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How to create custom workouts on Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra

Here is how to create custom workouts on the Apple Watch and Apple Watch Ultra. The ability to create custom workouts is a new feature that has been added to the Apple Workout app during the release of watchOS 9.

In order to create a custom workout, you will first need to:

  • Go to the app menu
  • Select the Apple Workout app

Once opened, you see a variety of workout categories to choose from. Once you decide on one, click on the three dots in the upper right-hand corner. This will take you to a list of the current workouts available.

You will likely see some custom workouts already built by Apple that you can use. However, in order to create your own, you will need to scroll all the way to the bottom of the list and select “Create Workout.”

From here, depending on the workout category, you will have up to six workout types to choose from:

  • Open: which should already be setup as the default workout (and is here in case you delete it)
  • Calories: workouts set to a custom calorie goal
  • Distance: workouts set to a custom distance goal
  • Time: workouts set to a custom time goal
  • Pacer: workouts that allow you to set both a distance and time goal. This will then create a goal pace for you to achieve. During this type of workout, the Apple Watch will provide feedback to let you know if you are going faster or slower than your goal pace.
  • Custom: which is where you can create your own workout type or interval training
Apple Watch custom workout types

When creating a custom workout on the Apple Watch, you will see additional warmup and cooldown sections. If you do not want these, you can leave them classified as “Skip.” If you do want them, you can set them up by time, distance, or open if you want it to be open-ended.

For the workout portion, select “Add,” and then select either “Work” or “Recovery.” The “Repeat” option here will be grayed out until after you have created your first workout section.

Apple Watch custom workout interval builder

For Work and Recovery intervals, you can select distance, time, or open types. Once created, you can group intervals together and set them to repeat. To do this:

  • Select “Add”
  • Select “Repeat”

Then select the intervals you would like to be grouped, and select how many times you would like this group repeated.

Apple Watch custom workout intervals

You also have the ability to reorder the workout by selecting “Reorder,” and then holding and dragging the portion you would like to move.

Once done, you can name the workout whatever you would like. From now on, you will be able to find this workout as an option when you select the workout category on the Apple Watch Workout app.

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Author

Avatar for Colin Jenkins Colin Jenkins

Colin lives in Ventura, CA where he runs a Strength & Conditioning facility. If you have suggestions for fitness tech that you’d like to see covered or reviewed, feel free to send info over to colin@9to5mac.com