How To Use WHOOP

Getting Started (10 minutes)

Go to whoop.com and pick a membership plan (12-month commitment gets you the hardware free). The strap ships in a few days.
Download the WHOOP app from the App Store or Google Play.
When the strap arrives, charge it using the battery pack that slides over the band. Wear it on your wrist (non-dominant side works best), bicep, or anywhere the sensors sit flat against your skin.
Open the app and pair your WHOOP via Bluetooth. Answer the onboarding questions about your fitness level, sleep schedule, and goals.
Wear it 24/7 for 3-4 days. WHOOP needs a baseline of your sleep and activity to start giving accurate scores.

After a few days, the app shows three daily scores:

Recovery (0-100%): How ready your body is for strain. Green = push hard. Yellow = moderate. Red = rest or go light.
Strain (0-21): How much cardiovascular effort you put in today. Higher strain means you need more recovery.
Sleep Performance: Did you get enough hours based on what your body needed? WHOOP calculates your sleep debt and tells you exactly how much more rest you need.

Check Recovery before planning your workout. If you wake up with a 30% Recovery score, skip the intense HIIT session. Do yoga or a walk instead. WHOOP's whole point is training smarter, not harder every single day.
Use Sleep Coaching. The app tells you when to go to bed based on your goals for tomorrow. Want to hit a workout? It'll say "be in bed by 10:15 PM." Planning a rest day? You can stay up later.
Track alcohol and caffeine in the app. WHOOP correlates these with your HRV and sleep quality. You'll see exactly how that 3rd cup of coffee at 4 PM wrecks your recovery.
Join a team or challenge. WHOOP has community features where you compare Strain and Recovery with friends. Adds accountability without turning fitness into a competition.

Casual users who don't care about data. WHOOP has no screen, no step count, no flashy notifications. If you just want to see the time or count your daily steps, get an Apple Watch or Fitbit.
Anyone who hates subscriptions. There's no one-time purchase option. You're paying monthly (or annually) forever. Cancel the membership and the strap stops working.