Apple Watch Vs Whoop Which Is Better For Weightlifters

Wearables are the future of athletics. While many have already adapted to the qualitative-style of working out made possible by wearables like the Whoop Strap and Apple Watch, some are still using old-fashioned finger-to-artery methods of tracking their performance. If this includes you (and you’re serious about health and fitness) it’s time to upgrade your game!

Wearables today are not just for long-distance runners and those interested in counting their steps, today top wearables offer a number of features that specifically work well for weightlifters and cross-fitters. Specifically, these metrics include things like the Whoop Strap’s “Strain Score,” as well as “Recovery Score,” HRV rate, and more. If you are wondering which wearable seems right for you, don’t worry, we got you covered with a complete breakdown of two of the most popular fitness-focused wearables on the market: The Whoop Strap and the Apple Watch.

Apple Watch Vs Whoop Strap 

In terms of what you need to know about pricing the Apple Watch vs Whoop Strap, it’s no comparison: The Apple Watch is far more expensive. The main cost of the Whoop Strap is a $25 per month membership fee. With the membership fee, you get access to the Whoop App as well as all the Strap’s features.

However, this is not about pricing. Let’s assume all else is equal and focus mainly on the Apple Watch vs Whoop Strap in terms of which is better specifically for weightlifters.

Apple Watch Vs Whoop Strap: What Weightlifters Need

Weightlifters don’t care about the same things as runners, and runners don’t care about the same things as, say, basketball players. Every physical niche has its more and less important points. Some of the most respected weightlifters break the most important aspects of being weightlifters into four categories:

  • Body Awareness: Knowing where your body is in space and being able to move accordingly is one way to think of athleticism. Some weightlifters get the negative reputation of being inflexible balls of muscle, but ideally, this should not be the case. You don’t want to be so tight that you are vulnerable to injury. Athletic exercises like sprints, jump rope, burpees, and others are an important aspect of weightlifting, even if you may not traditionally think of them that way.
  • Mobility: Mobility is incredibly important for weightlifting. For weightlifters, this means doing bodyweight exercises like dips, pushups, planks, air squats, pointers, and more. These exercises may not make up the core of your weightlifting routine, but they should be regularly incorporated to help build your “small” muscles which will ultimately help build your strength. 
  • Strength: Strength, of course, is the most important aspect of weightlifting. Being strong on the bench, deadlift, squat, and other important compounds exercises are the core of weightlifting.
  • Explosiveness: Explosiveness is another important part of weightlifting. You want to not only be able to lift heavy weights but also to do it explosively.  

As a weightlifter, when you are thinking about the Apple Watch vs Whoop Strap you’ll want to consider all of these factors and ask yourself which wearable is best for measuring body awareness, mobility, strength, and explosiveness.  

Strain Score

Strain Score is an incredibly important thing to think about whether you are a weightlifter, high-performance athlete, or someone who just wants to burn fat while preserving muscle. When it comes to Apple Watch vs Whoop Strap only the Whoop Strap offers you an easy-to-read and understand Strain Score which weightlifters can use to determine when and how they can work harder. 

When it comes to making strength and performance gains, it’s all about exposing your body to acute stress. This means going as hard as you can for short periods of time. If muscle perseverance and gains are the goals you don’t want to do sustained things like high-volume reps, instead you should focus on pushing to between 80-100% of your max and going for between 1-5 reps. Do this for up to five to eight sets for all compound exercises at least twice per week (per exercise) and you will see gains.

Strain Score helps tell you if you are pushing yourself as hard as you should be in the weight room. 

Recovery Levels

Giving you information on your recovery is something that both the Whoop Strap and Apple Watch do for users. When considering Apple Watch vs Whoop Strap for weightlifters, you will want to think about which wearable is going to give you the most actionable data. This is important because the Whoop Strap specifically gives users something called a “Recovery Score.” The Whoop Strap recovery score works on a 100-point scale where anything above 67% is considered sufficient. You always want to aim for the highest possible levels of recovery.

There are many things that impact your recovery (or lack thereof). This includes staying hydrated, getting enough sleep, and more. Sleep, in particular, is a factor that weightlifters may not consider, but they should. Why? Because it’s been shown that sleep has a tremendous impact on athletic performance and strength. The rule of thumb is to always aim for at least 7-hours per night of sleep or more. But the nice thing about both the Whoop Strap and the Apple Watch is that they measure not just the number of hours you’ve slept but also the quality of your sleep. If you are constantly up and down at night and tossing and turning, the quality of your sleep may not be very high, which means you may need more than the suggested 7-hour minimum.

Heart Rate Variability

Heart Rate Variability is one of the most important emerging metrics of athletic performance. It’s a far clearer indicator of a number of important aspects of physical health including whether you are getting enough sleep, if you are fully recovered, how hard you should (or shouldn’t) work out on any given day. Both the Whoop Strap and Apple Watch offer HRV rate information. 

Apple Watch Vs Whoop Strap Conclusion

So, if you’re still wondering about the Apple Watch vs Whoop Strap, for weightlifters, at least, it seems that the Whoop Strap offers the best solution. It is minimal and easy to wear while in the gym, plus it gives you the ability to measure strain, recovery levels, and HRV rate. Give Whoop a try if you want to work smarter and get stronger!