Constant disappointment

[OhThatTodd]

First there is the fact the C3 has a grossly inaccurate heart rate monitor. Bordering on useless. And then there is the Fitbit premium coaching workouts absolutely cookie cutter garbage. 

Those workouts do not take into account age, fitness level, prior injuries nor allow you to meaningfully rate individual movements to find alternatives. Many of the movements would make my PT start shopping for a boat — they are guaranteed injury producers for anyone over 40. 

I’m a pretty fit 57 year old. I was a boxer for almost twenty years. I was a conditioning coach for Thai boxers and boxers. So I’m not shy. But some of those workouts are ridiculous. Single leg burpees for time? Are you insane? Then right to single leg mountain climbers? Has any real sports med person looked at these? Many of them border on irresponsible. 

[WendyB]

Im sorry but I have no problem modifying to my needs. I know what I'm capable of and modify to me

I would think you would be able to as well.

They are made for people who can complete not for injured people. We need to figure it out and modify

[OhThatTodd]

I was a certified trainer for competing athletes for a couple decades. That’s not how it works. 

Progressive training doesn’t make assumptions and start with the most advanced moves and leave it to the trainee to adjust downward. 

You start with the primary basic movement and, over a given cycle, go to more complexity and difficulty. No educated sports trainer that knows even the slightest thing about human anatomy and adaptation just throws work outs together like these yahoos. 

First off the mobility and balance “training cycle” to ramp up to the strength portion of the “challenge” was two work outs. Not even the most highly trained athletes bodies on earth have an adaptation ability of one week. Human joints and ligaments don’t work that way. 

Second the “core cardio” workout was essentially 18 minutes in a push-up position with no variation in body poisoning other than straining rotator cuffs even MORE by putting the trainee in a one armed push-up. You vary that. You do one or two of the same positions. Not only is it better for the joints, but you enhance the cardio effect by moving blood between upper and lower extremities. 

Third, FitBit has my age, movement profile and all this data. They can use it to better tailor this supposed personal coached workout. They could survey you before and after much more thoroughly. What are they doing with this data? Because they sure are not using it to help customers very well. 

Fourth, FitBit doesn’t really work. The heart rate monitoring is totally useless. It isn’t even 70% accurate. They lied and sold a technology that doesn’t work very well. Thousands of users have reported this. As have reviews. The step count is also WAAAAAY off. I wake up in the morning to a 200-800 step count. In my sleep. The disparity between my iPhone and FitBit step count is often over 3,000-4,000 steps. Also I’ve had watch bands break twice since I purchased my FitBit in early 2019. Getting the warrantee form to work was a ridiculous hassle as it crashes or can’t find your purchase and they put deliberate barriers into the process to prevent claims. 

I’m sorry. But FitBit oversold something they cannot deliver on and there are consequences for companies that do this.