What does a heart rate monitor do and doesn’t do –
A heart rate monitor is a good tool for some athletes, but it can inhibit performance of others. A heart rate monitor is a useful tool to make sure individuals are working out at the right intensity level. However, they are not crucial for everyone. In fact, I recommend that most of my clients listen to their own body to determine the appropriate level of exertion.
Whether or not a heart rate monitor is useful for you will depend upon what your objectives are in training. Heart rate monitors are useful for endurance athletes when they don’t use objective measurements like power. For weight loss, strength, flexibility, or overall general health or body function, heart rate monitors are not useful.
Heart rate monitors are not useful in the gym where whole-body muscular tension followed by a period of relaxation causes heart rate fluctuations that are not tied to a specific level of effort. Also, in the gym where you’re engaging in weight loss exercises heart rate monitors will not help predict effectiveness of the exercises or the amount of weight loss to be achieved.
What are the short coming of heart rate monitors –
You have to be smart about how you use a heart rate monitor. First, you have to determine what is your heart rate. Specifically, you have to determine what is your maximum heart rate and your resting heart rate. Heart rates fluctuate from individual to individual. Even the standard formula of taking a 220 heart beat and subtracting your age to arrive at your maximum heart rate is not accurate for everyone. You need to use your heart rate monitor to determine these two values for you.
In addition, you have to remember that your heart rate, including your maximum heart rate and resting heart rate, will fluctuate during the day and from day-to-day. These variations are caused by caffeine intake, the amount of sleep, stress and other factors. Therefore, even if you’re using a heart rate monitor religiously make sure you don’t take the rate as something to be followed without applying a rule of reason. You body is not a machine and its performance will vary based on many factors.
Using a heart monitor wisely –
If you do use a heart rate monitor, determining your walking heart rate can be useful to monitor recovery status. You can use it as a way to follow trends to determine whether the day’s training should be modified due to poor recovery. Measuring how long it takes to return to a “resting” heart rate post-effort is a good general indicator of overall fitness.
As a general rule of thumb, a “resting” heart rate is 120 beats per minute (bpm). A maximum heart rate can be as in the 170’s, 180’s and higher. A recovery speed of 2 – 3 minutes from this maximum heart rate to the resting heart rate indicates a high level of fitness, though in some elite athletes recovery will most likely be faster. However, the period to return to a resting heart rate will also be dependent on how long of a period the heart rate was at a high value.
What I find in the gym training clients is when they use a heart rate monitor, they tend to be distracted by the numbers or they are fiddling with it while they should be focused on form and exertion. Also, at times my clients will be focused on the heart rate numbers instead of listening to their body. I recommend that unless you’re an endurance athlete or elite athlete, you learn to listen to your body instead of using a heart rate monitor as a crutch or a distraction.
If you do use a heart rate monitor, take about 6 – 12 months to train with it. Learn what heart rates are appropriate for you. Also, focus on establishing a foundation during this period so that you can then start to mix up intensity and volume as you monitor your heart rate.
Regardless if you determine that you will use a heart rate monitor or not, remember patience is required and listen to your body. You don’t want to ignore the signals your body sends you regarding recovery, exertion and needed rest. If you do ignore these signals and only rely upon your monitor, you will injury yourself. Remember to take a long-term view in working out.
If you have any questions on this or any other blog, please email Pat at pat@patsgym.com.
