What Google Is Adding to the Pixel Watch 5

Google is bringing a dedicated Strength Training experience to the Pixel Watch 5, the company confirmed ahead of its Made by Google event. The new feature runs directly on the wrist: users can follow a custom workout with sets, reps and weights displayed on the watch, and the device automatically starts rest timers between exercises. It also records usual health metrics such as calories burned and heart rate.

Previously, Google Health users could build custom strength routines, but following along required a phone. The Pixel Watch 5 version removes that step, turning the watch into the workout interface. A hands-on demo showed an experience similar in structure to dedicated strength-training apps such as Fitbod, with guided sets and timed rest periods.

Google has not yet given a release date for the feature, saying only that it is coming soon to the new watch. The timing aligns with broader interest in strength training: around a third of Americans regularly strength train, and the category is growing among fitness audiences of all body types and genders.

Where the Pixel Watch 5 Strength Feature Fits in the Wearable Market

Where This Leaves Fitbod

The feature competes most directly with paid strength-training apps such as Fitbod, which ZDNET's reviewer has used for more than a year. Fitbod offers workout generation, rep tracking, rest timers and progress logs. Google's watch feature covers much of the same core in-workout loop, but Fitbod's longer workout history and programming sophistication may remain differentiators. The main open question is pricing: if Google includes the strength tools at no extra cost, they could undercut subscription apps for beginners; if the feature sits behind Google Health Premium, the competitive pressure will be smaller.

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How Apple and Samsung Compare

Apple and Samsung already record strength workouts, but only as passive data: heart rate, calories burned and duration. Neither the Apple Watch Series 11 nor Samsung Galaxy Watch series offers a built-in guided library of strength exercises on the watch. That makes the Pixel Watch 5 feature a genuine differentiation point for Google in the mainstream smartwatch market.

The Shift from Tracking to Coaching

The update reflects a broader wearable trend away from simply logging activity and toward guiding it. By moving custom workout generation onto the watch, Google is aiming at beginners who may know they want to lift weights but do not know where to start. That is a meaningful audience, but the feature's reach will depend on how deeply Google integrates it with Fitbit and whether it works seamlessly for users who already prefer third-party apps.

What Buyers and Beginners Should Look For

  • If strength training is your priority, this is the key differentiator: the Pixel Watch 5 guides sets, reps, weights and rest periods on the wrist, while the Apple Watch Series 11 and Samsung Galaxy Watch only record heart rate, calories and duration.
  • Check the subscription details before buying. Google has not specified whether the workout generation tools are included free or require Google Health Premium; the demo did not clarify the long-term cost.
  • Existing Google Health users gain a phone-free gym experience. Workouts created in Google Health can now be followed on the watch, but Google has not announced migration from a third-party app such as Fitbod.
  • Wait for the release date if guided lifting is the main reason to upgrade. Google has said the feature is coming soon but has not confirmed availability.