn't even standardized in its naming schemes (Lat versus Lateral, etc.) either which should change as well (but no where near as important as allowing us to enter our own names, even if they show up only to us).
  • I just ran into this today for a swim workout. I was trying to specify basic stuff like "100m easy" or "breathe every 5th" or what kind of drill it is. One more vote for additional fields or being able to edit existing ones (for example some of my drills have both paddles and pull buoy).
  • +1 for adding custom exercises!
  • Yet another vote for adding custom exercises!
  • +1 for adding custom exercises to strength training. Either that or having an ongoing effort to add new exercises to this list with a way for us to send our suggestions / requests.
  • +1 - come on Garmin, this really should be added