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Can someone help me "hack" my Fenix 6 Strength Program?

7828711
over 4 years ago

I know this topic has been WELL covered for YEARS on the forums.  I can't stand that Garmin has not responded and allowed people to simply input a custom name for a specific exercise on the workout screen in GC.  I stopped going to the gym at the start of the pandemic and have been working with bands here in my house.  Love it, expect I want to be able to record and track on my watch.. and of course limited by the drop down list on Garmin's eco system.

So, I see that when you make a workout and send to device it saves it on your watch in the /Garmin/Workout folder.  It comes as a *.FIT file type.  Which, you can open with txt editor and see all the garble.  I had this idea...

If I can create a workout in GC, and lets say I want to do 4 exercises each with 4 sets and different reps,, blah blah whatever..   I was thinking I can use the SAME label in GC (say, "Chops") and then MANUALLY edit the *.FIT file to search and replace the word "Chops" with say.. Bent over high rows :-)

Save, and then magically have this appear on the watch when I start the workout.

I already know that you can add notes to a workout.. and yes I tried that.. but, still annoying to see "Chops" (or whatever you have to choose) as well.   Also, makes tracking after the fact very hard.  

Anyway.. just a thought and wanted to see if anyone had any real experience with this.  Simply editing the file and then dropping back into the directory is not working.  I even tried some online converter where it converts the FIT to a CSV, and then you edit.. and then convert back to FIT etc.. same result.  But, I feel like there must be a way to do this....

Anyone?>

  • Former Member
    0 Former Member over 4 years ago
    7828711 said:
    know this topic has been WELL covered for YEARS on the forums.  I can't stand that Garmin has not responded and allowed people to simply input a custom name for a specific exercise on the workout screen in GC.

    I'm with you. I think I've submitted a suggestion every month for a couple years straight before I gave up.  Makes no sense I can add a note, but I can't input an exercise name and have to choose from Garmin's EXTREMELY limited list. Anyway, let's hope someone can figure out something since it's been falling on deaf ears when it comes to Garmin. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to Former Member

    WOW!  Thank you for doing that!  So sad it fell on "def" ears.  Yeah, it's really weird that no one can just update the code to allow for a basic "custom" field, lol.  Seems like it would take an hour for them to do on the backend of GC.  

    Yeah, I feel like Garmin has the perfect setup on the watch too.  It's really nice, easy and effective.  The interval timers are incredible, the data screens work, its great.   It's literally just something as simple and stupid as being able to record a specific exercise.  Sucks, this watch can move the world in terms of features.. but, can't allow me to label a resistance band workout properly, lol.

    Kinda like.. "Hey, let's only make ONE leather Garmin quickfit band.. and yet have more options for the SAME watch only for the larger sizes"   As if the people who buy the smaller 6s won't mind the lack of nice options.   SO frustrating.  I love Garmin, but man.. they do some really weird things that make no sense to me.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 7828711

    I've done a kind of hack.

    You can create a workout on Connect and chose Custom instead of Strength. Then you can edit every step very detailed.

    Unfortunately there is a bug that only allow this workout to be selected in walk-activity (And another that I can't remember).

    The windows app FitFileRepairTool can edit fit workout files. If I open the fit file that has been created on the watch and change the 'Sport' to 'Training' and Sub sport to 'strength_training'  then it magically appear as a proper workout in Strength app on watch. It also works for Yoga in the same way.

    I've also succeeded exceeding the 50 step limit, by just adding steps in FitFileRepairTool and then use the file on watch.

    You can also create workout files from scratch in FitFileRepairTool. Use step notes for your step descriptions. I think that step name is used in older watches.

    I'm not sure if this works in free version though, but if free version is like it was a couple of years ago, then this would work.

    I can just say that FitFileRepairTool is worth every penny anyway. 

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to phoglund_

    This sounds amazing.. googling this now.   Let me ask you..  Can reps be made as well using this?  Basically, all I need is a very basic workout that has the description, timer, reps (ability to add reps at end of set) etc.   This way I can use the Garmin to track my progress from week to week without having to use a pen and paper, lol.  :-)  

    Or..

    Do you think it is possible to simply edit a Strength workout FIT file that I create and change the exercise description text to what I want?  Then, save and replace the file?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 7828711

    I've not tested to create a strength type workout with reps info in Connect and then change it in FitFileRepairTool. (Cause the rep counting is not working for most of my trainings anyway...)

    I put the reps and weight in the description for a set and then track by using the edit reps after set function in watch.

    When creating a custom workout in Connect, I can't see any possibility to edit reps and I can't recall that it's possible to do it in FitFileRepairTool either.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 7828711

    Actually, I create an empty rest step before every active step and have the description in step notes in the active step. After testing a lot, I found that was working best for me.

    (edited)

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to phoglund_

    Thank you!  Yeah, I just e-mailed the dev. of that fit file repair tool.  He actually just e-mailed me back just now and confirmed that I cant do it as I wanted.  So, that's a no go...

    But..

    Your idea sounds great.  So, I am going to try this.. 

    So would I still need the fit file tool if I am going to create a "custom" workout in GC?  I agree, that the auto rep count of the watch is WAY off, lol.  So, I (like you) enter manually after the set.  But, I did not think this was possible unless I was in the "Strength Training" program?  But, you say it works.. so thats good then!

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 7828711

    If you change the type of workout in FitFileRepairTool, change the 'Sport' to 'Training' and Sub sport to 'strength_training'  then you run the workout in Strength activity and can edit reps and weight after each set.

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to phoglund_

    Ah ha!  That makes sense now. Thank you. I will have a look at this now.  Do I need the paid version of that application to do this, or can I make the edits with the free version?

  • 0 over 4 years ago in reply to 7828711
    phoglund_ said:

    I'm not sure if this works in free version though, but if free version is like it was a couple of years ago, then this would work.

    I can just say that FitFileRepairTool is worth every penny anyway