Structured Workout Builder
Add steps one at a time — a warm-up, the work part, a cooldown — or use the Repeat block to wrap a set of intervals around a number of reps. Each step has its own duration (time, distance, or a lap-button press) and an optional target (pace, heart rate, cadence, power, or no target at all).
Workout structure
Summary
Est. distance
Est. time
Steps
Build your run
Add steps and repeat blocks. Step types, durations and targets mirror Garmin Connect's running builder.
Export & import
FIT file · for your watch
The native Garmin workout format. Copy it to your watch over USB into /GARMIN/NewFiles (some devices use /GARMIN/Workouts), then unplug - it appears under Training › Workouts.
Garmin Connect JSON · for Connect
Matches Garmin Connect's workout-service schema. Use it with a "workout importer" browser extension or an API tool (e.g. python-garminconnect) to push it into Connect.
Save project
Save the full builder state to a file so you can resume editing later (this page doesn't auto-save).
Load project
Reload a previously saved .pacewkt project file to keep editing where you left off.
One honest heads-up on Garmin Connect: its website does not let you upload a FIT or TCX file to create a planned workout - that import is for completed activities only. The two real paths are (1) copy the FIT file straight to the watch, or (2) push the JSON into Connect via a community importer extension or API script. The FIT export here is validated against Garmin's official FIT SDK decoder.
An independent tool - not affiliated with or endorsed by Garmin.
Always sanity-check imported workouts on-device.
How it works
Build the session step by step, then take it to your watch
Add steps one at a time — a warm-up, the work part, a cooldown — or use the Repeat block to wrap a set of intervals around a number of reps. Each step has its own duration (time, distance, or a lap-button press) and an optional target (pace, heart rate, cadence, power, or no target at all).
When you're done, there are two ways to get it out. The .FIT file goes straight to your watch — plug it in via USB and drop the file in the GARMIN/NewFiles folder, and it'll appear under Training › Workouts next time you turn the watch on. The .JSON file is for getting the workout into Garmin Connect itself, which needs a community importer extension or an API tool because Garmin's own website oddly doesn't let you upload workouts directly.
There's also a Save Project option that downloads a .pacewkt file you can reload later. Useful if you're tweaking a session over a few days, or building up a small library of sessions you come back to.
Why it's useful
Structure makes hard sessions easier to actually do
Running an interval session off your wrist is a different experience to running one off the back of an envelope. The watch beeps when each rep starts and ends. It tells you whether you're at the right pace or drifting off it. You stop fiddling with the stopwatch and start actually running.
For anyone running structured sessions — intervals, tempos, fartleks, progressions — having the workout on the watch removes a layer of mental admin during the run. The harder the session, the less you want to be doing maths between reps about how long you've recovered or what's coming next.
It's also a useful exercise in itself. Sitting down to build a session forces you to commit to specific numbers — exactly how long, exactly what pace, exactly how much recovery — instead of letting the workout stay vague. Vague workouts have a habit of getting easier on the day.
Frequently asked
Workout builder questions
Why can't I just upload the FIT file to Garmin Connect's website?
Because Garmin Connect's file upload is only for completed activities, not planned workouts. It's an old design decision that catches a lot of people out. The two real options are: copy the FIT file straight to the watch over USB (works on every modern Garmin), or push the JSON into Connect using a community browser extension or the python-garminconnect library. Annoying, but that's how it is.
Will this work with my Forerunner / Fenix / Venu / Vivoactive?
It should work with any modern Garmin that supports structured workouts — which is most of them released in the last several years. The FIT format is universal. If your watch has a "Workouts" or "Training" menu, it'll accept these files. If you're not sure, copy one across and see whether it appears in the list.
Do I have to set pace targets in zones, or can I use specific paces?
Either. Zone mode uses whatever pace zones you've set up in Garmin Connect, so the watch knows what "Zone 3" means for you. Custom mode lets you enter specific pace ranges like 4:30-4:40 per km, which is what most people actually want for race-specific training. Heart rate and power targets work the same way.
Is my workout data saved anywhere?
No. Nothing you build here gets sent anywhere or stored on a server. It all lives in your browser until you download the file. Close the tab without exporting and the workout is gone — which is why the Save Project button is there if you want to come back to it later.