For best experience, firstmove supports Apple Watch Series 4, 5, SE, and 6. The firstmove app can also be used on Apple Watch Series 3, but the experience might not meet your expectations. Older models are not supported.

A set can only be started, if you have entered a one repetition maximum to the exercise you want to perform. This is indicated by a green check mark. If you have not set your one repetition maximum yet, a red exclamation mark is shown.

This should be the heaviest weight you lifted for one repetition of this exercise in the last year. If you don’t remember or haven’t done a 1RM test, make a guess and adjust accordingly in the next session based on your performance values. E.g., your performance values are most of the time above 10, it’s a good idea to increase the 1RM.

Before a set starts, we want to ensure best performance accuracy. Therefore, the watch needs a fast calibration to orientate properly. We recommend to place your hand steady on the barbell and to wait for the vibration signal, while taking a deep breath to concentrate.

Typically, the Apple Watch needs to be in the range of the connected iPhone to ensure a smooth upload process. To improve this process, you can also connect your Apple Watch to your local WIFI. You also need to be logged in the firstmove app on the iPhone. In rare cases, you need to log out and log back in.

Currently, we differentiate two types of exercises – normal exercises and smart exercises. With smart exercises, we take over counting of repetitions and improve performance as well as exertion accuracy. Smart exercises are shown with a badge.

For strength exercises, the exertion is calculated based on the average concentric velocity of the last repetition in a set. The mapping of the average concentric velocity into the exertion-velocity profile provides the exertion for this certain set. For power exercises, the peak velocity of the last repetition will be taken into account.

Exertion is based on a scale from 0 to 10. An exertion of 0 represents no significant stress for your body. An exertion of 10 is the maximum possible stress you can put on your body. The exertion scale can be compared with the RPE (rate of perceived exertion) scale, which is commonly used in strength training.

Generally, the performance is calculated as the ratio of your actual concentric velocity and your target concentric velocity. The actual concentric velocity is calculated from the upward movement of every repetition in your set. The target velocity depends on your one repetition maximum for this exercise and your selected weight. To cope for fatigue during a set, the number of repetitions adjust the velocity target.
As strength and power exercises differ by nature, they also differ in the calculation of the performance. For strength exercises, we use the average of the concentric velocity whereas for power exercises, we use the peak concentric velocity.

Performance is based on a scale from 0 to 11. Because a performance of 10 represents the current personal best relative to the weight chosen, it can be seen as the target. Any performance above 10 indicates an increase in strength.