Gravl vs BulkForged on a Garmin watch

Pick BulkForged to run your own routine on your Garmin with the phone in the locker, for less. Pick Gravl if you use an iPhone or Apple Watch today, or want each workout built for you.

About this page

BulkForged is our app, so weigh this page accordingly.
Every statement about Gravl comes from Gravl's own website, help centre or App Store listing.
We read each of those pages on 5 October 2026.
Prices are US figures. Gravl's come from its App Store listing. Ours come from our plans page.

Gravl and BulkForged side by side

What	Gravl	BulkForged
Phones	iPhone and Android	Android. iPhone is coming soon
Watches	Apple Watch, Wear OS, and around 70 Garmin models with a colour screen	60+ Garmin watches. No Apple Watch or Wear OS
Runs the workout with the phone away	No. The watch needs the phone within reach to start, and you finish on the phone	Yes. The watch runs the whole workout offline
How the next weight is set	An estimated 1RM and a rep ladder, paced by your Easy, Ideal or Hard rating	Double progression: reps to the top of the range, then weight¹
Weight steps	Snapped to your equipment	Rounded to a real machine or plate step¹
Why a weight changed	An Insights panel, such as "Why 40 kg today?"	A change log names the session and the sets¹
Do you accept the change	It recommends each weight. Log what you lifted and it adjusts	No. Targets update when you finish¹
After a short session	It reads the actual sets, lowers its estimate, and meets you where you are	One short set holds the target. It eases only when two sets come in lower, or the only working set does¹
Deload week	Deload sessions don't update your recommended weights	You lift lighter without lowering your targets
Your own routine or generated	It builds workouts for you. You can also design your own program	Your routine as you built it. Starter routines and named programs if you want one
Import from Hevy or Strong	We found none. It imports Fitbod history by email, and AI Import reads a photo, PDF or link	Yes. Workouts, routines, schedule and starting weights
Saved as a Garmin activity, heart rate	Yes. A strength training activity in Garmin Connect, with heart rate and calories	No. Saved in BulkForged, with no heart rate
Free plan	3 workouts, then it asks you to subscribe	Basic: every workout, your history, routines and records
Paid price (US)	The App Store lists $14.99 a month, $34.99 for 3 months, and yearly from $59.99 to $89.99	Coaching: $7.99 a month or $49.99 a year. 14 days free, no card

¹ Part of Coaching, the paid plan. Every install starts with 14 days of it free, with no card.

Where BulkForged differs

On the watch:

The BulkForged watch app showing Leg Press, set 2 of 4, with a target of 220.5 lb for 10 reps

The phone can stay in the locker. The BulkForged watch app runs the whole workout offline. It uploads when the watch has a connection. See Phone in the locker.
Gravl's Garmin help says the phone owns the workout, and the watch app mirrors it. It says to finish on your phone.
If Gravl's link drops, its help says the watch menu can still save the Garmin activity.
Either device can start, log or finish a workout. During a workout, watch and phone sync every 5 seconds through your BulkForged account. See how they stay in sync.

After the workout:

The Overload History list, 28 total adjustments, with lines such as Seated Calf Raise, weight 115 lb to 125 lb

The change details for Machine Chest Press: target reps 10 to 11 at 45 lb, with a note on why it changed

Double progression on your own rep range.¹ Reps climb until every working set reaches the top of the range, then the weight goes up.
Gravl's blog describes a different method. It works from an estimated 1RM and a rep ladder.
One short set doesn't cost you.¹ One short set holds the target. Gravl's blog says it lowers its estimate after a short session.
Your routine stays as you built it. BulkForged does not pick or swap exercises for you.
Gravl's blog gives an example where the bench is always taken, so the app swaps in a machine press.
Bring your history from Hevy or Strong. Export the file and import it. Workouts, routines, schedule and starting weights come across.
The free plan keeps logging. Basic keeps every workout, your history, routines and records. Gravl's help says you can log 3 workouts free.
A lower price. Coaching is $7.99 a month or $49.99 a year in the US. The App Store lists Gravl at $14.99 a month.

¹ Part of Coaching, the paid plan. Every install starts with 14 days of it free, with no card.

Where Gravl is better

iPhone today. BulkForged on iPhone is coming soon.
More watches. Gravl has Apple Watch and Wear OS apps, and runs on Garmin Venu and vívoactive.
Garmin Connect. Its help says the session lands there as a strength training activity, with heart rate.
Workouts built for you. It picks the exercises for each session.

Which should you pick?

You want the phone in the locker: BulkForged.
You follow your own routine and want it kept as written: BulkForged.
You are moving from Hevy or Strong: BulkForged brings your history across.
You want to keep logging for free after three workouts: BulkForged Basic.
You use an iPhone today: Gravl, or join the BulkForged iPhone waitlist.
You wear an Apple Watch, a Wear OS watch, a Venu or a vívoactive: Gravl.
You want the app to choose your exercises: Gravl.

What to know about BulkForged

Android only today. iPhone is coming soon. Join the waitlist.
60+ Garmin watches: most of the fēnix 6, and the fēnix 7, 8 and 9; epix; Enduro; MARQ; tactix; quatix; D2 Mach 1 Pro; Forerunner 165, 170, 255, 265, 570, 955, 965 and 970; Descent; and the AMOLED Instincts. No Venu or vivoactive. See every supported model.
No Apple Watch or Wear OS app.
A lifting session is saved in BulkForged, not as a Garmin Connect activity. It records no heart rate. More: what's saved where.
The phone app works without an account. Pairing the watch needs one.
Every install starts with 14 days of Coaching, with no card. See plans.

Get BulkForged on Google Play