How To Add CrossFit To Garmin Connect | Log WODs Cleanly

Track CrossFit by recording a Strength or Cardio session, then rename it and add your WOD details so your history stays searchable.

Garmin Connect doesn’t ship with a single “CrossFit” activity on most devices, and that’s normal. CrossFit blends lifting, gymnastics, and conditioning, so one label rarely matches what you did. The good news is you can still make sessions easy to find, compare, and learn from inside Garmin Connect.

This article walks you through the practical ways to add CrossFit to Garmin Connect, from a simple “record and rename” habit to building repeatable templates you can send to your watch. Pick one method that fits your training, then stick with it for a few weeks. That’s when the data starts to pay you back.

What “Adding CrossFit” Means In Garmin Connect

Most people mean one of three things when they say they want CrossFit in Garmin Connect:

• A label so CrossFit sessions are grouped in your activity list.
• Clean notes so each WOD has movements, loads, rounds, and a score.
• Structured workouts so your watch guides rounds, sets, or intervals.

You can do one, two, or all three. Start with the smallest setup that you’ll actually keep doing.

How To Add CrossFit To Garmin Connect On Phone

The fastest path is to record a session on your watch, then edit the title and notes in Garmin Connect. This works on any Garmin watch that can record Strength, HIIT, Cardio, or a similar indoor activity.

Pick The Activity Type That Matches The Day

Right before you hit Start, choose the activity type that lines up with the session’s main driver:

• Strength for barbell work, dumbbell work, and days where loads matter.
• HIIT for interval-heavy conditioning where timing and heart rate are the story.
• Cardio for mixed sessions where you want a simple timer and effort tracking.

If your watch offers set detection in Strength mode, you can still use it for a metcon. You’ll tidy the lift portion later, then let notes handle the rest.

Record The Session With A Simple Rule

During the workout, aim to capture time and effort, not every tiny detail. Two approaches cover most CrossFit days:

• One continuous recording for a class-style session (warm-up, lift, metcon, cool-down).
• Two recordings when you want lifting and conditioning separated in your history.

Two files make comparisons easier later. One file is easier in the moment. Pick one style and stay consistent.

Rename It And Add The WOD Details

After the activity syncs, open it in Garmin Connect and change the title to something you’ll recognize. Then add a short notes block with the WOD. Garmin’s documentation on building workouts in Garmin Connect shows the same habits that work well here: clear names and repeatable patterns. Creating A Custom Workout On Garmin Connect

Try a naming style that stays readable in a list:

• “CrossFit – [WOD Name]” when your gym posts named WODs.
• “CrossFit – EMOM 12” when the clock format is the anchor.
• “CrossFit – 5×5 Back Squat” when the lift is the anchor.

Then use the same three labels in your notes every time:

• Strength: sets x reps @ load
• Metcon: movements, reps, rounds, time cap
• Score: time, rounds + reps, or load

Build A “CrossFit” Label With A Custom Activity

If you want CrossFit to show up as its own activity on your watch, create a custom activity and name it “CrossFit.” Many Garmin watches let you copy an existing profile (like Cardio or HIIT), rename it, and place it in your activity list. Garmin’s device manuals describe copying an activity type, choosing a name, then saving it to the watch. Adding A Custom Activity

Set It Up With One Goal In Mind

When you copy an activity profile, decide what you want the watch to emphasize:

• Effort focus: copy HIIT or Cardio, then set screens around time and heart rate.
• Load focus: copy Strength, keep set tracking on, and add a rest timer screen.
• Minimal setup: copy Cardio and keep screens simple.

Once it’s on your watch, start every class with the same “CrossFit” button. That single habit makes filtering later much easier.

Pick Data Screens That Fit A Class

CrossFit classes move fast, so pick screens you can glance at without hunting. A simple setup works well for most people:

• Screen 1: timer and heart rate
• Screen 2: lap time or interval count (handy for rounds)
• Screen 3: calories or training effect if you like those metrics

If your watch has a rest timer or lap button you can hit with sweaty hands, use it. You don’t need ten fields. You need two or three that you’ll check mid-WOD.

