WHOOP appears to have bought Motra, the Apple Watch app that counts gym reps from wrist motion alone. Three Motra staff now list the sale of Motra to WHOOP on their LinkedIn profiles, although neither company has announced it.
That makes WHOOP the owner of an Apple Watch app.
What Motra does
Motra, previously called Train Fitness, is a Toronto company whose app recognises more than 470 exercises and counts reps in each set using Apple Watch motion, so lifters never log a set by hand. It covers push-ups, curls, squats, deadlifts and 12 types of bench press. Motra calls the method Neural Kinetic Profiling and says it is patented.
The app also builds workouts from recovery, goals and fitness data, recommending exercises, sets and weights. Motra says more than 100,000 lifters use it, and it runs on Apple Watch Series 4 and newer.
Will WHOOP run on the Apple Watch?
Probably not. WHOOP sells its membership through its own band, and the band’s optical heart rate feeds every recovery and strain score. A WHOOP app on the Apple Watch would set the expectation that members use Apple’s sensor for those scores instead, and the band would lose its reason to exist.
What WHOOP is more likely buying
The likelier prize is what sits behind the app: the exercise-recognition models, the patent, the library of 470 movements and the team that built them. The WHOOP 5.0 and MG band already carry motion sensors so that rep counting could move from the watch to the strap.
WHOOP has bought strength technology before. In September 2021, days after a $200 million funding round, it bought PUSH, a Canadian company whose sensor measured bar speed and power for weightlifters. At the time, WHOOP said it would bring PUSH into its own platform over the next six to twelve months.
Buying while rivals crowd in
2026 has been harder for WHOOP than its funding suggests. Cheaper screenless recovery bands now cover some of what it does without a compulsory subscription:
- Fitbit Air at $99.99
- Garmin CIRQA at $199.99
- Amazfit Helio Strap
- Polar Loop
- Suunto HR264, so far seen only in certification photos
WHOOP is still spending. It raised $575 million in March at a $10.1 billion valuation, was cash-flow positive in 2025, and ended that year with a $1.1 billion annual revenue run rate and more than 2.5 million members. Buying Motra adds a feature to that platform; it is the opposite of cutting back.
What Motra subscribers should do?
Motra has told paying subscribers nothing, and some say in the r/getmotra thread that their annual plans run to April or August 2027. Workouts already synced to Strava stay there whatever happens to the app. Turn off auto-renewal in your Apple ID subscriptions if you would rather not pay for another year, and expect no Apple Watch roadmap. Athletes in the thread name Superlift as the closest replacement; others include HEVY.
The evidence
- LinkedIn profiles of three Motra staff say the company was sold to WHOOP; members of the r/getmotra subreddit spotted them about a month ago.
- Neither WHOOP nor Motra has announced a deal, and motra.com carries no news of one.
- The app has had no updates for months; subscribers say support has not replied, and Motra’s blog has been silent since December 2024.
- Motra and WHOOP were both launch partners for Strava’s strength training overhaul in May 2026, according to WHOOP’s announcement.
Quick answers
Has WHOOP bought Motra?
Three Motra employees list the sale to WHOOP on their LinkedIn profiles, but neither company has announced it.
Will Motra keep working on Apple Watch?
Nobody has said. The app still works, but it has had no updates for months, and subscribers have had no word from the company.
Does Motra need a WHOOP band?
No. Motra works on its own with Apple Watch Series 4 or newer.
Last Updated on 29 October 2026 by tfk the5krunner
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Watches and sensors
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On the bike
- Continental GP5000 for everyday riding, and Aero 111 on the front for special occasions.
- Helmets: Specialized S-Works Evade 3 for road riding, and Rudy Project Wing for TT-style races. I use both.
- Ravemen FR300: A front light that mounts under your Garmin or Wahoo. I use one.
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Home and indoor training
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Health, recovery and sleep
- FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus: Shows how my blood sugar responds to diet.
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tfk is the founder and author of the5krunner, an independent endurance sports technology publication. With 20 years of hands-on testing of GPS watches and wearables, and competing in triathlons at an international age-group level, tfk provides in-depth expert analysis of fitness technology for serious athletes and endurance sport competitors. See the gear tfk uses. ID
