I have searched the forum and havent found what I am after so thought id ask…I have recently bought an Apple Watch SE as a first AW user, I am using it for notifications, and HR etc. What I am curious to know is how you TR AW users intergrate a AW into your life / training.
what apps have you found the most useful
how does it integrate into your training
what are the main uses for your AW lifestyle / training
any tips for getting the most out of it
I was pretty underwhelmed with my purchase in the first 7 days, currently warming to it now I use it for sleep tracking, HR monitoring, and logging yoga / strength training. Other than that I dont know how else to fit it into my training.
I mostly use it for sleep tracking and hrv, recording off the bike workouts, hiking, notifications, alarm (love being woken to the vibration and not noise), and timers.
It’s definitely not competition for something like a Fenix in terms of functionality, but it also costs about half as much and is super fast and easy to use in comparison. I haven’t bought a Fenix since the 3, but when I switched to the AW after a few years of the Fenix, I was amazed at how much more accurate the HR was and how much faster it found the GPS connections.
For me as a first time AW user I was expecting it be life changing haha I know that sounds silly. I am a big mechanical watch fan generally so this was underwhelming.
Having said that now…after almost 14 days with it. I have found it’s use ages.
Sleep tracking
Tracking HR (recently been ill and noticed resting HR was elevated during that time)
Notifications, once under control are handy.
Weight tracking made easy
When I get into the gym I’ll track those too.
Also little things like setting an hourly reminder on my phone to drink water so I stay hydrated. I know I don’t need the watch for that but having the reminder on your wrist is handy.
So all in all it’s found it’s way into my lifestyle. Was just curious to how other TR users used theirs.
I’ve had an Apple Watch for a couple of years. I like it but see it more as an extension of my phone than anything else. I don’t see it as a serious training tool. Plus, with a garmin, HR strap, and power meter I’m not sure what a Watch is supposed to add to cycling.
I used it to track weight workouts, xc skiing in the winter, set alarms, find my phone, answer the phone when I can’t find the phone, etc, etc. It’s nice to have if you are an Apple user but not essential.
Ive used series 2 since they were released, and its the “source of truth” for my training except for TrainerRoad who arent integrating or supporting AW. So I record all my workouts swim, bike and run using Watch except for the Ironman bike leg, which I use a Garmin Edge.
I love mine for all the little non-training things that come up during the day. Like yesterday I was putting up decorations on the house, my wife called, and with hands full I answered her call.
This is my most used watch face:
Outside riding is dictated by sunset and air quality (AQI), and before leaving I want to know temps and wind.
As a fitness watch… Could do this with any timer but I do “record” core workouts using the watch but only for the amount of time. My resistance training currently has isometric holds in certain movements, you can see lower left the timer is set for 40 seconds so I’ll get into position for the lift, start the timer and that gives me about a 30 second timer for the isometric hold portion of the lift.
Anyways I don’t really think of it as fitness watch but when used for that it does fine and HR pretty much matches my straps. I’ve got a series 4, about two years old and the last w/o always on display.
Does the Apple Watch have a man app that (in any way) mimics the whoop usp of combining your HR data and variability to tell you how tired or recovered you are?
Try this app, I’ve been using it since release to track my Readiness To Train score which seems to correlate pretty well with him I’m feeling. The number definitely takes a dive after hard rides or CrossFit workouts. I’ve also noticed that a couple of bad nights of sleep really put a hurting on HRV and the RTT score.
I also use Training Today. It was one of the main reasons i ditched the Whoop. I find it just as useful and more accurate since it doesn’t drop data and ruin your trends like the Whoop did. Customer Service is also very helpful. The downside is you have to learn to charge your AW during the day and wear it to bed.
For me, the use of the whoop was to monitor sleep (now using the AutoSleep/Breathe app for that) and combine it with monitoring HR so that I could see my total strain from all workouts, not just from the bike (I don’t like to use TSS for strength work). I had bad issues with the Whoop not being reliable and losing data, telling me I was fresh on days I was wrecked, or to take a rest day when I felt ready for a PR. It didn’t take long to learn that for me it was all about focusing on getting more sleep. Beyond that, I can generally go with how my body feels. The app (Training Today) is more of a confirmation on those in between (not fresh, not exhausted) days.
Had (actually, sort-of still have) an AW2. As some said, see it more as an extension of my phone, not really a sports watch (using an FR230). I don’t see how I could use anything without at least a start/stop, lap/reset button for that.
Screen cracked across top 5th, only the very top has touchscreen still working. That curved edge screen is cute, but very fragile. I’m limited to controls/apps that can be enabled through that and/or through Siri. Screen replacement is more expensive than a new watch - no thanks. I’m now the proud owner of an expensive non-connected watch and alarm clock.
The only person I know that trains at a high level and uses an apple watch is a friend of mine who can run sub 2:30s marathons…
But he is an Apple fan boy…so thats that. He does hate there is no button to configure to do laps and things like that, plus the apps you can download are lacking (or at least that was my experience with my wife’s apple watch).
If I wasn’t into structured training and specific fitness goal, the apple watch would be the one I would get. But for the price, i would rather get a 945 or a fenix.
