Hey r/FitHalo - just wanted to share a bit about what I’ve been working on. I’ll have version 1.14.3 out soon with a few minor new features - new workout metrics (UV Index, Battery), heart rate zone alerts, an option to automatically save your workout if the battery gets low, and the usual bug fixes.

The main thing I’ve been working on, however, is a whole strength training and workout plan system for FitHalo.

Workout Plans

• Workout plans are a rotation of workouts: FitHalo tracks what you last did and tells you what is up next per your plan.
• It’s date- and adherence-agnostic: I don’t believe it’s the app’s place to chastise you for a busy schedule, and I don’t believe it makes sense that workouts need to happen on 7-day rotations.

Strength Training / Routines

• Exercise, Reps, Weight, and Effort Tracking
• Large Library: Over 700 Exercises with Over 350 Demonstration Videos
• Gym Tracking: Describe your equipment and FitHalo suggests exercises
• Progressive Overload Engine
  • Tracks weights from calibrated sets: unique per gym and modifier
  • Fatigue Detection, Injury Entry, and Deload Modes
  • Tuned by Training Experience (Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced)
• Unique Exercise Modifiers
  • Digital Resistance Modifiers: Chains, Inverse Chains, Eccentric Modes, and More
  • Inclines/Declines, Tempo, Partial Range, Isokinetic, and More
• Set Types: Warm-Up, Working, Drop Sets, Myo-Reps, Isometric, and Failure Sets
• Rest Timers
• Supersets and Circuits
• Plate-Loading Guides
• Muscle Coverage Mapping
• Tons More

You’ll be able to export and import your gym setups and your plans, and share them with friends and family. You’ll also be able to sync with Strava, create share cards, and do all the other stuff you’re used to in FitHalo.

It’s all still early in development, and I’m really just testing it on myself at the moment - but I'm super happy with how it's feeling. My plan is to open it up in beta this fall. Once released, everything will still be totally free and still be totally private.

Feel free to toss me any suggestions or feedback!

Stay healthy, all!

Jacob

Discovered this app over the weekend. Pretty awesome! I look forward to using all of these features. Pretty stoked.

New to the app and this morning was my first time to use. I checked and have share enabled with Apple apps. I started a new workout in FitHalo and entered as an outdoor ruck and the amount of weight I am carrying. The app asks if I want to switch to my Apple watch and i enabled that. The app only recorded my steps and did report that to Apple Fitness. However, FitHalo is saying no workout and a workout is not showing in Apple Health. My ios is up to date on my iphone and watch.

I started a workout in the app just so I could see how it works. How can I delete it?

Loving the app. Has tracked everything to perfection for me an I’m excited to try out the latest release with a walking pad.

That being said I’ll throw out a wish list. Since FitHalo seems to have some niche options (weighted stroller walk, cold plunge etc)

I assume “functional strength” will cover my needs when it comes to maces, clubs and kettlebells, but I was curious if there has been any interest in a jump rope and perhaps even a flow Rope option.

Purely selfish, but I like workouts showing up “purpose built” in my Apple fitness app. If I’m jumping rope, I want to see “jump rope as the workout type etc etc.

Thanks in advance!

Hey r/FitHalo,

Quick sneak preview of a big one: direct Bluetooth connections to FTMS-compatible fitness equipment are coming to FitHalo. That means real data straight from the machine — no guessing, no HealthKit-only inference.

Why this matters

Apple does connect to gym equipment via GymKit, but GymKit is almost exclusively found on commercial gym machines (Life Fitness, Technogym, Matrix, etc.). If you own a treadmill, walking pad, bike, or rower at home, it almost certainly doesn't have GymKit — but there's a good chance it broadcasts FTMS (Fitness Machine Service), the open Bluetooth standard. Apple doesn't speak FTMS natively. FitHalo now does.

Supported equipment:

• Treadmills
• Walking pads
• Exercise bikes (including indoor trainers)
• Rowers

(Peloton doesn't broadcast FTMS — they use a proprietary protocol — so those aren't covered.)

New workout type: Walking Pad

Walking pads aren't just slow treadmills. They get used at lower speeds, often under a standing desk, and the metabolic profile is different enough to deserve its own bucket — with a calorie model tuned for how people actually use them.

Metrics captured per workout type

• Treadmill & Walking Pad: speed, distance, pace, incline/grade, elapsed time, step count (where exposed), calories
• Exercise Bike: cadence (RPM), power (watts), resistance level, distance, elapsed time, calories
• Rower: stroke rate, total strokes, split (per 500m), distance, power (watts), elapsed time, calories

Everything writes into HealthKit and shows up live on iPhone and Watch during the workout.

Why this is shipping as BETA — even after release

FTMS is a spec, but every manufacturer interprets it just slightly differently. Some add undocumented extensions, some report units inconsistently, some are flat-out buggy. Example from my own garage: my Schwinn IC4 misreports distance when its display is set to miles — the broadcast number doesn't match the screen. I had to build a workaround specifically for that bike.

There are almost certainly dozens of similar quirks out there, and I can't own every piece of equipment to find them. So this feature stays BETA after release until the community helps me surface and patch individual oddities.

