I’m currently looking into smartwatches and have narrowed it down to the Apple Watch Series 3 and the Garmin Vivoactive 3. Does anyone have any experience with these or any opinions on any other ones? I’m especially interested in how they behave with barbell training and how tracking can be useful.
Apple Watch 2 user here. Generally you cannot rely on the heart rate and calories data collected by just a watch during barbell training, so if that’s your sole purpose of purchasing a smart watch, don’t. It also gets in the way for presses. The data would be more reliable for cardio activities though.
I have the Apple Watch Series 2. Watches are underwhelming for tracking barbell training. Not useful.
The watch has no way to diferentiate between the movements you are doing (i.e. bench press or overhead press or squat? The arm is on which the watch is sitting is basically in an upright position in all three and are moving through a fixed space of say a foot or so and the watch has no way of knowing what you are doing).
I used the Apple Watch to stop/start video recording (but have since moved to an app that allows music to continue playing to my bluetooth headphones as the iOS video recorder stops music playing (not ideal for last set of @8 or @9 and the music stops on the headphones and bullshit pop from the gym bleeds through my headphones)), and time my rests (4 minute timer). So basically all I use it for now is timing rests while training with a barbell (or any weight training).
For the cardio part of GPP days (LISS and HIIT) it is fine. The Apple Watch Workout app has different workout modes (elliptical for LISS and HIIT for HIIT (I use the rower)). Mainly a good way to track HR and time.
My purchase case was not driven by training. I bought the Apple Watch so that my wife could contact me urgently when she was pregnant, if my phone was on the floor when at the gym, my desk at work, or in a bag.
Now I use Apple Pay everywhere with the Apple Watch (easier and more subtle than the iPhone), for messaging and email notifications, taking calls (usually from my wife) when the phone is somewhere else in the house and I am occupied with kiddo or whatever, sleep reminder (again when the phone is somewhere else), controlling music/podcasts (Overcast FTW) without having to pull the iPhone out, etc. That sort of stuff. I would not buy a “smart” watch for tracking training though. If you are an endurance athlete, with apps like Strava, sure, go nuts. Otherwise barbell training? Nope.
I’m not a fan. Specifically with weight training, a watch on your wrist means you can’t use a wrist wrap. That alone makes it a no-go for me.
Barbell training certainly is not my main reason for getting one; no wrist device is optimal for any type of strength training. However, barbell/strength training is a large component of my fitness activity overall so it has to be somewhat of a consideration. The Training Status feature on the Garmin is appealing as well.
I have an Apple Watch Series 3 and love it and use it all the time. It is great at tracking cardio calories (for me anyway). I also use it to play music into my headphones while I’m recording a set on my phone so I’m not forced to listen to the gym music. I like not having my phone out as much and use it for messages, flight changes, Apple pay, the calendar, a stop watch, weather alerts, Uber, and news updates. Can’t think of anything specific it helps with barbell training other than no interruption in music and a timer.
Teddyd, what video app are you using that lets music keep playing?
I recently got a Fitbit Charge 2. You can receive notifications but can’t reply. I find the HR tracking during a workout useful for figuring out how long to rest between sets. I also find the sleep tracking fascinating.
On iOS it is called Media Monster. I am using the Lite (free) version. It’s a bit finicky but it works. You have to make sure each step of its processing is completed otherwise you loose the video.
One can reply to notifications on a Apple Watch; messages/sms and WhatsApp. It takes a small bit to get used to but it is fine.
I’ve used both the Apple Watch Series 3 and the Garmin Vivoactive 3 and they both have their pros and cons. The Apple Watch is great for tracking your daily activity and has a sleek design, but the Garmin Vivoactive 3 has more advanced fitness tracking features, specifically for barbell training. In terms of smartwatches, both are solid choices, but if you’re specifically looking for a fitness-focused watch, the Vivoactive 3 might be the better option. You might try to pay more attention to the best replica watches that can be quite decent and of very good quality.