I started out reviewing smartwatches because I wanted to track my health, & running routine. A few months back, I decided to join the gym, & due to my passion for testing smartwatches I also got to use plenty of watches in the gym.
Unsurprisingly, it turned out that not all smartwatches are for bodybuilding. If build quality wasn’t an issue then the lack of strength training, treadmills, & other bodybuilding-oriented features were.
Not just that, modern smartwatches today can remind you to take carbs, monitor your workout intensity, motivate you to take stairs instead of lifts, even keep track of your energy levels and so much more. That’s why I believe bodybuilding watches are must-have tools for all the fitness nuts out there.
Therefore keeping that in mind I have short-listed the best bodybuilding watches that have a good build quality and can survive all of your high-intensity workout sessions.
Quick Navigation:
- Bodybuilding Smartwatch Comparison Table
- Best Smartwatches For Bodybuilding
- Best Watches For Bodybuilding
- What To Look For While Selecting A Bodybuilding Watch?
- FAQs
Bodybuilding Smartwatch Comparison Table
IMAGE | PRODUCT | SPECIFICATIONS | VIEW ON AMAZON |
Best Smartwatch For Bodybuilding  | Apple Watch Series 8 |
| |
Best Garmin Watch For Bodybuilding  | Garmin Forerunner 955 |
| |
Best Fitness Watch For Bodybuilding  | Fitbit Versa 3 |
| |
Best Fitness Tracker For Bodybuilding  | Fitbit Charge 5 |
|
Best Smartwatches For Bodybuilding
1. Amazfit T-Rex 2
Let’s first start with the latest Amazfit T-Rex 2 watch for bodybuilders. This watch has passed 15 military tests & can survive occasional hits with the dumbbells without any issues. Similarly, while lifting heavy weights or doing shoulder presses, you won’t have to worry about pressure being exerted on the watch.
During my usage, I liked the fact that the watch also has a dedicated guard on the right side. This guard prevented any accidental pressing of buttons, be it running or strength training, buttons never got pressed accidentally which can result in stopping activity tracking.
The biggest feature update that Amazfit has brought with the T-Rex 2 is the strength training profile. It is supposed to show you which muscle group you are targeting once it identifies the rep & also keeps a log. Amazfit claims that T-Rex 2 can identify 8 different rep exercises which never worked while I used the watch.
However, all is not lost as using the same profile you can start different sets, after each set you can manually add the weight of the dumbbells, log reps, & rest time.
In my opinion, what makes it truly the best smartwatch for bodybuilders is the assistant feature. Using it you can set heart rate alerts for strength training. After enabling it, the watch notified me whenever my heart rate crossed or fell below the set threshold. It ensured that I didn’t do any reckless overtraining under the influence of adrenaline. Similarly, I also set water drink reminders for every 15 minutes during my strength training to remain hydrated.
Amazfit T-Rex 2 also includes 23 other indoor workout profiles which includes
- Elliptical
- Rowing machine
- Stair climbing machine
- Stair stepper
- Spinning
- Indoor fitness, mixed aerobics
- Cross training, aerobics, group calisthenics, body combat, strength training, core training, flexibility training, HIIT, Yoga, Pilates, Gymnastics, Horizontal bar, parallel bars, battling rope, & stretching
I don’t think Amazfit has missed any profile that you might have expected in your bodybuilding smartwatch.
Enough about bodybuilding features, let’s talk about the heart rate sensor on the watch. This watch comes with BioTraker 3.0 PPG sensor which is one generation older sensor from Amazfit. Still, I found the accuracy to be amazing when I compared the watch with Garmin Forerunner 245M during my run. You can check my comparison video below to know the results.
Nevertheless, you can also connect a Bluetooth chest strap to the watch for a more reliable heart rate reading. Besides that, the watch offers regular features like blood oxygen tracking, sleep tracking, stress monitoring, VO2 max, training effect analysis, & more. You can also check my review video to know more about the bodybuilding watch before you make your final decision.
