How to Use the Apple Watch for Your Fitness
Did you know that you can use your Apple Watch Stats to analyze your workout stats?
In fact, this is how I analyzed my in-person training clients during the pandemic.
And I am going to teach you the method today!
Step # 1
Pull up your exercise guy, he looks like this. Push the big button on your watch to open the menu
Step #2: Enter Traditional Strength Training (every single time you exercise unless you are walking and want to know your distance) There is a reason for this!! Hold on.
Step #3: Do your workout
Step #4: Analyze your heart rate and ACTIVE CALORIES (details in video)
Step #5: When finished Swipe Left to End Workout
To analyze your results do as follows:
Step #1: Go to Your 3 Circles
Step #2: Go to workouts and click the one you want to analyze
Step #3: Take a screenshot of the workout.
The things you want to analyze:
Time - how long were you exercising?
How many active calories did you burn?
Was your heart rate spikey?
Here are common mistakes I see with my own clients:
They do not exercise long enough. The perfect amount of time truly depends on you and where you are on your fitness journey. BUT to get the greatest benefits of working out you need to exercise for 45-75 minutes at a time.
Did you burn enough calories? I always say be better today than yesterday. During your workout check to see how many active calories you have burned, if you are not close to yesterday, then work harder. If you are you are good to go and can even end your workout when you are ready.
Spikey heart rate is so important! The BIGGEST mistake I see is that people do not slow down long enough to bring the heart rate down. Next week's video will be on this topic and I will link it here when it is ready.
What should your max heart rate be? 220 bpm - (your age) = Max heart rate.
What should your low heart rate be? 65-80% of your max.
For myself at 56 years young 😉 it is like this:
220 - 56 = 164 BPM
164 x 65% = 107 BPM
While working out you want to watch your heart rate. When it drops low enough, then you can start again on the intense interval and take your heart rate up to max.
Here are some examples of someone who worked very hard during their workout and did not rest. Notice no spikes going on, it just got consistently higher. (THESE ARE WRONG!!!)
Here are some examples of someone who got this right, has been training with me before Apple Watches were even a thing. This is perfect.
Why do we want those spikes? Well, here are some benefits:
Oxygen goes through your body better
Feel-good hormones like anandamide and endorphins are produced (by the way the 22-33 minute workout guy is missing out big time on these).
You burn more calories
Stamina greatly improves
Energy levels skyrocket
And so much more
Why wouldn't you want to do this?
The main reason I think is that most people (like the 22-minute guy) have not truly felt the benefits. They are missing out on so much good!
NEXT WEEK Hint: I have alluded to it here! But it is so VERY COMMON! AND EVEN MOST TRAINERS MAKE THIS MISTAKE AND NEVER TALK ABOUT IT! 😯
