Strength workout changes since 8.18

Agreed. See here 

forums.garmin.com/.../8-18-beta-strength-training-thoughts-and-issues-with-the-new-layout

Thank you!

There is also no way to see a countdown for the current set, if you set it to time and not reps.

I second this. Just did my first custom strength workout with 8.18 and found the same problem very frustrating as had to continually scroll back up. 

I am starting to think about going back a previous version. The strength workout is maddening. The number of buttons to press to start a workout, to change the weight, to get to a screen to see reps, etc. etc. It's become incredibly frustrating to use the watch when working out. Add to that the poor implementation of AOD, and I'm finding myself more and more annoyed by using the watch. That was never the case with my Fenix 6 or with the Epix 2 before the update.

Am a bit confused:

1) default to workout layout screen - if its still on this, sort of suggests you haven't started the activity. However even if not started you can still move to different screen layouts whether using touch (if active) or up/down buttons. However when actually started it should default to your first data page (if you want you can scroll to the workout layout - if it isn't doing this maybe take off the auto-scroll option - maybe its getting stuck if this is on).

2) once reps done (depending on how workout is set up it will either go automatically to next stage whether rest or exercise) and may show video. If its a rest it will go to the workout layout screen - rest counter is at top of the screen - which needs to be frozen as current view takes you to next rep set, which can hide the rest timer.

3) Elapsed time - just set a data screen with the the data field timer, elapsed time, set time, or overall ahead/behind time.

4) Reps - you can add that to any data screen except for workout layout screen and rest screen.

5) Why would you want elapsed time on the workout layout screen - makes far more sense that rest time shows here (as you would really only be looking at this screen while resting and at that point its more important. Though I suppose you could request the option to change it, though personally I would rather they fix the layout so that field is frozen and doesn't go away when you scroll through the workout list. If you add a screen with that detail its easy enough to scroll to that screen and see it there.

6) Rep screen should show up, I think you are refering to the "Rest" screen (just has reps and set timer on it?) If so yes its possible.

Something else not so funny... To me, while exercising, it's harder to know if I'm on a workout or resting, specially if I have back-to-back workouts, or timed ones.

Thanks for responding. Let me try to be clearer.

1) First, I'm talking about workouts that I've programmed (sets, resets, rounds, etc.). The workouts work fine in Free mode because there is no exercise map to return to (it just returns to the rest and rep screens). Second, just to define terms, there is

1. a new "exercise map" screen that lists the current exercise and the next few steps in a static view. Nothing on the screen changes while an activity is active except a small timer.
2. a "rest screen" that is the same as previous versions, which shows the timer counting down the rest, and the next set
3. a new "reps screen" that shows the reps, the set out of the round, etc. This is a new helpful screen but as I mentioned it's missing elapsed time.

So, imagine you do an exercise, hit LAP to finish the exercise and start the rest. It should now go to #2 to show you how much time is left on your rest. Next, the watch should go to #3 when either the rest timer finishes or the LAP button is pressed again (i.e., a new activity is started). Instead, it always goes to #1 (at least after the first exercise, which works properly for some reason) after an activity is finished. This means I have to press the scroll button 5-6 times to get to #2 (during the rest period) or #3 (during an active activity) from #1. That's really frustrating to have to do that dozens of times in a workout. If you forget when you get set up, and have your hands on the bar, for example, you've now lost your set up, etc. It's just annoying and shouldn't be the case.

3) The problem with this approach is that there are limited data fields to create a new data screen. You can't (as far as I can tell) and the set number out of the number of rounds). You also can't add your rest time. And you can't make this new data screen your default, since there is a built in screen. You can't add the text description of the exercise, which is helpful sometimes to see at a glance if you're moving quickly. So, adding elapsed timer to a fixed, non-editable screen would help.

5) Not sure why you would want the rest timer on an active activity screen, but I do think they could have a better rest screen that showed more about what was coming up and the round number.

6) I think that we're saying the same thing here

Thanks for the response. Happy to try to be clearer if I'm missing something.

Yeah. I'm just adding to the compliant.

I only use workouts I've programmed. That's what I have sets back-to-back, without resting. So, the point I wanted to add is that those are harder to monitor as the#1 screen is fixed.

And, to keep adding, if the exercise in doing allows me, I try to monitor the reps as feedback to the "form". And that I cannot longer do, as navigating that "exercise nap" gets very long as you advance on your workout.

To add to your point #3, this big of having the "exercise nap" fixed or default makes the other days screen useless.

On you #6, yes. As in commented above, I just wanted to add more reasons on why the new version sucks.

3) reorder the default strength training screen, so not 1st and that should then default to whatever you have as first screen. (note you can also remove this screen but as you point out it has data on it that you can't replicate elsewhere).