Coach Not Ready for Prome Time

[Edge7]

A real coach or personal trainer motivates by affirmation and holding their charges accountable. The Fitbit AI coach cannot do the latter. It is simply a cheerleader-a very wordy, obsequious one. And it won't change, even though you ask it to and it promises to do so. 

And, it is wholly focused on the present in its statements. It doesn't access past conversations for facts, goals, preferences, or any other information. It is often wrong, apologizes whenever called on it, promises to do better, and yet always makes the same errors.

It sets out exercises and workouts without incorporating user-input data on what was accomplished in the last workouts. It can't even remember when you set out the dates the gym is closed, or a preference to do a home workout when it is. Accordingly, it is entirely unreliable to set out resistance exercises based on progressive overload. 

The coach can't access what you enter in Fitbit, such as your diet or the amount of water you consume. Says it can, but then admits it can't.

So, the coach is not programmed to hold you accountable, can't reliably set out workouts, can't access data you laboriously input, can't see any calorie count or hydration information, and it cannot change.

No serious person interested in getting granular with cardio, resistance, hydration, diet, or sleep (it can't tell what part of the night you get most REM or deep sleep) can rely on this program. I've gone back to paper. My brand new Pixel 4 is an incredibly expensive heart rate monitor.

[gdio53]

@Edge7 

This is a preview, not all features are available yet.
You can leave feedback in the Fitbit app by tapping on your profile picture at the top right and selecting Feedback.

[Edge7]

The title of the new app is prominently displayed as "Public Preview," so I had a pretty good idea it was a preview before you commented on my post. But if you actually look at what I write about, most of it isn't about unavailable features. Instead, it is about present features that aren't working very well. Regarding your suggestion, like other Pixel 4 buyers, I have invested much money and time in the program. I have left extensive objective feedback and have been working with Fitbit Support on the particular issues I have raised here. I left the comment here to see if other users have experienced any of the same problems or know of workarounds. Your comment is not particularly helpful in that regard.   

[LawnPaul]

The coach will remember things in chata, but the today page coach is different. I don't know why.

When i tell it to be short and less "happy" it can only apply to the chats. Very annoying.

I agree with you on most, but i think once nutrition is added, a lot might change with its suggestions and monitoring. They really need to get that section up and running. 

I haven't had an issue with progressive overload. Infact, i usually fail on the last rep of many workouts. Not sure why yours isnt doing the same. I do get times when it sets a workout too easy, but it explains why, and recommends i do it even if it seems easy. 

The workout section needs a lot of work. Many missing things, no plate calculator, and the need to log sets individually so a rest timer can pop up

[Edge7]

The unexplained coach disconnect between chats, apparently, is a programming issue that is not confined to me. I am glad I am not the only person who noticed. Thanks for responding.

I don't see how the assigning of sets and reps each week by the software can be accurate to achieve safe, progressive overload. Assuming I check each of the exercises assigned off as done, the software has no way of knowing about my form while doing the exercises or how I felt in the last reps of sets. When I read it's review of my first workout, it profusely praised my perfect form. I was new to resistance, and I know my form reflected my experience. I was wondering if it was using the camera on the phone to see my form, so I asked. It admitted it didn't and couldn't know anything about the form. I told it to never say a word about how I performed an exercise again if it had no data about it. I got a personal trainer to help me with form. It has made other conclusions without data since. But really, it doesn't know anything about my calorie, protein, or hydration intake, all of which are critical for building muscle. Often, it doesn't even take into account changes I input regarding weights, reps, or sets for the past exercises in the next exercises it assigns. It does track three aspects of your sleep and produces a readiness score if I wear the watch to bed.

Last month it determined I needed a deload week, and I complied without objection. Then, after one more week, it determined I needed another because, it said, it was time to do so in its programmed cycle. When I reminded it I just did a deload week, it said I didn't. Then came a long colloquy where I had to cut and paste multiple texts from the past. It finally agreed the first deload just happened, apologized, and assigned regular workouts.

I don't challenge the software unless I know it is wrong. I remember the chats. It also does, but not consistently. And it has been wrong, oh so many times. I have an uneasy feeling that it eventually caves in no matter what the user says.