Choose A Logging Method That Matches Your Training

There’s no single setup that fits every CrossFit athlete. Use this table to pick your baseline approach, then adjust after 10–15 sessions.

Method	Best Fit	What You Record In Garmin Connect
Strength activity only	Strength bias days	One session; edit name; notes hold lift + metcon
HIIT activity only	Interval-heavy days	Intervals and heart rate trends; score in notes
Custom “CrossFit” activity	People who want one label	Same start button every class; rename and notes after sync
Two activities (Strength + HIIT)	Clear separation	Separate files; cleaner comparisons over time
Structured workout for strength	Repeatable lifting blocks	Rest timers and rounds; load logged in notes
Structured workout for intervals	EMOMs and timed work	Work/rest beeps; laps; score logged in notes
Manual entry	No device used	Duration plus notes; no GPS map or deep metrics
Third-party calendar sync	Coach programming elsewhere	Planned sessions on your calendar; completed activity stays in Garmin

Make WOD Notes Easy To Search Later

Your notes are what turn a generic activity file into a training log. Keep them short, consistent, and searchable.

Use A Three-Line Notes Pattern

Here’s a pattern that stays readable months later:

• Strength: Back squat 5×3 @ 120 kg
• Metcon: 10-min AMRAP: 10 burpees, 10 kettlebell swings (24 kg), 200 m run
• Score: 6 rounds + 8 reps

Use the same labels (“Strength,” “Metcon,” “Score”) every time. Then you can search your activity list for “AMRAP,” “EMOM,” a lift name, or a benchmark name and find it fast.

Know When Two Entries Are Worth It

Splitting one class into two recordings can be worth it on days like:

• Heavy lifting where you want clean set and rest data
• A long conditioning piece where heart rate drift is the story
• Benchmarks you plan to repeat and compare on their own

On casual days, one entry is fine. You’re building a usable history, not a perfect archive.

Create Simple Templates For Common CrossFit Formats

Structured workouts shine when the clock structure matters more than seeing every movement on the screen. You set the timing in Garmin Connect, then write movements and loads in notes after.

EMOM Template

• Workout name: “EMOM 12”
• Steps: 12 rounds of 1:00 work
• Notes: list the movement for each minute

Intervals Template For Ergs

• Workout name: “10 x 30/30”
• Steps: 30 seconds work, 30 seconds rest, repeat 10 times
• Notes: track pace, watts, or calories per interval

Strength Template With Rest Timers

• Workout name: “Back squat 5×5”
• Steps: 5 rounds of work plus “Rest 2:30”
• Notes: record load and any cue that mattered

Fix Common Friction Points After You Sync

Most frustration comes from messy set detection and missing context. These quick fixes keep your log clean without turning edits into a second workout.

When Strength Set Detection Gets Weird

• Edit only the main lift if you care about it
• Leave the metcon sets alone and rely on notes
• Use HIIT or Cardio next time for a metcon-heavy day

When You Forgot To Start The Watch

You can still keep your training history consistent by adding a manual entry in Garmin Connect. Treat it as a record of the session plus your WOD notes.

Issue	What To Do In Garmin Connect	Habit That Prevents It
Metcon details missing	Add the three-line notes block	Type notes right after class
Wrong activity label	Rename the title to “CrossFit – …”	Pick Strength for loads, HIIT for intervals
Set detection clutter	Edit only the lift portion or ignore sets	Use Cardio on mixed days
No watch recording	Add a manual entry with duration	Start the timer during warm-up
Hard to find past WODs	Use consistent labels in notes	Search by “EMOM” or a lift name
Benchmark comparisons feel messy	Split into two entries on benchmark days	Save one naming pattern you like
Class ran long	Keep the title short, notes shorter	Stop the timer at cooldown end

Finish With A Setup You’ll Keep Doing

If you want a simple baseline that works for most people, start every class with either your custom “CrossFit” activity or a Strength/HIIT pick that matches the day. After it syncs, rename it and drop in the three-line notes block. That’s it.

Once your sessions have a consistent label and clean notes, your Garmin Connect history turns into something you can actually use: quick searches, cleaner comparisons, and fewer “What did I do last time?” moments.