How To Add Strength Training To Garmin Forerunner 55 | Setup

You can log lifting on a Forerunner 55 by tracking it as Cardio or HIIT, then editing the activity type and exercise details in Garmin Connect.

You bought a Forerunner 55 to run, then you started lifting more. Now you want those gym sessions to live next to your runs in Garmin Connect, not as random “other” blobs. Fair ask.

Here’s the honest deal: the Forerunner 55 can record a timed workout with heart rate and calories, and it can run interval timers. It also lets you save the session and sync it to Garmin Connect. What it doesn’t do is offer a native Strength activity with on-watch exercise lists and automatic set-by-set strength logging the way higher-end Garmin watches do. Garmin staff have stated this limitation in their own forum for the Forerunner 55 series.

That sounds like bad news. It’s not. You can still build a clean, repeatable system that gives you three things most people want:

• A single button flow that starts your lift fast.
• Set and rest timing that stays consistent.
• A tidy Strength entry in Garmin Connect after you edit a couple fields.

What “Adding Strength Training” Means On This Watch

When someone says “add strength training” on a Forerunner 55, they usually mean one of these outcomes:

• Track the session so you get time, heart rate, calories, and a record on your calendar.
• Label it as Strength in Garmin Connect so it doesn’t blend in with cardio sessions.
• Keep notes for sets, reps, load, or at least a short summary.

You can hit all three. You just do the detailed exercise logging on your phone after the workout, not during it.

How To Add Strength Training To Garmin Forerunner 55 With A Repeatable Flow

This is the setup that keeps things simple: record the lift as Cardio (or HIIT if you want timers), save, sync, then change the activity type to Strength in Garmin Connect and add notes. You’ll do it the same way every time, so it turns into a habit.

Step 1: Pick The Activity Profile You’ll Use Every Time

Your Forerunner 55 includes a Cardio activity, and Garmin documents that Cardio can even run with GPS if you want it outdoors. In the manual, Cardio is treated as a flexible profile for workouts that are not runs or rides. Forerunner 55 manual note on using Cardio with GPS shows where that setting lives.

For most gym lifting, you’ll want GPS off. That avoids weird distance traces, saves battery, and keeps the file clean.

• Choose Cardio if you want a straight timer and clean heart-rate recording.
• Choose HIIT if you want the watch to lead you through work/rest rounds.

Step 2: Put Cardio On The Short List

From the watch face, press START. Scroll to Cardio. If it’s buried, reorder your favorites so it sits near the top. The goal is muscle memory: START → Cardio → START.

Tip that saves friction: if your gym has spotty signal, turn off phone notifications during lifting so vibrations don’t interrupt your sets.

Step 3: Set Your Data Screens For Lifting

During strength work, pace and distance are noise. Your eyes usually want these fields:

• Elapsed time
• Current heart rate
• Lap time (as your “set timer”)
• Calories (optional)

Use BACK (lap) as a manual marker. Tap it at the start of each set or at the end of each set. Pick one pattern and stick with it so you can read the file later.

Step 4: Record A Strength Session As Cardio

Here’s a clean, no-drama routine for a normal lift:

1. Press START → select Cardio → press START again to begin.
2. At the first working set, press BACK to create a lap marker.
3. Each time you begin the next working set, press BACK again.
4. When you’re done, press STOP → select Save.

This gives you a tidy timeline of your work blocks. You’ll still type the exercises later, yet your watch file shows the session shape.

Step 5: Sync, Then Rename And Re-Type The Activity In Garmin Connect

Once the activity is in Garmin Connect, open it and do two quick edits:

• Rename it with a simple label like “Upper A” or “Leg Day.”
• Change activity type from Cardio to Strength so it groups correctly on charts and filters.

Then add details in the notes field. A short format works well:

• Squat 3×5 @ 80 kg
• Bench 3×8 @ 60 kg
• Row 3×10 @ 45 kg

You end up with a Strength entry that matches what you did, plus heart-rate and time data from the watch.

Timers That Feel Like A Gym Coach

If your lifting uses fixed rests, the HIIT profile can run the session like a metronome. This is great for circuits, dumbbell work, kettlebells, or any plan where you don’t want to babysit a phone timer.

Build A Simple HIIT Template

Think in rounds. A classic pattern is 40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest, repeat. Another is 60/60 for strength endurance. Start with one template that matches your training style, then adjust later.

1. Press START → select HIIT.
2. Open the options menu and set your work and rest durations.
3. Set the number of rounds.
4. Start the timer and follow the prompts.

During the workout, keep your movements crisp and repeatable. If you use a barbell with long rests, HIIT can feel pushy. In that case, stick to Cardio and use BACK as your marker.