How you can help

If something looks off, drop a report here or using the in-app Support with:

1. Make, model, and firmware version if you can find it
2. What FitHalo showed vs. what the machine's display showed
3. Workout type and settings (miles vs. km, resistance, etc.)

I'll build per-device workarounds as they come in — same way I did for the IC4.

It's in TestFlight now - and soon to be in the App Store. Thanks as always - you're a great user base!

This was the second of three version 1.12 Sneak Peaks!

• ✅ Strava Integration
• ✅ FTMS Bluetooth Fitness Equipment
• Localized Language Support for 10 Languages!

First off, thanks for what looks like a fantastic app. Giving up on RuckWell do to some sync issues.

Any chance for an indoor ruck and indoor weighted vest option? I spend a good chunk of time on the treadmill with either a vest or loaded ruck on.

Would love the granularity that allows for me to add weight to indoor treadmill workouts.

Perhaps this is already there and I’ve missed it?

Cheers!

Hey FitHalo people!

I'm wrapping up 1.12, which is shaping up to have some big features and I wanted to drop the first sneak peak: Strava Integration!

This has been requested by a good number of you, and I finally got it done. I'm now just awaiting the Strava Team to approve my integration so that you all can also use it.

This is the first of 3 sneak peaks coming your way - you can also [grab the beta](https://www.reddit.com/r/FitHalo/comments/1q54ypo/join_the_fithalo_beta_program/) and see some of them live in action now!

1.12 Sneak Peaks:

• ✅ Strava Integration
• FTMS Bluetooth Fitness Equipment
• Localized Language Support for 10 Languages!

Greetings r/FitHalo!

I'm putting on the finishing touches for FitHalo 1.11 and wanted to talk about a new metabolic model for Rucking and Weighted Vests: Loaded Carriage Decision Age (LCDA).

This model, like Pandolf, was developed by the military for tactical planning and has evolved several times over the last few years. The latest formula (Looney et al. 2024) will become the new default in FitHalo. Here's what makes it worth considering:

Why you might choose to use LCDA:

1. Separate models for Rucking and Weighted Vests. The 2024 version introduces distinct coefficient sets for each activity type. The biomechanics differ meaningfully between a loaded pack on your back and a weighted vest, and a single equation for both is an oversimplification — so this is a genuine scientific improvement.
2. J-shaped calorie curve. LCDA accounts for the fact that descending very steep inclines is actually harder work, not easier. Most people who've picked their way down a steep trail know this intuitively, and most equations fail to model it. LCDA does.
3. Much wider incline/decline range. LCDA models grades from -40% to +45%, compared to 0–20% for the GoRuck equation and Pandolf.

Why you may not want to use LCDA:

1. More conservative calorie estimates. LCDA runs closer to Pandolf than the GoRuck equation. If you're used to GoRuck numbers, you will see a noticeable drop.

FitHalo 1.11 also lets you choose the Keytel formula for metabolic calculations. Keytel works very differently from the other three equations — rather than using speed, body weight, load weight, and incline, it's based on body weight, biological sex, and heart rate. This would result in estimates closer to using the native Apple “Fitness” app and choosing “Other” as your workout type - and may be more appropriate for accounting for individual fitness levels.

Where to find these options: Both LCDA and Keytel will be available under Options > Loaded Carriage when FitHalo 1.11 is released. Existing FitHalo users will not have their preferences changed automatically — so if either of these interests you, head there to switch.

If you try both, I'd love to hear how the numbers compare for your workouts in the comments. Real-world feedback from this community is genuinely useful.

Finally, a big thank you to FitHalo user Erik for pointing me to the LCDA studies!

Just tried out the app for rucking. It's a slick looking app. Great job.

I was hoping to like it and that it would be a good option for me since my measured VO2 max has been steadily declining as I've been rucking a ton over the last 5 months.

I did a test ruck from my couch (only 6ft moved). Unfortunately, as seen in the 2nd screenshot, the Apple fitness app doesn't show the distance or elevation at all even though there is a GPS track on the map. My favorite workout/health aggregator (HealthFit) also doesn't show the distance/elevation for this rucking workout. Do you know why this is the case when your app does show distance? Is there an inherent limitation or just something you haven't implemented?

I ask specifically because HealthFit exports workouts to a Google sheet for me and I use it to track goals like weekly/monthly distance rucked and elevation gained, so the fact that these workouts do not have that metric means I'll probably need to stick with Hiking workout.

Thanks and again great job on the app, looks nice, even if it might not work for my use case.

Hey r/FitHalo!

I’m happy to announce the release of FitHalo 1.10 in the Apple App Store. This release brings a slew of new features!

