Skip to content
80/20 Endurance

How To Load a FIT File on Your Garmin Device

Instructions for Loading an 80/20 .FIT Workout Onto Your Garmin Device

The short version. There are three ways to get a workout onto a Garmin. If the workout is in your TrainingPeaks calendar, turn on Garmin Connect AutoSync and it arrives by itself. If you have a .FIT workout file, import it on the Garmin Connect website under Training and Planning, then Workouts, and send it to your device. Or plug the watch in by USB and copy the file into the Garmin/NewFiles folder, which is what the steps below cover device by device.

A library of 80/20 workouts for use on your Garmin or other compatible .FIT file device can be found in the 80/20 Workout Library. The steps below are for manually exporting an 80/20 workout to your Garmin device. Please note that if you are using an 80/20 structured workout within TrainingPeaks, you can automatically sync your daily workouts to your Garmin device with Garmin Connect AutoSync.

For the Garmin Edge 5xx, 8xx, and 1xxx, Forerunner 920xt and newer Forerunner devices, and Fenix series:

  1. Plug in device via the USB cradle. Your device should appear as a drive in your operating system's file manager
    • Newer Garmin watches supporting music are formatted as MTP devices (Media Transfer Protocol) instead of the traditional storage devices. MacOS does not support MTP natively. You may be able to solve this issue by using a free MTP tool such as OpenMTP (Android File Transfer has been discontinued).
  2. Open the Garmin/NewFiles folder
  3. Copy your .FIT workouts file(s) into the NewFiles folder. Some devices may require you to place the file directly in the Garmin/Workouts folder
  4. Eject device
  5. On your device, you should see your workout under Training > Workouts> (Workout Title). If you don't see it immediately you may need to restart your device

Garmin will move any files from the NewFiles folder to the Workouts folder. If the workout does not load you may need to free memory by removing old activities. In some cases you can only load one workout file at a time. Please note that each Garmin device has an upper limit to the number of workouts it will store per device. For example, the Garmin Forerunner 920xt and 935 will only store 25 workouts at a time, the Forerunner 645 can store 40, and the Edge 520 will store 200 workouts. Please also note that there is a difference between Garmin workouts and activities. Activities (workouts that have been completed) are limited only to the amount of memory free on the device.

For the 910XT on Windows:

  1. Click the Windows Start menu
  2. Type %appdata% into the Run box
  3. Click OK
  4. Open Garmin folder
  5. Open Devices folder
  6. Open the Unit ID (should be 10 numbers) folder
  7. Open NewFiles
  8. Copy your .FIT workouts file(s) into the NewFiles folder.
  9. Make sure ANT Agent or Garmin Express transfers data to the 910XT (watch transfer screen for progress)
  10. After transfer is complete, you should see your workout under Training> My Workouts> Workout Sport Type (i.e. Cycling)> (Workout Title)

For the 910XT on Mac

  1. Open Finder
  2. Click Go from the Menu bar
  3. Press and hold the Option key on the keyboard
  4. Click Library
  5. Open Application Support
  6. Open Garmin folder
  7. Open Devices folder
  8. Open the Unit ID (should be 10 numbers) folder
  9. Open NewFiles
  10. Copy your TrainingPeaks .FIT workouts file(s) into the NewFiles folder.
  11. Make sure ANT Agent or Garmin Express transfers data to the 910XT(watch transfer screen for progress)
  12. After transfer is complete, you should see your workout under Training> My Workouts> Workout Sport Type (i.e. Cycling)> (Workout Title)

Frequently asked questions

How do I upload a FIT workout file to Garmin Connect?
On the Garmin Connect website open Training and Planning, then Workouts, and use the import option to upload the .FIT file. Open the imported workout, choose Send to Device, and sync. The phone app cannot import workout files.

Where is the NewFiles folder?
On the watch's storage when it is connected by USB, inside the Garmin folder. Garmin moves anything you drop there into the Workouts folder on the next restart. Some devices want the file placed in Garmin/Workouts directly.

The workout does not show up on my watch. Why?
Usually one of four things. The device has hit its workout limit (25 on a Forerunner 920xt or 935, 40 on a 645, 200 on an Edge 520), the file is in the wrong folder, the watch needs a restart, or the device only accepts one file at a time. Delete old workouts and try again.

Is a FIT activity file the same as a FIT workout file?
No. A workout file is a plan the watch guides you through. An activity file is a recording of something you already did, and it goes in through Import Data on Garmin Connect, not into NewFiles.

Do I need any of this with a TrainingPeaks plan?
No. Connect TrainingPeaks to Garmin Connect once, and each day's structured workout syncs to the watch on its own. See Understanding Your TrainingPeaks Structured Workout Plan.

Where do I get 80/20 workouts?
The 80/20 workout library has the standard 80/20 sessions as .FIT files, and every 80/20 training plan delivers them through TrainingPeaks.

Related. How to create 80/20 zones on your Garmin device and the 80/20 Garmin apps, which show your 80/20 zone on the watch during any workout.