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What is the meaning of training duration in Activity Class settings?

flocsy🤠

What is the meaning of training duration on this page: https://connect.garmin.com/app/settings/userSettings ?

When I look at the first lines I would guess it's the average duration of one training session.

But when I look at the last few lines, then I'm not so sure. Maybe it is meant to be per week?

  • 0 in reply to flocsy🤠
    flocsy🤠 said:
    Apparently it's per week: https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=DJEru6ns626MZTh2kvUXZA 

    You may have noticed, but as per that support page, the newest Garmin watch that actually uses the activity class setting is Forerunner 620, which was released in 2013.

    NOTICE: The activity class setting applies to older Garmin devices and does not affect the measurement readings on newer devices. Improved algorithms have negated this setting from being used on newer products despite the it still being visible in Garmin Connect. For more details on devices that use this feature see the section "Which Garmin Devices Use Activity Class?" in this FAQ.

    Although the activity class definition might be interesting, the setting doesn't seem to have any effect unless you are using a super old Garmin device, or if you use an Index smart scale (in which case the setting is used to place the scale into Athlete Mode: 1-7 disables athlete mode, while 8-10 enables athlete mode).

    I find it pretty funny that, in general, turning on "athlete mode" on body fat monitors just tells the device to estimate a lower body fat percentage, which kinda drives home the fact that the device is just guessing, rather than measuring your body fat.

    After all, you're asking the device to tell you how much body fat you have, but the device is asking you whether you are an "athlete", which it defines as a person who has less body fat than expected.

    I also think it's not necessarily true that someone who trains 7 hours a week is an "athlete" (as in someone who is very athletic and lean). There's plenty of skinny fat (or fat fat) hobby joggers and triathletes out there.... (I'm one of them, as a guy who oscillates between skinny, skinny fat, and borderline fat fat....)

    https://support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=4yEmnMQhmb70eWsxxm8vr5

    If the body fat reading on the scale appears too low based on your known body fat or is reporting a value lower than it previously had been, the issue is likely that the scale is in Athlete Mode. Athlete Mode is a setting on the scale that enables a different algorithm for the body metric measurements the scale provides. This mode should be enabled for users that are very athletic and very lean where their body fat is below the normal average of a human being.