Whoop Wearable Adds AI Strength Tracking
Fitness wearable company Whoop is rolling out two major AI-powered updates, including more sophisticated strength training tracking. The new features will provide rep detection and load estimation, aiming to better serve athletes focused on weightlifting. The company is also beta-testing an AI feature for generating deeper insights from user data.
- The technology behind the new strength tracking features stems from Whoop's 2021 acquisition of PUSH, a Canadian company specializing in velocity-based training (VBT) hardware and analytics. This allows Whoop to measure metrics like speed and power to quantify muscular load, not just cardiovascular strain. - Whoop's AI is trained on one of the largest physiological datasets in the world, comprising over 24 billion hours of continuous data, according to CEO Will Ahmed. - The updated Strength Trainer allows users to create a full workout plan using natural language prompts or by submitting a screenshot from another app. The AI then builds a structured workout with suggested weights based on the user's recovery status and past performance. - This rollout includes two separate AI initiatives: the Strength Trainer update and a limited, invite-only AI Beta Program. The beta program is focused on delivering more proactive and deeper health insights, such as identifying patterns that may lead to fatigue. - The company's existing "Whoop Coach" feature, which debuted in 2023, is powered by OpenAI's GPT-4 and can answer questions about a user's health data. The new beta program aims to move from answering questions to providing unsolicited, forward-looking guidance. - Prior to this update, a common criticism of Whoop and other wearables was the underestimation of the physical toll of strength training, as heart rate alone is not a sufficient metric. This new feature directly addresses that by calculating muscular load to provide a more accurate Strain score. - According to 2025 year-in-review data, strength-based activities accounted for 28.52% of all workouts logged by Whoop members, showing a 2.68% relative increase from the previous year.
