It’s no surprise I don’t like proprietary applications, but I recently bought a Garmin Instinct 3 for health purposes and thought I could use it for workouts as well. Creating and uploading workouts to Garmin watches requires the Garmin Connect app though. Well, not really — and this is how you do it without!
Why Avoid the Garmin Connect App?
Garmin Connect works fine for most users, but it comes with some trade-offs:
- It’s proprietary and closed-source.
- Requires permissions and background services you might not want.
- Syncs data to Garmin’s servers whether you like it or not.
- Not lightweight or minimalist-friendly.
If you prefer more control, or simply don’t want the app on your device, you can still create and upload workouts with just the web interface, a browser extension, and a bit of file wrangling.
How to Upload Garmin Workouts Without the App
Follow these steps to manually create and upload workouts to your Garmin watch without using the Garmin Connect mobile app:
1. Create an Account With connect.garmin.com
If you haven’t already, you’ll need to create a Garmin account. This is required whether you use the mobile app or not. Use an email that’s not personal if you don’t want to share your personal information with Garmin.
2. Sign in And Create a Workout
Once logged in, navigate to Training & Planning > Workouts. From there, click Create a Workout and configure it however you like — intervals, rest periods, target heart rates, etc. Save it when you’re done.
3. Install the “Download Garmin Connect Workout” Firefox Add-On
This handy add-on lets you download Garmin workouts as .FIT files straight from the web interface.
Install it from: Download Garmin Connect Workout - Firefox Add-on
4. Go to Your Workout List
Visit the Workouts page again. You’ll notice a small download icon (usually a down arrow to a monitor) appears next to each workout.
5. Download the .FIT File
Click the new download icon next to your workout to download the file. This is the same format used by the Garmin app to sync workouts to your device.
6. Mount Your Garmin Watch
Garmin watches don’t appear as normal USB drives. You’ll need a tool that supports MTP (Media Transfer Protocol). On Linux, one of the easiest ways is:
jmtpfs mnt/tmp/Make sure your watch is unlocked and connected via USB when you do this.
7. Copy the .FIT File to the Correct Directory
Once mounted, copy your downloaded workout file into the GARMIN/NewFiles/ directory on your watch:
cp MyWorkout.fit mnt/tmp/GARMIN/NewFiles/Unmount your watch after that, and the next time it boots or syncs, the workout should be processed and available under My Workouts.
And that’s it! No smartphone apps. No cloud syncing (beyond the initial workout creation). Just the watch, the web, and a bit of open-source help.