Getting Started Choosing Apps – Apple Workout App

Apple Workout App

The Apple Workout app gives you tools to manage your individual workout sessions.

You can set specific goals, such as time, distance, or calories. Your Apple Watch tracks your progress, nudges you along the way, and summarises your results.

You use Apple Health on your iPhone to review your complete workout history.

Functionality

Here’s the row from the Choosing Apps page.

Below the row are sections for each of the workout steps, with more information about how this choice implements specific functionality.

App

1.P

1.C

2.D

3.P

3.G

4.U

5.W

5.M

5.E

6.C

Apple Workout App

–

F

F

F

F

F

–

–

–

–

Planning

1.P – Plans. Are there power-based training plans for various event distances/experience levels? Or can you connect to a coach who can provide planned workouts?

  • The Apple Workout app does not offer training plans or access to coaches.

1.C – Customisation. Can you adjust training plans, create your own plans, and build your own workouts?

  • The Apple Workout app does not offer training plans.
  • But you can build custom workouts with target power alerts, and save those workouts for future modification or re-use.

Download

2.D – Download. Can planned workouts be downloaded for execution?

  • You can download workouts created in TrainingPeaks or Final Surge (using their iPhone apps) and execute them using the Apple Workout app.

Execution

3.P – Power. Can you choose various ways to display power while running, at a minimum: real-time power; lap power? Can you display power in Watts/kg or as a percentage or threshold power?

  • The Apple Workout App can only display real-time power – it’s not able to show power averages (smoothed, lap power etc.).
  • It can only display power in Watts (no option to show Watts/kg, or percentage of threshold power).

3.G – Guided workouts. Can the app guide you through a structured workout – a workout with multiple steps, each with their own target and duration?

  • The Apple Workout app can guide you through a structured workout – either a custom workout you’ve created on your watch, or a workout downloaded from TrainingPeaks or Final Surge.

Upload

4.U – Upload. Can completed workouts be uploaded for reviewing?

  • Completed workouts are uploaded to Apple Health (only).

Reviewing

5.W – Workout review. Can you review workout summary data and detailed (per second) workout data? Can you review workout compliance (actual vs. target)?

  • The Apple Workout app does not provide second-by-second review of completed runs, making it difficult to see lap power, or to review compliance.

5.M – Metrics. Does the app provide power metrics, at a minimum: threshold power; training load balance; a power-duration curve? Does it also provide ramp rate or running effectiveness?

  • The Apple Workout app does not offer multi-workout metrics.

5.E – Events. Does the app offer a way to calculate power targets for upcoming events and races?

  • The Apple Workout app does not offer a race/event calculator.

Coaching

6.C – Coaching. Is it possible to coach athletes using the app, at a minimum: multiple athletes, reviewing results/metrics? Can you also provide planned workouts, or communicate with your athletes?

  • The Apple Workout app does not offer coaching functionality.

Filling the gaps

Upload

To upload from Apple Health into reviewing apps, you could consider:

Reviewing

For multi-workout metrics, you could consider:

For race/event planning, you could consider:

If you have feedback or a question, please let me know in the from1runner2another Facebook group.

⇐ Choosing Apps

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