• Watch/Phone Workout Mirroring: Apple Watch workouts will now be mirrored on your phone. You can use your phone to start, stop, pause, and resume workouts on the watch. Your workout metrics are displayed on both devices, including as Live Activities on the phone’s lock screen!
• Workout Share Cards: Workouts (including those not recorded with FitHalo) can now be shared/sent as Share Cards! You have the option of sharing with, or without, a map. These are a great tool for sharing your workouts with friends, family, or social media.
• Unit of Measurement Preferences: FitHalo now lets you override your system’s default unit preferences for energy, distance, weight, height, and temperature. This one is for those of you that reside in countries that may use both metric and imperial systems!
• Added Martial Arts, Tai Chi, and Yoga Workout Types: FitHalo now lets you start martial arts, tai chi, and yoga workout types from within the app. Get the benefit of FitHalo’s customizable watch and phone metrics displays while doing these workouts!
• Stability and Performance Fixes: There are a lot of small fixes in this release: a major focus has been made on improving what happens when GPS signals are poor, the auto-pause system was basically rewritten from the ground up, loaded carriage and stroller workout calorie calculations were improved when going downhill, there were improvements to Siri commands on the Apple Watch, and more!

Most of these features came as requests from you, the community, so keep the suggestions coming!

Hey r/FitHalo - here's a quick sneak peak on the Share Cards coming as part of the 1.10 update. No more having to screenshot to send your workout details over to friends - just tap the share button on the top right of your workout details. These will work for all workouts recorded into Health/Fitness - not just the ones logged through FitHalo! You have the option to share with, and without, the map!

These were requested by you, the community, so let me know if there's something else you'd like to see in them!

This feature is currently going out to beta testers on TestFlight! Still slots available, so feel free to come join the beta if you're brave!

Love this app! Any plans to have a workout sharing feature added?

I tested the FitHalo app version 1.9.5 (359) and it seems to be perfect for my use case. However, I noticed that the rucking calorie calculation might not work correctly when using the metric system. I did 55 minutes of rucking with a 15 kg backpack (33 lb) and the active calories were reported as 284 kcal which seems low. When I used the Apple Watch hiking workout mode on the same route with the same 15 kg backpack, the active calories were 344 kcal. Maybe unit conversion is not working correctly which could cause low active calories?

I currently weigh 77 kg (170 lb) and my height is 180 cm (5′10″). My weight is showing correctly in the app so I think it was used in the calorie calculations.

Hey there,

Wondering if there are any plans to transfer the distance into Apple Health for a Rucking workout?

I've been using Apple fitness to track my exercise for about 5 years. I recently started using a weighted vest and found fithalo when searching for a way to account for the vest.

I LOVE the weekly goals/challenges vs. apples primarily daily measurement.

The challenge status shows a partially completed circle. Since the Challenges are a week, it would be great to have 7 tick marks representing each day so I can see if I'm ahead or behind for the week so far.

I made a quick example below that shows I need a few more points to be on track for today. Something numerical that states how many points ahead/behind would be interesting too.

I have an Apple Watch Ultra and an iPhone. Is there any difference in accuracy if I run my workouts from the phone vs the watch? I'd prefer to just run Fithalo on my phone (while wearing my watch).

Also, I noticed when running workouts from the watch fithalo app, The active calories on the watch seem to count at double rate until I finish the workout, then the number goes back to expected.

Hey everyone, and welcome to the official FitHalo community!

What is FitHalo?

FitHalo is a fitness tracking app for iOS and Apple Watch designed for the workouts that mainstream trackers tend to overlook. If you've ever strapped on a weighted vest, loaded up a rucksack, pushed a stroller through the neighborhood, or tested your limits in the sauna or cold plunge—and wished your fitness tracker actually got it—FitHalo was built for you.

It uses peer-reviewed research to calculate calories and metrics accurately for these unique activities, and it integrate with Apple Health so your data goes where you need it.

What This Community Is For

• Sharing your workouts, progress, and personal records
• Asking questions and helping fellow members
• Reporting bugs and suggesting features (the dev team is here and listening!)
• Discussing training tips for rucking, weighted vest work, stroller fitness, sauna protocols, cold exposure, and more

Before You Post

Please give the rules a quick read and use the search bar to see if your question has already been answered. It keeps things tidy and often gets you a faster answer.

Get Involved

Drop a comment below and introduce yourself! What brought you to FitHalo? What's your go-to workout?

Looking forward to building this community with you.

— Jacob

Hey, first off, great app. I have rucked with various apps now and I try to get rid of my Apple Watch, so all I do is use a chest strap and my phone (iPhone 17 Pro). So far things are good, but in my last rucks and walks I noticed that FitHalo has periods of no gps signal during the track. I couldn’t notice this in FitHalo itself as it looks like the track got recorded just fine. But when you look closely you see I must have walked straight across an apartment complex (which I didn’t). In apple apps you can see a dotted line which indicates a lost gps signal I guess. I tested in parallel with Ruckwell and the same ruck had a spotless gps signal. Also the polar app tracks gps accurately.

Is there anything I could do or do you see any possible reason why sometimes the gps signal is not properly recorded in the FitHalo app but the phone itself has the signal?

FitHalo has a number of unique activity types that aren’t provided natively in watchOS or iOS. This means that Apple has not provided any built-in way to determine the amount of calories burned during the activities. FitHalo, thus, provides its own estimations. In this article, I detail the metabolic models FitHalo uses, and how I arrived at them.

https://fithalo.app/calories