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Tutorial3 min read

Edit your first workout in SweatCut

Your first follow-along in SweatCut: drop in the recording, mark each exercise, type the names, cut the dead time and export. The timers place themselves.

By the SweatCut team ·

The SweatCut editor a few marks in: Dead Bugs, Rest, Table Top Hold and Modified Crunch listed in the Segments panel, amber and slate bands along the timeline, and a rest with an up-next window on the video.

Here’s your first workout in SweatCut, start to finish. You press M as each exercise starts and type the names. SweatCut puts the timer, the exercise name and the up next on the video for you.

It works on every tier, Free included.

1. Drop in your recording

  1. In Workouts, click New workout (or press ⌘N).
  2. Drag your recording onto Drop your recording here.
The New workout box in SweatCut, reading Drop your recording here, or click to pick a video file.

Your video stays on your Mac, so you can start editing straight away.

2. Press M at every change

  1. Click the Segments icon in the column to the right of the video.
  2. Press Space to play.
  3. The moment the first exercise starts, press M (or click Mark under the video).
  4. Keep pressing M each time an exercise or rest starts.

The timer and the name pop onto the video the second you mark.

Press M as the first move starts, and the timer lands straight away.

Every mark starts life as an Exercise. For a rest, click Exercise at the left of its row and pick Rest.

An open row in the Segments panel with the Exercise, Rest and No overlay switch, and the pointer on Rest.

Would you rather skip the marking? Auto-edit can mark and name the whole workout for you. Here’s how to auto-edit a workout in SweatCut.

3. Type the names

Click the first placeholder, like Exercise 1, and type the real name. Press Tab to jump to the next one and work down the list. Leave rests blank and they show as Rest.

4. Cut the dead time

Cut out anything you don’t want in the finished video, like the walk to the mat or a long water break.

  1. Click the time ruler where the stretch starts and press C.
  2. Move to where it ends and press C again.
  3. Click the footage between the two lines and press Delete.
The stretch goes, and everything after it moves up.

The timers update on their own. Your video file never changes, so any cut can come back, and ⌘Z undoes any step.

5. Export your video

  1. Click Export in the top bar.
  2. Under Shape, pick 16:9 landscape or 9:16 portrait.
  3. Under Resolution, pick anything up to 4K. It starts on 1080p.
  4. Click Export video.
The Export panel: Shape 16:9 landscape, Resolution 1080p, a 1080p export under Earlier exports with Open and Show in folder buttons, and the Export video button.

Your MP4 lands in a SweatCut folder inside Movies, named after the workout. Hover over it under Earlier exports for Open and Show in folder.

Handy shortcuts

Key What it does
Space Play or pause
M Mark an exercise or rest at the playhead
C Cut the footage at the playhead
Delete Remove the selected footage
⌘Z / ⇧⌘Z Undo / Redo

Next, give every video your own look: set up your brand in SweatCut.

Questions

Can I use SweatCut without auto-edit?

Yes. Press M wherever an exercise or rest starts, type the names, and SweatCut places the timer, exercise name and up next for you. Starter ($19 a month) is the full editor without auto-edit.

Does cutting in SweatCut change my original video file?

No. Your recording never changes, so any cut can come back. Press ⌘Z, or drag the edge at the join back out.

Where does SweatCut save exported videos?

In a SweatCut folder inside your Mac's Movies folder, as an MP4 named after the workout. You can pick a different folder in Settings, under General.

Do I need to save my work in SweatCut?

No. SweatCut saves the workout after every change, and the top of the editor says Saved when it has.