Battery life is another department where Amazfit T-Rex 2 shines. On heavy usage with GPS tracking & gym activity tracking the watch lasted me 7 days with all the features. And, you will get even more battery life if you won’t use always on display, constant notifications sync, & disable 24*7 heart rate tracking. And, you get all that for the price of less than $200 dollars so do check the watch out.
2. Fitbit Versa 3
Everyone thinks Fitbit smartwatches are only useful for basic fitness & health tracking. However, Fitbit Versa 3 will prove you wrong as it comes with boot camp, circuit training, elliptical, interval workout, outdoor workout, pilates, spinning, treadmill, weights, & workout profiles.
During my usage, I found that this is not the best watch for bodybuilding in terms of post-workout analysis. Also, it doesn’t detect my bench press, pushups, or any other exercise. And, after ending a workout, it only showed me details such as calories burned, average & maximum heart rate, along with the duration of the workout. It was missing some advanced metrics like rep count, and individual workout profiles found on watches like Garmin.
But what makes me recommend the watch is the Fitbit Coach feature that you get with the Fitbit Premium. It gave me access to some amazing workout tips, diet plans, protein-rich food recipes, & follow-along workout videos.
The best part was when I was watching & doing a workout along with the instructor, the Fitbit app was also showing my calories burned & heart rate on screen in real-time. The only downside is that Fitbit Coach requires a separate subscription. If you are a beginner who is looking for a way to get started then Fitbit Coach is worth the price. You can check out my Fitbit Versa 3 review to know more.
Another feature that was missing on Amazfit T-Rex 2 was a built-in speaker & microphone. I usually take my duffel bag to the changing room & leave my phone outside in the locker. Fitbit Versa 3 allowed me to pick up calls without having to hurry or run towards my phone between my sets or from changing room. I have received calls on the watch even if I was at the corner of my gym without calls ever being dropped. I have also done a call test on our channel & found the speaker to be good enough to be used indoors. You can check my Fitbit Versa 3 call test video below.
Fitbit also supports third-party music streaming apps like Spotify & Deezer. So if you have a premium plan for any of the services then you can download your favorite playlist on the watch.
I almost forgot to talk about the unique calories burned methodology of Fitbit Versa 3. When I started using the watch, I was very surprised to see 1400 calories burned every day. It turned out that Fitbit also calculates the calories burned while resting. Think about it, eye blinking to the simple act of resting requires calories. Fitbit tracks those calories burned as well based on your age, weight, & other factors. I think this can be a very useful feature for those who carefully curate their diet plan for bodybuilding.
Apart from that, this bodybuilding smartwatch also tracks basic stuff such as your steps taken, stairs climbed, biking, swimming, and running. If I was sitting on the couch for too long it would nag me to take a walk as this smartwatch comes with a sedentary reminder feature as well. It will help you find that extra motivation to adopt a good lifestyle outside of the gym.
The USP of the Fitbit watches are their sleep tracking and sleep analysis that you get at the beginning of every day. You also get a readiness score that shows how much energy you have recovered & how ready you are for the day. Plus, you will get a weekly report telling you a detailed report of your sports, health & fitness activities. All these features make Fitbit Versa 3 the best fitness watch for bodybuilding.
3. Polar Vantage M2
The next smartwatch on my list is Vantage M2 from Polar which makes devices specifically for sports, and workout tracking. It has almost all the features that a fitness freak would require and one such feature is Training Load Pro.
I noticed that depending on the intensity of my workout the watch automatically calculated the muscle and cardio load I am putting on my body. So the watch would tell me whether I am detraining, maintaining, being productive, or overreaching my fitness capabilities.
To dive into more details detraining indicates that you are working out below your current fitness level. And, maintaining indicates that you are maintaining your fitness level. Productive means you are working out a little bit more than your present fitness levels. Whereas, overreaching indicates that you are working way too hard and have the risk of injuring yourself.
Don’t worry about the watch being wrong as it calculates the training load by recording and analyzing your workout sessions. Using the feature, you would be able to find the perfect balance between workouts and rest.
The next feature that I found useful is FitSpark. With this feature, Polar Vantage M2 will recommend a personalized workout plan tailored for you based on your workout history, training load, and fitness.
