iPhone User Guide

Customize a workout in Fitness on iPhone

You can create a custom workout on your iPhone to support your fitness goals. Add warmup and cooldown times; add work and recovery intervals; set time, calorie, and distance goals; set a pace; and more.

👁 The Fitness Custom Workout screen showing warmup, work, and recovery intervals. At the bottom of the screen are buttons to add a step, repeat an interval, and reorder intervals.

Note: Custom workouts require an Apple Watch with watchOS 26 or later, paired to your iPhone. Custom workouts you create on your iPhone automatically sync to your Apple Watch. For more information, see Create a Custom Workout, Create a Pacer workout, and Use Race Route to race your last or best time in the Apple Watch User Guide.

Create a custom workout

You can tailor your workouts to include a warmup period, repeating work and recovery intervals, and a time to cool down.

  1. Go to the Fitness app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. Tap Workout, scroll to a workout type, then tap 👁 the Goals button
    .

  3. Tap Custom, then tap 👁 the Add button
    .

  4. Do any of the following:

    • Add a warmup or cooldown period: Tap Warmup or Cooldown, tap Goal Type, then tap Time, Distance, or Open.

      Note: If you want to skip a warmup or cooldown interval, tap Warmup or Cooldown, then tap Skip.

    • Add work and recovery intervals: Tap Add Step, tap Work or Recovery, then next to Goal Type, choose Time, Distance, or Open.

      Tip: You can also tap Add Repeat to repeat a work or recovery interval as many times as you want in your custom workout.

    • Reorder work and recovery intervals: Tap Reorder, touch and hold an interval, then reposition it. When you’re finished, tap 👁 the Done button
      .

    • Delete a work or recovery interval: Tap an interval, then tap Delete Interval.

    • Name the custom workout: Tap New Custom Workout, then enter a name.

    Note: Tap Target to add a goal to an interval. You can also name each interval of the workout.

  5. When you’re finished, tap 👁 the Done button
    .

Add a workout goal

You can set time, distance, and calorie goals for each workout type.

👁 The Fitness Workout screen showing details for an Outdoor Run workout. Below Outdoor Run are options to choose media and set up Workout Buddy. In the center, from top to bottom, are options to start a workout, a custom workout, a pacer workout, and workouts with distance and calorie goals.

  1. Go to the Fitness app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. Tap Workout, scroll to a workout type, then tap 👁 the Goals button
    .

  3. Tap Goals, then tap 👁 the Add button
    .

  4. Do any of the following:

    • Set a calorie goal: Tap Calories, tap the number, then choose an option.

    • Set a distance goal: Tap Distance, tap the number and unit of measure, then choose an option.

    • Set a time goal: Tap Time, tap the time, then choose an option.

  5. When you’re finished, tap 👁 the Done button
    .     To immediately start your workout after setting a goal, tap Start Workout.

Create a Pacer workout

You can choose a target pace for a running or outdoor cycle workout, and your iPhone and Apple Watch show if you’re ahead of or behind that pace.

  1. Go to the Fitness app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. Tap Workout, scroll to Outdoor Run, Indoor Run, or Outdoor Cycle, then tap 👁 the Goals button
    .

  3. Tap Pacer, then tap 👁 the Add button
    .

  4. Do the following:

    • Set a distance goal: Tap the number and unit of measure next to Distance, then choose an option.

    • Set a time goal: Tap the time, then choose an option.

  5. When you’re finished, tap 👁 the Done button
    .     To immediately start your workout after setting your pace, tap Start Workout.

During your workout, your iPhone and Apple Watch show your average pace and your current pace, and a graph shows whether you’re ahead of or behind your chosen pace.

Use Race Route to race against your last or best time

When running or cycling a route you do often, you can race against your last or best time. Routes are automatically generated and are available to you after you’ve repeated the same route with little to no deviation at least two or more times.

  1. Go to the Fitness app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. Tap Workout, scroll to Outdoor Run or Outdoor Cycle, then tap 👁 the Goals button
    .

  3. Tap Race Route, then tap Personal Best or Most Recent.

  4. Tap Start Workout.

Share or delete custom workouts and goals

  1. Go to the Fitness app 👁 Image
    on your iPhone.

  2. Tap Workout, scroll to a workout type, then tap 👁 the Goals button
    .

  3. Swipe left on a workout goal, custom workout, or Pacer workout, then do one of the following:

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