Huge Garmin update alert! Garmin Fitness Coach arrives in-app and on-watch — and one of my favorite features just got a big boost too

• A host of Garmin watches just got a major new update, along with all Garmin Connect users
• Garmin Fitness Coach, a training plan creator for general fitness and strength, just dropped in the app and will be fed to select smartwatches
• Gear-tracking has also been improved, with abilities to group items together and access a database of popular kit

The best Garmin watches just got even better. Garmin announced a host of new features for Garmin Venu X1, Garmin Fenix 8, Garmin Vivoactive 6 and Garmin Forerunners 570 and 970 watches, and chief among them are a bunch of new upgrades for existing fitness features.

First up, Garmin Fitness Coach, the long-awaited training plan creator, has finally rolled out to Garmin Connect users. These plans work just like running and cycling plans in the Garmin Coach feature, only they're for general fitness, incorporating specific strength training and endurance workouts. In the Training & Planning section of the Garmin Connect app, select Garmin Coach Plans and Improve Fitness, at which point you're able to select Garmin Fitness Coach and create a plan.

The plan allows you to select between Full Gym and Bodyweight, Bodyweight Only, and No Strength Workouts. Cardiovascular exercise allows you to use existing workout profiles such as running, cycling and treadmill running, alongside specific strength workouts with set exercises taken from Garmin's library.

Gear tracking upgrades

I wrote last month about how I've fallen in love with Garmin's gear-tracking feature, and it's just gotten a whole host of upgrades. You can track gear on-wrist on any of the above watches, and Garmin Connect now has a database of gear available to automatically find, rather than have you manually enter it.

You're also able to group multiple items together and add them to the same activity, and choose from an expanded list of gear types. Garmin says this includes "running shoes, skis, bike components, wheelchairs and more". Finally, it's also added the ability to take notes about and photos of the gear.

Other stuff

A new Course Planner glance allows Garmin watch users to "prepare for an upcoming race by planning out the course with cut-off times, rest plans, checkpoints, aid stations and more in Garmin Connect, then see the course on a compatible smartwatch".

You can also follow your favorite sports teams and get live sports scores on-wrist, although we don't yet know what this looks like in practice.

The update should be rolling out now. I've already got Garmin Fitness Coach and the Gear Tracking upgrades in my Garmin Connect app, so make sure your app is fully updated and watches synced to get all the new features.

The best Garmin watches for all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best Garmin watches
1. Best overall:
Garmin Venu 4
2. Best premium:
Garmin Fenix 8
3. Best budget:
Garmin Vivoactive 6

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