Whenever the watch detected that I had an intensive workout then it would recommend low-intensity workouts the next day. Hence, you won’t miss workout sessions any single day that too without any risk of injury.
Another important feature that every bodybuilder need is the accurate calculation of calories burned that’s why Polar watches come with Smart Calories. Based on your age, VO2 max, resting heart rate, maximum heart rate, gender, and weight, the watch accurately calculates the calories burned by you.
It allows you to get a sense of how much calories you are spending on a daily basis or during particular workout sessions. Then you can create a diet plan that would help you maintain, gain or lose fat in your body.
If you have any Bluetooth-enabled accessory like a heart rate strap then you can also connect it to the Polar Vantage M2.
Apart from that, it can also track your swimming, running, and cycling. Also, while swimming you won’t have to worry about the watch not working with wet hands as it is entirely operated using the buttons and doesn’t feature a touchscreen display.
When it comes to fitness and sports activity analysis Polar watches are as good as Garmin and even better in some areas. And, what makes it the best smartwatch for bodybuilders is that you can get even more detailed insight into your activity in the Polar Flow app.
4. Samsung Galaxy Watch 4
One thing that I noticed after using the previous three watches was that they seriously lacked in the smart features department. That’s why the next body-building smartwatch I recommend is the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4.
The first smart feature that I found to be useful is the ability to reply to text messages & even IM chats using the watch. Using the built-in keyboard you can either use voice to text, t9 keyboard, or qwerty keyboard to reply.
Similarly, the Play Store on the watch allowed me to connect to Strava, MyFitnessPal, Calm, YouTube Music, & more. So I was able to download plenty of apps & games on the watch itself.
If you are not interested in all that then worry not as it comes with various bodybuilding-oriented features. It has a rope skipping, circuit training, exercise bike, treadmill, elliptical trainer, weight machine, arm curls, arm extensions, back extensions, bench press, crunches, leg curls, & various other gym workout profiles.
I also tested the Treadmill profile’s accuracy during my workout session and found it to be pretty close to the readings on the Treadmill. You can watch my complete Watch 4 Treadmill accuracy test video below.
Once the workout will be over, you will be able to see workout duration, heart rate zone, calories burned, & more. Some profiles like arm curls can also count your rep automatically which is quite impressive. I usually used the weight training profile for all my activities as I found continuously changing profiles to be distracting.
Besides workouts, I also tracked & monitored my blood oxygen, heart rate, blood pressure, ECG, stress, & sleep using the watch. ECG & Blood Pressure monitor feature only worked when paired with Samsung phones & is available in select locations.
Moreover, the watch has a built-in microphone & speaker that can be used to take calls. I was also able to initiate a call using the watch as all your contacts are synced to the watch. You can also get the LTE variant of the watch to go to the gym without your phone.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 also supports offline MP3 music playback. This allowed me to transfer all my favorite music that I have since high school to the watch. You can play the music through the phone’s speaker as well as through earphones. I definitely use the phone’s speaker for music playback sometimes on hikes & camping. Besides MP3 music playback, this watch also supports third-party streaming apps like Spotify & YouTube Music.
If smart features are a priority for you then without a doubt this is a great fitness watch for weight lifting. It offers a great combination of smart features & fitness tracking features. The major downside of the watch is that it only supports Android devices so it is not for iOS users.
5. Fitbit Charge 5
If you would prefer spending hundreds of dollars on nutrition, and fitness equipment, instead of smartwatches then I have a reasonably priced fitness tracker for you. Presenting Fitbit Charge 5 which is the best fitness tracker that a bodybuilder can have.
During my morning run, Fitbit Charge 5 tracked my pace, distance covered, calories burned, the time elapsed, and other useful metrics. Don’t worry, you won’t need to carry your smartphone with you to track your run as it comes with a built-in GPS.
Besides that, this fitness tracker also supports 24*7 heart rate tracking to provide better insight into fitness and health. I also found the active zone minutes feature to be useful which gives points for high-intensity workout sessions based on my heart rate.
