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[Bug] Step Counting Workouts like Cycling/Strength

Ljube
over 1 year ago

Hello everyone,

So I have a Fenix 6S (latest software), HRM Pro (latest software) and the Connect app (latest software not BETA).

This issue started happening just 4 days ago. Recently my cycling (done on Zwift and this connects to power meter, HRM pro, zwift) and strength training which I do afterwards have been sky rocketing my step count. This is so strange because when I look at the history of my step count, doing these two exact workouts, my step count DID NOT increase. So what has changed in the past 4 days??

I have attached a photo of January 25th showing step count and the workouts down. As well as a photo of my of today (January 31st) which has done the same two workouts but step count sky rockets.




  • 0 over 1 year ago

    Sorry January 25th did the same thing.

    January 17th was normal

  • 0 over 1 year ago

    Another thing to note.

    1. For the zwift, I do the workout through zwift and it automatically uploads my ride to Garmin

    2. Strength workout, I wear my watch and select Strength as the workout. So this is coming straight from my watch

    Confusing thing is, it seems like my watch has gone back and recalculated some workouts as walks since I was looking at the history of step count. I know for a fact my step count would hit 8K-10K after I would walk close to 4-5 miles. So whatever recalculation this is doing to get my step count I want this turned off right away because this was not a thing before. This is something I just noticed as of 4 days ago and know it wasn’t a thing a week ago.

  • +1 over 1 year ago in reply to Ljube

    Steps are beg detected by the accelerometer in the watch or byt the accelerometer of the HRM-Pro strap (only when the watch is not worn). And that happens all day long regardless whether you record an activity or not, with the exception of a few activity types being recorded on the watch (not through Zwift, though !!!). Cycling swimming, kayaking, and few other activity types suppress the steps detection (the full list can be found in the article Why am I Not Gaining Steps During Certain Activities | Garmin Customer Support, though the list is not accurate for every watch model)

    It means that when you ride your indoor bike, the watch (or the strap) detects some vibrations that it interprets as steps. To avoid it, you either have to remove the watch, and stop the direct connection of the HRM-Pro to Garmin Connect, or you have to keep the watch on, and start a Cycling activity on it (you can discard it at the end).

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to trux

    Was this always a feature of the HRM or watch??

    This seems very buggy to me. Because starting a bike workout just to delete for the sake of not counting steps is just ridiculous (and also drains battery of the watch…). I will test starting a bike workout and then riding and getting ride of the workout in the watch but if this is a decision feature - someone needs to go back and fix this.

    Thing that stumps me is: If an external app like Zwift is uploading metrics like distance, HR (from the strap), power, etc this should supersede any calculations made by the watch or strap if it wasn’t worn and a workout wasn’t started. 

    If this is a software feature that can/is being worked on - and if community help is allowed (or if it’s open source) I will gladly volunteer my time.

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to Ljube
    Ljube said:
    Was this always a feature of the HRM or watch?

    Yes

    Ljube said:
    Because starting a bike workout just to delete for the sake of not counting steps is just ridiculous (and also drains battery of the watch…).

    Unfortunately, there is no other way to tell the watch it should not count the steps.

    Ljube said:
    Thing that stumps me is: If an external app like Zwift is uploading metrics like distance, HR (from the strap), power, etc this should supersede any calculations made by the watch or strap if it wasn’t worn and a workout wasn’t started.

    Zwift activity is simply imported. It has no impact on the metrics already recorded, and processed by the watch. 

    Ljube said:
    If this is a software feature that can/is being worked on - and if community help is allowed (or if it’s open source) I will gladly volunteer my time.

    Garmin has plenty positions open, so you are free to offer your help here: Garmin Careers

  • 0 over 1 year ago in reply to trux

    Thank you for all the answers and feedback. I will do the workarounds you mentioned earlier. Unfortunately, I have a full-time job (which I do enjoy) but I would have made this a priority of a side Github project if it was open-source =) 

    Thanks again!