FITIV Pulse's Workout Builder lets you plan an interval workout once and have it guide you every time. You string together warm-up, work, rest, and cool-down intervals, give each one a goal that decides when it ends, and run the workout on your Apple Watch or iPhone while FITIV moves you from one interval to the next. It's built for structured cardio: HIIT, hill repeats, track sessions, heart rate–based intervals, and rides.
What the Workout Builder Does
A planned interval session is easy to write down and hard to follow mid-effort. Counting repeats, watching a timer, and checking your heart rate all at once pulls your attention away from the work itself. The Workout Builder handles that part. You set the structure ahead of time, and during the workout FITIV tracks where you are, tells you what's next, and keeps the targets in front of you.
In the app, the Workout Builder lives on the Workout tab under Custom Workouts: "Create planned workouts with intervals, distance targets and more." Each custom workout uses one activity type, such as running, cycling, rowing, or HIIT, so the workout records the right metrics and saves correctly to Apple Health.
Looking for strength templates with sets, reps, and weights? Those live in FITIV's weightlifting tracker.
How to Build an Interval Workout
- On the Workout tab, open Custom Workouts and create a new workout.
- Choose the activity type.
- Add intervals. Each one is a Warmup, Work, Rest, or Cool Down interval.
- Give each interval a goal that decides when it ends.
- Set the number of Rounds, or choose Until Stopped to keep repeating until you end the workout.
To build longer sessions quickly, duplicate an interval or group several together and repeat the group. For editing, deleting, and the Advanced Options such as icon and GPS route, see the help center's guide to using Custom Workouts.
Interval Goals
The goal is what moves you to the next interval:
| Goal | Ends the interval when | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Time | The timer runs out | 30 seconds hard, 30 seconds easy |
| Distance | You cover the distance | 400 m repeats on a track |
| Zone | Your heart rate reaches a target zone | Warm up until you reach Zone 2 |
| Heart Rate | Your heart rate crosses the number you set | Recover until you're back down to 120 bpm |
| Calories | You burn the calories you set | A 50-calorie row |
| Manual | You tap to move on | Self-paced hill repeats |
Distance goals use GPS, and the builder turns GPS on for you if the activity doesn't track distance already. Zone goals use your own heart rate zones, so the same workout fits your fitness as it changes. Heart Rate goals use the exact bpm you set.
Heart Rate goals work especially well on rests. On 400 m repeats, for example, instead of resting a fixed 90 seconds, rest until your heart rate drops to a set number, so you start each repeat equally recovered.
Target Range Alerts
Each interval can also have an optional alert range for Heart Rate, Pace, or Speed. During the interval, FITIV tells you when you drift above or below the range and when you're back inside it. Alerts are spoken, so Voice Coaching needs to be on to use them.
Running a Custom Workout
When you start a custom workout, choose your device:
- Apple Watch: run the whole workout from your wrist with live heart rate and zone tracking (Apple Watch).
- iPhone: run the workout from your phone, and pair a chest strap or arm band if you want live heart rate (Bluetooth HR monitors). Zone and Heart Rate goals and alerts need a heart rate source.
As each interval starts, FITIV announces it and its target, for example how long it lasts or the heart rate range to aim for. Timed intervals get a "5 Seconds" warning before the next one begins, and a Manual interval waits for you to tap to move on. Each custom workout can also have its own voice settings, so a track session can say different things from your easy runs.
Sharing Your Workouts
Made a session a friend or training partner would like? Share a custom workout as a link from the workout's share option and send it any way you like. Sharing needs an internet connection.
Interval Ideas to Build
A few classic structures you can build directly:
| Workout | How to build it |
|---|---|
| Classic HIIT | Warmup by Time, then Work and Rest intervals by Time for several Rounds, then Cool Down |
| Track repeats | Work by Distance (400 m or 1 km), Rest by Time or Heart Rate |
| Heart rate intervals | Work until Heart Rate reaches a high number, Rest until it drops to a low one |
| Zone 2 builder | Warmup until you reach Zone 2, then a long Work interval by Time with a Heart Rate alert range |
| Rowing or bike sprints | Work by Calories, Rest by Time |
For the science behind interval training and how to choose between HIIT and steady cardio, see the interval training guide. Interval sessions count toward your training load like any other workout.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I run Workout Builder workouts without an Apple Watch?
Yes. Start the workout on your iPhone and FITIV runs the intervals from your phone. Pair a Bluetooth heart rate monitor if your workout uses Zone or Heart Rate goals or heart rate alerts.
Can I combine running and cycling in one custom workout?
No. Each custom workout uses one activity type. Build separate workouts for each activity, or use a general type like HIIT for mixed circuits.
Does the Workout Builder include ready-made programs?
No. The Workout Builder is for building your own interval workouts. You can also open workouts other people share with you by link.
Can I set power targets in the Workout Builder?
Not as an interval goal or alert. Goals use time, distance, heart rate zone, heart rate, calories, or a manual tap, and alerts use heart rate, pace, or speed ranges.
Where do I build strength workouts with sets and reps?
Strength workouts use Weight Lifting Templates, not the Workout Builder. Open Weight Lifting on the Workout tab to build templates, log sets, and track personal records.