Moreover, Fitbit devices offer best-in-class sleep analysis without wearing a dedicated sleep tracker. It can tell how much REM, light, and Deep Sleep you are getting and whether or not you have recovered energy from sleep. Fitbit Charge 5 would motivate you to remove bad bedtime habits so that you will get a good night’s sleep.
You can leave your wallet behind when you are leaving for the gym as it comes with Fitbit Pay which allows you to make contactless payments. If you like to listen to music when you are working out then Fitbit Charge 5 also comes with a music playback control.
6. Apple Watch Series 8
If you are an iPhone user then Apple Watch Series 8 is the best bodybuilding watch for you. It offers one of the best indoor workout tracking found on smartwatches.
Apple Watch comes with Automatic activity detection and will automatically start recording indoor walk, outdoor walk, indoor run, outdoor run, elliptical, rower, pool swim, and open water swim. Therefore you won’t have to press any button to record any of these activities.
Apart from that, the watch comes with a strength training profile that records your workout time, calories burned, and heart rate during the workout session. It can also measure your HIIT (High-intensity interval training) exercises such as jump rope where you have to constantly start and stop. Therefore, you won’t have to manually start tracking activity repeatedly after every 30 seconds break and all these exercises are available in the Workout app on the Apple Watch. Using the app, you can also track yoga, core training, functional strength training, and several other exercises.
While it’s no secret Apple Watch offers one of the best heart rate tracking but during working out sweat can cause wrist-based heart rate sensors to be inaccurate. You can remedy that by using a Bluetooth heart rate strap as Apple Watch can also connect with Bluetooth-based fitness accessories.
Moreover, if you have a premium Apple Music account then you can also download and play music on the watch during your workout sessions. It also has a built-in GPS so it can track the distance covered while hiking, running, cycling, or performing any other outdoor activity.
7. Garmin Forerunner 955
If you are looking for the best Garmin watch for bodybuilding that comes with robust build quality then look no further. This is Garmin Forerunner 955 a multisport smartwatch that can track all of your sports, and fitness activities.
It can track your cardio, strength training exercises, elliptical, indoor cycling, and rep count. And, what makes it the best bodybuilding watch is automatic rep counting, as the name suggests, it can automatically count bench press, sit-up, curl, tricep extension, row, deadlift, dumbbell fly, and more.
However, automatic tracking can miss a few rep counts but thankfully you can manually edit the rep count after the activity is over. Also, you can add an activity manually to keep a log of all your exercises and create a logbook of all your fitness routines.
Apart from that, you can also connect your Garmin Connect account to your My Fitness Pal account. It allows users to log their fitness activities, track calories, break down ingredients, keep a food diary, find recipes according to their calorie requirements, and tips that will help them achieve their fitness goals.
It also comes with a performance monitoring function which indicates whether you are overworking or undertraining. Moreover, you can also connect the heart rate strap, and then you would be able to monitor your lactate threshold and HRV. The lactate threshold is useful in identifying your maximum stamina or improving your endurance while doing cardio exercises.
Moreover, the watch also offers WiFi, and Bluetooth connectivity and can also be connected to ANT+ fitness accessories. Besides that, you can also install apps like Strava, and Starbucks, download watch faces, and more from Garmin Connect IQ Store.
Best Watches For Bodybuilding
8. Suunto Core
If you are just looking for a simple watch that has a robust build quality and can survive extreme workout sessions then take a look at Suunto Core. This Suunto watch features a highly durable strap made of elastomer and aluminum bezels that ensure it can survive all hits and bumps.
After sweating in the gym, you can take it into the shower with you as it water-resistant up to 30m. The watch also comes with sunrise and sunset timing for several locations so you can head back home before the sunset.
Also, if you are an outdoor adventurer then the watch comes with Altimeter, Barometer, and Compass. The barometer on the watch can detect changes in atmospheric pressure and alert about the upcoming storm beforehand which can come in handy while fishing or exploring mountains alone.
Altimeter and compass can help you pinpoint your exact location on the map while exploring unknown territory. Apart from tactical features, the watch can also set an alarm and keep track of two time zones at once. However, some users just prefer this watch because it was worn by Denzel Washington in the movie Equalizer.
