Open the Workout App and Select Strength Training

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 records strength training through the built-in Workout app. Swipe up from the watch face to open the app menu, then tap Workout. The app displays a list of exercise types — scroll down until you see Strength or Strength Training, depending on your watch software version.

Tap the strength training option to begin. The watch will ask you to confirm that you are ready to start, then display a timer counting up from zero. Your watch is now recording heart rate, movement, and duration.

Key Takeaways

  • Open the Workout app from the watch menu and select Strength Training to begin recording a session.
  • The watch automatically tracks heart rate, calories burned, and exercise duration once you start the workout.
  • Pause or end your session using the on-screen buttons — the watch saves the data to your health profile automatically.
  • View completed workouts in the Samsung Health app on your phone to see detailed breakdowns of sets, reps, and heart rate zones.
  • Manual entry in Samsung Health lets you log strength sessions the watch did not record, including specific exercises and rep counts.

What the Watch Records During a Strength Session

Once you start a strength training workout, the Galaxy Watch 8 tracks several metrics in real time. The watch displays your current heart rate, elapsed time, and estimated calories burned. It also records your movement patterns to detect when you are actively exercising versus resting between sets.

The watch does not automatically count individual reps or identify which exercise you are performing — that level of detail requires manual entry later. However, it does capture the overall intensity of your session through heart rate zones and movement data, which the Samsung Health app uses to calculate workout summaries.

Pause, Resume, and End Your Workout

During your strength session, the watch screen shows a timer and your current heart rate. At the bottom of the screen, you will see two buttons: one to pause and one to end the workout. Tap the pause button if you need to rest between sets or take a break — the timer stops, but the session remains open.

To resume, tap the play button that appears after you pause. When your workout is finished, tap the end button (usually marked with a stop icon or the word "End"). The watch will display a summary showing total time, average heart rate, and estimated calories burned, then ask you to confirm that you want to save the workout.

Review Your Strength Training Data in Samsung Health

After you save a strength workout on your watch, the data syncs automatically to the Samsung Health app on your phone. Open Samsung Health and tap the Workouts tab to see a list of all your recorded sessions. Tap any strength training entry to view details: total duration, average and peak heart rate, calories burned, and the time of day you exercised.

The app displays your heart rate as a graph over time, showing which moments during your session had the highest intensity. This helps you understand whether your rest periods were long enough and whether your heart rate recovered between sets as expected.

Add Exercise Details Manually if the Watch Did Not Record Them

The Galaxy Watch 8 records the overall session but does not automatically log which specific exercises you performed or how many reps you completed. To add this information, open Samsung Health on your phone and find the strength workout you just finished. Tap the workout entry, then look for an Edit or Add Details button.

Tap that button to open a form where you can enter the name of each exercise, the number of sets and reps, and the weight you used. Some versions of Samsung Health include a dropdown menu of common exercises (bench press, squats, deadlifts, etc.), while others let you type the exercise name. After you enter the details, tap Save to update your workout record.

Set Up Heart Rate Zones for Better Feedback

The Galaxy Watch 8 can display your heart rate zone during strength training — this tells you whether you are working at low, moderate, or high intensity. To set up zones, open Samsung Health on your phone, tap your profile icon, then go to Settings and look for Heart Rate Zones or Workout Intensity.

You can use the default zones based on your age and resting heart rate, or enter custom zones if you know your maximum heart rate from a fitness test. Once zones are set, the watch will display your current zone during strength training (for example, "Zone 3 of 5"), giving you real-time feedback on how hard you are working.

Sync Your Watch to Your Phone Regularly

The Galaxy Watch 8 stores workout data locally on the watch, but syncing to your phone ensures the data is backed up and visible in the full Samsung Health interface. To sync manually, open Samsung Health on your phone and pull down from the top of the screen to refresh. The app will connect to your watch and pull over any new workouts.

You can also enable automatic syncing in Samsung Health settings. Go to Settings on your phone, find Samsung Health, and toggle on Auto Sync or Background Sync. With this enabled, workouts sync to your phone within a few minutes of saving them on the watch, without you having to open the app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the Galaxy Watch 8 count reps automatically?

No, the watch does not automatically count individual reps or identify which exercise you are doing. It records your overall heart rate, movement, and duration. You can add rep and exercise details manually in the Samsung Health app after your workout.

Can I see my strength training data on my computer?

Yes, if you have a Samsung account, your Samsung Health data syncs to the Samsung Health web portal. Log in at health.samsung.com with the same account linked to your watch and phone to view your workout history and trends on a larger screen.

What if my watch did not record a strength session I completed?

You can add a workout manually in Samsung Health on your phone. Open the app, tap the plus icon or Add Workout, select Strength Training, enter the date and time, and fill in the duration and exercises. This creates a record even if the watch was not recording.

How accurate is the calorie burn estimate during strength training?

The watch estimates calories based on your heart rate, age, weight, and movement. Strength training estimates are less precise than cardio because heart rate does not always reflect the actual work your muscles are doing, especially during heavy lifting with longer rest periods.

Can I export my strength training data to another fitness app?

Samsung Health does not have a built-in export feature for individual workouts, but some third-party apps can read your Samsung Health data if you grant permission. Check the settings of apps like Strava or MyFitnessPal to see if they offer Samsung Health integration.