Use One Button As Your “Set Log”

Even with HIIT, you can still press BACK for lap markers. That gives you a breadcrumb trail inside the file for where you changed exercises or added a longer rest.

Common Ways People Track Lifting On Forerunner 55

There isn’t one right method. The trick is to pick the one that matches your training style, then run it for a month so your data stays consistent. If you want Garmin’s own wording on the limitation, Garmin’s Forerunner 55 forum note on strength workouts spells it out.

Method On The Watch	What You Get In The Activity File	Best Fit
Cardio With Manual Laps	Time, heart rate, calories, lap markers per set	Barbell or free-weight sessions with variable rest
HIIT Timers	Time, heart rate, work/rest structure, rounds	Circuits, dumbbells, kettlebells, short rests
Cardio With Auto Lap Off	Cleaner file with only your button markers	Gym sessions where you want full control
Cardio With GPS Off	No distance trace, lower battery use	Indoor lifting in a gym
Cardio With GPS On	Map and pace fields appear alongside heart rate	Outdoor calisthenics, hill sprints mixed with lifts
Run Activity For Weighted Carries	Pace, distance, GPS track, heart rate	Farmer carries or loaded walks outside
One Activity Per Block	Separate files for warm-up, main lift, finisher	People who want clean segments in history
Single Activity With Notes Later	One file, one calendar entry, notes hold the plan	Most lifters who want low effort and clean history

How To Make The Data Useful After You Save

Recording the session is the easy part. The value comes from what you can learn later: did your heart rate drift up during supersets, did rests shrink, did a heavy day spike training load, did you lift the day before a hard run and feel flat?

Rename Sessions So You Can Spot Patterns

Use a naming pattern that sorts well:

• Upper A, Upper B
• Lower A, Lower B
• Full Body 1, Full Body 2

Keep it short. You’ll see it in lists and charts, so long names get annoying.

Add One Sentence Of Notes That Matches Your Goal

Notes can be a full log, yet they don’t need to be. If your goal is strength on the big lifts, log only the top sets. If your goal is consistency, write the plan and a quick “done” note.

Try this format:

• Main lift: sets × reps @ load
• Two accessories: sets × reps
• One finisher line: carry, sled, bike, or core

Use Lap Markers As A Reality Check

When you press BACK at each working set, your activity shows a lap list. In Garmin Connect, those lap times can tell you if rest periods crept longer or if you rushed sets. That’s a real lever for progress.

Troubles That Make Lifting Logs Messy

If your files look chaotic, it’s usually one of these issues.

Distance Shows Up For Indoor Lifts

This happens when GPS is on or when a profile uses distance fields. Turn GPS off for indoor Cardio and keep your screens focused on time and heart rate.

Heart Rate Looks Wrong In The Gym

Wrist heart rate can struggle with tight grips, wrist flexion, or heavy kettlebell work. If you care about cleaner heart-rate data, pair a chest strap. The Forerunner 55 manual explains how the watch pairs wireless sensors using ANT+ or Bluetooth.

The Session Doesn’t Sync Right Away

On the watch, you can trigger a sync from the settings menu. On the phone, open Garmin Connect and pull down to refresh. If Bluetooth drops, toggle it off and on, then retry.

It Saves As Cardio And You Forget To Change It

Make it part of your post-workout routine. Shoes off, water, quick edit in Garmin Connect. Two taps now saves hours of guessing later.

After-Session Edit List In Garmin Connect

This is the checklist that keeps your history clean. It takes about one minute once you’ve done it a few times.

Action	Where To Do It	Small Tip
Change Activity Type To Strength	Open the activity → Edit	Do it first so it files under Strength
Rename The Session	Activity title field	Use Upper/Lower labels for easy scanning
Add Notes With Sets And Loads	Notes or description field	Log top sets if time is tight
Check Lap List	Laps tab	Look for rest drift across the workout
Tag The Workout Feeling	Perceived effort or notes	A single word works: “easy,” “hard,” “fine”
Save A Template Name	Your naming pattern	Keep names consistent to spot progress

Small Tweaks That Make This Feel Built-In

Once the flow clicks, a few tweaks make it smoother.

Use A Simple Rest Rule

Pick one rest target for main sets and one for accessories. Press BACK at each set start and watch lap time until you go again.

Keep Notes Short And Consistent

Log the top sets and one or two accessories. If you want a template, keep four lines: main lift, two accessories, finisher.

Wrap-Up Checklist Before You Leave The Gym

Use this as your last-minute scan before you head out:

• Activity saved on the watch
• Synced to Garmin Connect
• Type changed to Strength
• Session renamed
• Notes added with top sets

Do that for two weeks and your history starts to look like a real training log, not a pile of random sessions.