Overall, this a great watch for bodybuilding and will be suitable for those who want a watch that can accompany them to the gym as well as to the beach.
9. Casio G-Shock GBA800-1A
If step count is a must-have feature for you to track your movement outside the gym then this affordable G-Shock watch would be perfect for you. The watch comes with a built-in 3 axis accelerometer that can accurately measure your steps. You can set your daily step goal and monitor your progress directly on the watch face.
It gets better as you can connect the watch to your Android and iOS device using the G-Shock Connect app for an intuitive user experience. Using the app, you can also create a custom timer for your workout session hence you can create a 20-minute timer for cardio, 20 for exercises, and so on. However, you will be happy to know that you don’t need to download the app to use most features of the watch as it isn’t app-dependent.
The watch also comes with all regular G-Shock features like an hourly chime function, stopwatch, calendar, etc. Furthermore, you can also use the watch in the dark as it comes with an LED backlight which illuminates the display with the press of a button.
Now you might be wondering what’s the battery life of the watch. And, we will be happy to inform you that the watch offers a battery life of two years which is more than decent for the features the watch is offering.
Since this is a watch from G-Shock, it meets all the standard G-Shock specifications which include water resistance up to 200m, shock resistance design, and 10 meters fall endurance. In our opinion, what makes this the best watch for bodybuilding is that apart from good build quality it also offers step tracking along with exceptional battery life.
What To Look For While Selecting A Bodybuilding Watch?
1. Workout And Fitness Tracking
Almost all the watches today can track your cardio workout whether it’s running or cycling and it doesn’t matter whether you’re doing it indoors or outdoors. However, if you are investing money in a smartwatch for bodybuilding then ensure that the watch comes with workout or strength training profiles as not all watches have them. There are only a few brands offering workout tracking and that too is available on selected watch models. Polar watches, Suunto watches, Garmin watches, and Apple Watch makes some of the best watches for the job.
However, do keep in mind that sports or fitness tracking doesn’t necessarily mean that watch can track your workout so we would recommend researching before selecting the watch.
2. Support For Fitness Accessories
If you want to work on your stamina and endurance then you need to know your lactate threshold and smartwatches aren’t accurate enough to help you do that. To accomplish that you need dedicated accessories like a heart rate strap that can be connected to your watch.
Therefore, if you want more in-depth fitness analysis then look for watches that support ANT+ or Bluetooth accessories. Make sure that the watch you have selected can connect with third-party accessories like a heart rate strap, cycling pod, etc. for accurate fitness tracking.
3. Waterproof To Protect The Watch From Sweat
No one can avoid sweating in the gym after a high-intensity cardio or strength training session and if the watch doesn’t have a good IP rating then it won’t last very long. And, most traditional watches are splash resistant or don’t sport a swim-proof design that’s why we would recommend going with watches that have at least water resistance of up to 50m.
FAQs
Which Smartwatch Is Best For The Gym?
Garmin Forerunner 955 is the best bodybuilding smartwatch as it can automatically count your rep, track your heart rate, and is also compatible with ANT+ and Bluetooth fitness accessories. It also supports third-party apps like My Fitness Pal that would help you keep track of your calorie intake and even lets you create a good diet plan.
Which Is The Best Watch For Working Out?
Casio G-Shock GBA800-1A is the best watch for working out as it is water-resistant up to 200m so sweat will not be an issue for the watch. The watch comes with built-in step-tracking functionality, the ability to create custom timers for exercises, and more.
What Is The Best Fitness Smartwatch?
Apple Watch Series 8 is the best fitness smartwatch as it can automatically detect strength training and cardio workout sessions. Along with that, it also comes with a heart and blood oxygen monitor which comes in handy for monitoring workout intensity.
Are Fitness Trackers Worth It?
Yes, a fitness tracker can motivate you to lead a less sedentary lifestyle when you are not in the gym. It can also track calories burned, steps taken, stairs climbed, monitor heart rate, and more outside the gym. Today most fitness trackers can also track your sleep and give you suggestions on how you can make it better.
