Garmin adds Coach SWIM and Coach WALKING Workouts

Garmin is about to add more pre-made workouts for us to follow, this time covering SWIM and WALKING. I’m not 100% sure to what extent these are new (I think they are wholly new), and the swim workouts likely complete the recently announced Triathlon Coach feature. That then raises the question “What are the walking workouts?”, Perhaps there is a new wellness/activity coach planned as well?

I assume these are for Garmin COACH and/or Garmin Daily Suggested Workouts

Whatever the motivation turns out to be, these are the themes the new workouts cover.

Swim Workouts

Garmin’s new swim workouts are structured to cover technique development, endurance building, pacing, and recovery, targeting swimmers of varying levels with different training objectives.

• Technique Focused: Several sessions target freestyle mechanics, including pull technique, kick efficiency, and tools like pull buoys and drills to refine form.
• Endurance & Stamina: Workouts include longer reps and cruise intervals to develop aerobic capacity and stroke consistency.
• Intensity Variation: There are high-intensity sessions aimed at increasing speed and the ability to maintain strong form under fatigue.
• Recovery Sessions: Low-effort swims are included to promote blood flow and muscle recovery.
• Race Preparation: Timed workouts help athletes peak for upcoming events.
• Open Water Compatibility: Some workouts are suitable for open water swimming, offering flexibility in training environments.

Walking Workouts

 The walking workouts emphasise brisk intervals, long-duration walking, recovery, and stress management. They seem to combine fitness goals with wellness and mindfulness.

• Endurance & Fitness: Many sessions involve long, brisk intervals or sustained efforts to raise heart rate and boost metabolism.
• Interval Training: Frequent use of moderate to high-intensity intervals to improve cardiovascular health and walking efficiency.
• Recovery & Wellness: Easy and short walks are designed for active recovery, especially after intense activity, poor sleep, or travel.
• Mindfulness & Mood: Some walks incorporate breathing awareness, nature exposure, and stress relief, highlighting a holistic approach to fitness.
• Adaptive Intensity: Workouts adjust based on readiness indicators like sleep quality, stress, or Body Battery, encouraging personalised, sustainable progress.

Take Out

Whilst walking workouts are not my thing, they seem like a great idea for those they might be suited to. Nice move, Garmin.

I’m excited about the Forerunner 970 and trying out one of Garmin’s triathlon plans. Can it build, peak and maintain fitness across three sports where you have different ability levels, all leading up to race day? Can it incorporate Swim Tuesdays/Thursdays and a bi-weekly long-ride/run Sunday? Will it suggest Brick workouts near race day? That’s VERY hard to do in a personalised and dynamic way, and that’s probably why Garmin has taken so long to get to the point of releasing the feature. Still, we pay a lot for these devices, so it’s nice that Garmin seems to be moving in a positive direction.

There are so many angles we could discuss about how triathlon workouts adapt to readiness, or if they incorporate strength workouts (actually, I think that’s missing right now from Garmin’s triathlon piece) and how they might affect the mainstream plan providers – Jo Public would surely use a free plan.

I’m a little surprised at the negativity surrounding the 970 and its features from some influencers. The news on the release day was enough to excite me, but the three leaks I’ve posted offer even more…and stuff that might be useful. Or at least I might find it useful. Maybe that’s why I’m excited! 🙂

Enjoy