How do I track rowing machine on Charge 4?

[odchuckles]

I have a CONCEPT 2 rowing machine.  How might I track (ideally Auto-Track) this activity on my FitBit Charge 4?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

[AlejandraFitbit]

It's great to see you around, @odchuckles.

There isn't an option to auto track this workout. But you can select elliptical or another workout from your shortcuts. For more information, check the article: How do I track my workouts with my Fitbit device?.

Let me know if you need anything else. 

[RowRowRow1 · Accepted solution]

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@odchuckles wrote:

I have a CONCEPT 2 rowing machine.  How might I track (ideally Auto-Track) this activity on my FitBit Charge 4?

Moderator Edit: Clarified subject

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If you use Concept 2's Logbook and their Ergdata app you can link them to Fitbit and then as soon as you sync your workout they will appear in your fitbit app as exercise.  this actually works pretty good except I wiish it used the heart rate data from the logbook since its way more accurate.  it seems to use it for calories but not for active minutes/hr zones.

[odchuckles]

Hey! Thanks for the response! I will check it out.

[Jmonz]

Could Charge 4 users look forward to a software update that includes a dedicated rowing preset in exercises? Thanks!

[SunsetRunner]

I second this! 

[EdmundC]

I'd definitely vote for that, I get on a rowing machine for 2 miles everyday and just flag it as a "workout" - technically I don't think that it would be any different internally from trying to log an elliptical workout when you think about the internal Fitbit sensor data - it would be an estimate but technically not much harder than logging data walking on a treadmill

[PRPaco]

That's what I use too, elliptical. But it sure would be nice to have one for rowing for better accuracy as I think it's a more intense workout than elliptical

[tomb393]

Ya, what does Fitbit have against rowing? It's one of the best workouts there is.

[HerrSchenk]

Big yes to that suggestion. App Moderators, are you paying attention? We need an option to monitor rowing. 

[gkuwas]

I use charge 4 too and at the gym when I use the rowing machine I set my Fitbit on "Workout". I find it records my heart rate and calories burnt accurately.

[PRPaco]

Thanks, I'll try that next and compare it to elliptical setting, which is
what I've been using. I tried spooning setting a couple of times too.

But, how do you know it's accuracy? Are you comparing it with another app
that has rowing or....?

Moderator Edit: Formatting

[Quakalow]

I have been using Workout as well, but I don't see why there's no setting for rowing. It is one of the best home/gym workouts available.

[charleskn]

I also use the "workout" for my rowing sessions, because you can rename "workouts" in Fitbit, after you define a custom name, which you have to do in the web GUI. Yes, this is an extra step, but now all my rowing sessions show up as "Rowing Machine".

Track a session using the "workout", and then select that session in the web GUI. Click the icon to edit the session, and enter a custom name, which you will need to save, the first time. After that, you can edit a workout to have the new, custom, name from the web, or app interface. Most of my workouts have custom names.

Keep in mind that once you edit the name, you can't change it again (why Fitbit?!?!?!).

[PRPaco]

But then what do you use for just a "workout"? For example,  after my 20 minute warm up, I do a 45 to 60 min workout (higher reps with light barbells, push ups, core, pull ups, etc, targeting most major muscle groups) before I concentrate on the muscle group of the day with a 30 to 45 min heavier "weights" workout. At my age (68), this keeps me (mostly) injury free, looser & a leaner cut (not bulky) state. 

[charleskn]

I use "workout" for all of my strength workouts. I have custom names that I re-use. You add the activity name once, and fitbit keeps it in the list. SO I use things like "basic workout" if I just jump in and do a quick mashup of exercises not specific to a body area. I have "chest & core", "arms & core", "pushup challenges", etc. They show up in your activities page in the web interface.

I use the workout on my fitbit device, and afterward, in the app I edit the name to the activity. It's pretty quick, but you have to do it the first time using the web interface to add the activity. After that, you can rename the workout in the app, or on the web. Just remember that once you edit the activity, you can't change it again.

[charleskn]

I was using a Charge 4, and now a Charge 5, and I am wondering if others are experiencing issues with really inconsistent heart rate data  when rowing. I suspect there may be some cadence lock issues related to the stroke rate. My dedicated Polar HR monitor shows a consistent HR (initial increase, adn then slowly increasing over the 20-30 minutes of rowing), whereas the Fitbit Charge looks crazy.

Polar

Fitbit