Heart Rate Monitor???

[Soap]

I do alot of cardio training and have become interested in a Hear rate monitor... Questions

How do you guys use it in your training?
Is it really as good as trainers at my gym claim it is?
How do you get to know what your best heart rate is?

help out a fellow member please

[The Colonel]

By a Polar heart rate monitor (pretty much they are the best in the world and Polar is an industry standard). I don't really think there is a "best" heart rate. Your heart rate is going to vary by whatever it is you're doing.

A lot of the time I used it when I was trying to run at certain heart rate. More often than not when I was first running I was doing all of my runs at a 90% heart rate which is way too damn high for distance running, most distance runner's do their training runs no higher than maybe a 70%. Its useful in that it helps you regulate your heart rate, that's all, tells you (depending on what your goals are) whether to push yourself harder or ease off a bit in training. Plus (I have a very nice heart rate monitor) mine will tell me exactly how many calories I burn during exercise (most cardio machines give you a very, very rough estimate that is off a few hundred calories) plus it came with a pedometer that tells me how fast I'm running, the distance I've run, and even tells me what altitude I'm exercising at.

Basically this is all just more gadgetry for those obsessive compulsive types that like to really know and document every facet of their training and progress.

[Gov]

HRM's are a great training tool, and to be honest I can't imagine training without one now.

I have a model that's very similar to The Colonel's one (I'm guessing) with all of the bells and whistles etc. You don't need to go to that extent, though - just get yourself a basic Polar model that gives you current hear rate, max and min zones etc and you're all set.

[FatTire]

i have the polar s120, sort of a mid range model. easy to set up, easy to use. i find it a lot easier to properly pace myself, both while training, and especialy for mountain bike racing (i can keep from blowing up in the begining) hrm is an excellent tool for keeping you inside target zones

[Leonidas13]

Originally Posted by Soap

I do alot of cardio training and have become interested in a Hear rate monitor... Questions

How do you guys use it in your training?
Is it really as good as trainers at my gym claim it is?
How do you get to know what your best heart rate is?

To get your target heart rate - this is one formula:

(220 - Age - Resting Heart Rate) X Percent Effort + Resting Heart Rate = Target Heart Rate.

To get your resting heart rate take your pulse before getting out of bed in the morning.

For example, if I wanted to train at 70% my formula would be:
(220-35-66) X .70 + 66 = 149.3 bpm

Hope this helps.

[liquid!]

I've had a bare bones Polar for years and I've loved it. I don't use i much as of late, but when I did mucho trail running I didn't leave home without it. When my legs were sore the HR monitor would show that I was dogging it and needed to hit the throttle. On hot AZ days it would show that I neded to slow down, even when I wasn't truly hauling ass.


It was also nice for 10Ks and such as I would tend to come out of the gates a little too fast. I'd just make a plan and stick to it, slowly picking runners off after the halfway point.

My old Polar out lastest a newer Nike version. The only rub against it; the watch face wasn't lite and I do alot of running at night.

[liquid!]

Also the Polar chest straps will transmit to compatible treadmills, and surronding treadmills too. This is great as it totally fucks with the cardio bunnies.

[Dan's Knuckles]

Originally Posted by Leonidas13

To get your target heart rate - this is one formula:

(220 - Age - Resting Heart Rate) X Percent Effort + Resting Heart Rate = Target Heart Rate.

To get your resting heart rate take your pulse before getting out of bed in the morning.

For example, if I wanted to train at 70% my formula would be:
(220-35-66) X .70 + 66 = 149.3 bpm

Hope this helps.

The age predicted max formula isn't necessarily the best one to use, it's better than nothing but it won't be all that accurate.

[Chi-Town MMAFan]

I like using a HRM because you can see how your cardio is improving over time. I'll do test runs at a given speed and distance and if my cardio is improving my heart rate will be lower during the test. Or I'll keep my heart rate constant for a given amount of time and if my cardio is improving I'll be able to go farther than the last time.

I also use it to help me slow down during recovery runs because I tend to run too fast. It's not always good for interval training because there's lag time between when you speed up/slow down and how it is reflected on the monitor.

Overall it's a good tool and many athletes use them including fighters. I think Sherk had one on during the All Access show.

[Leonidas13]

Originally Posted by liquid!

Also the Polar chest straps will transmit to compatible treadmills, and surronding treadmills too. This is great as it totally fucks with the cardio bunnies.

What are some more accurate formulas? I'm getting old and don't wanna blow my heart up!