Strength Trainer: Quantify Muscular Load for Smarter Training

Introducing a first-of-its-kind way to measure the Strain on your body during strength training. Strength Trainer quantifies the muscular load of your workouts by tracking weights, reps, and sets for a comprehensive view of your training efforts.

Why strength training needs better measurement

Most wearables only track how hard your heart is working, which undervalues the true effort of how hard your muscles are working. This creates a gap in understanding your body's total workload. Without measuring the impact of lifting weights on your body (muscular load), you miss a key piece of the performance puzzle, making it harder to balance your training and recovery effectively. 

WHOOP Strength Trainer quantifies both cardiovascular and muscular load during strength training workouts, giving you full credit for every rep and set.

Calculating muscular load

WHOOP developed an algorithm to calculate muscular load – the stress put on muscles, bones, joints, and tissues during strength training. This goes beyond heart rate to measure your body's true workload.

Strength Trainer uses biomechanics to track the impact various strength training exercises have on your body. The system works by analyzing movement patterns and exercise complexity:

• Movement profiles: Different movements use different percentages of your musculoskeletal system
• Motion tracking: Accelerometer and gyroscope sensors measure volume and intensity
• Personalized calculation: Your workout history helps estimate max volume for accurate muscular load scoring

For instance, a back squat has a different load profile than a calf raise because it uses more muscles and joints, creating higher muscular load.

How muscular load influences Strain

Strength Trainer impacts your WHOOP metrics in several key ways:

• Higher Activity Strain: Scores reflect both cardiovascular and muscular effort
• Increased Day Strain: Total daily load accounts for lifting intensity
• Elevated Sleep need: Your body requires more recovery after strength sessions

These insights help you balance training intensity with proper recovery planning.

How to use Strength Trainer

1. Make sure you're wearing WHOOP on your wrist (and not in WHOOP Body apparel) as Strength Trainer algorithms currently account for movement from the wrist only.
2. To plan your workout ahead of time:
   1. Open your WHOOP app, and access Strength Trainer from the action button (+) or Plan tab under Overview.
   2. Build your own workout and enter your moves, weights, reps, and sets, or choose a pre-built option from some of the best trainers and athletes in the world including Rory McIlroy, Michael Phelps, Patrick Mahomes, Colleen Quigley, and Sloane Stephens.
   3. Strength Trainer will quantify the muscular and cardiovascular load of your workout based on its volume and intensity.
3. To log your completed workout: Tap into the saved activity and follow the prompts, or tap the action button > Add Activity > Strength Trainer.
4. Your workout gets factored into your overall Strain score and influences sleep recommendations for comprehensive training insights.

Ask WHOOP AI to build your next strength workout

Share your goals, equipment, muscle groups, or limitations with WHOOP AI, and it will generate a Strength Trainer workout to help you start training with clarity and confidence. This way, WHOOP adapts workouts to fit your real life, whether you’re traveling, training around pregnancy, recovering from injury, or working with minimal equipment.

Tips for maximizing your results

To get the most out of Strength Trainer, focus on a few key habits:

• Log with consistency. The more you log your workouts, the more accurately WHOOP can analyze your volume and intensity over time.
• Ensure proper placement. For now, Strength Trainer is calibrated for wrist-based tracking. Wear your WHOOP on your wrist during your workout for the most accurate motion detection.
• Review your data. Pay attention to how your muscular load impacts your overall Strain and Sleep Need. Use these insights to adjust your recovery and plan your next session.
• Explore pre-built workouts. Discover new routines from elite athletes and coaches directly in the WHOOP app to add variety and challenge to your training.

Take your training to the next level

Strength Trainer provides a complete view of your work in the gym, translating every rep and set into actionable data. By understanding both muscular and cardiovascular load, you can optimize your training, balance your recovery and sleep, and unlock new levels of performance. Ready to see what your body is truly capable of? Join WHOOP and start quantifying your strength.

Frequently asked questions about WHOOP Strength Trainer

What's the difference between logging weightlifting and using Strength Trainer?

Weightlifting activities only track cardiovascular Strain via heart rate. Strength Trainer adds muscular load calculation for complete workout impact.

Do I need to wear WHOOP on my wrist to use Strength Trainer?

Yes, Strength Trainer requires wrist-based wear for accurate motion tracking and rep detection.

Can I add Strength Trainer data to workouts I already completed?

Yes, tap into any completed activity and follow the prompts to add exercises, weights, and reps for muscular load credit.

The content available through the WHOOP services may include training information or routines, and other media to help you meet your health, fitness, and wellness goals. WHOOP is not a healthcare provider, personal trainer or fitness instructor and these services (including any recommendations and any information available through these services that may appear to be personalized) may not be appropriate for you. WHOOP is not responsible for any results that may or may not be obtained from the use of these services.