Do we need really need a heart-rate monitor? August 13, 2007
Posted by hardly Bar, Dumbbell, Flexibility, Row, Strength Training
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For today’s workout, I decided to strap on my HR monitor and see what the results were for this workout.
As I did this, it was with full recognition that my coach’s view on HR monitors is that they really aren’t that helpful in achieving “extraordinary fitness”, and also that for some, HR monitors are absolutely essential in their workout plans. I suppose that the reality is that both sides are right, depending on what one is trying to achieve.
For today, I just wanted to see what my avg, min & max were because I’ve wondered, particularly on the max value, where exactly I end up on any given day. On those days when we have a timed-movement, which requires pb-level efforts, I sometimes wonder, as I’m gasping for more oxygen, “Hmm, I wonder what my HR is NOW???”
Warmup (2x of each):
- 20 body-weight squats w/arms locked above head.
- 300M run, moderate pace.
Workout:
- 100 situps w/a load, 40 lbs, for time: 6:49 (pb)
- 1-legged body lifts (lift self up from sitting position w/one leg)
- 3 sets of 6 lifts, ea leg
- 4 lifts, ea leg, 1.5 inches lower seating
- 3 lifts, ea leg, 1.5 inches lower seating
- 2 lifts, ea leg, 1.5 inches lower seating
- 2 sets of Swings (20 kg) & Pushups at 21 -15- 9 counts
- Tabata Row:
- 5 sets of 1 min intervals w/30 seconds rest
- Score is the lowest meters covered per any one set: 283M (PB!!!)
- 5 sets of dumbbell cleans, 40 lbs ea. hand, 6 count per set
Situps w/a load is interesting. Start from an extended bench-press position w/your arms, and your legs at a 90 degree bend w/foot holds, and then do situps. All I gotta say is that you know you’re working hard.
HR Stats:
Min: 74
Avg: 134
Max: 180
Health:
- Date: 08/13/2007
- Weight: 185
- Mood: Normal
- Sleep Hours: 7.5
- Sleep Pattern: Normal
Comments
I like to use HR monitors that have the calorie function. It’s motivating to track how many calories you burn. I have a few clients who love them. I take people through work outs on the spin bike and I want to know how hard they are working. I’ve done fitness testing with them and I know their personal training zones. It’s useful for me to know how hard to push them. I also use the HR monitor to let me know when someone has cooled down sufficiently to get off the bike. I don’t use them all my clients, but they are useful for specific workouts.
HRMs are pretty useless for weight lifting. That said, I wear mine because as Lisa points out the Calorie info is useful. It’s really the only way I know to compare effort between different sports. Certainly not perfect but what else can you use if you’re trying to chart total training load? Basically an HRM won’t tell you much with short maximal efforts since the HR lags behind the effort in anaerobic exercise. Circuit training I think it would be valuable to know how hard to push and what (if any) recovery time to use. For aerobic exercise it’s a different story. An HRM can be a very valuable tool in pacing an effort. It’s also a nice way to check improvement. If you’re able to maintain a certain power or speed at a lower HR than before then it likely means you’ve improved your base fitness.
Like I said, there are situations where an HR monitor can be used to good effect, and bhayden & Lisa Sabin bring up good points (pacing, cooling down, etc). As can be seen from my post, I also use a HR monitor from time to time.
One thing that I wonder about is how accurate is this in assessing fitness, or maybe more accurately work load? Are there better methods (accuracy for a given person, cheaper, more real-world focused)? For example it’s now possible to get bikes that tell you the watts expended - this is a very useful measure of work performed. Or, for a given type of work, can’t you just measure what was done in a given period of time? For example, every month, can’t you just bike, run, swim, a given distance at max effort and record the progress?
One thing I read that really captured my attention on work output was the chapter on Human Power in the book, “Bicycling Science”. In it, they lay out how much power humans can exert, the science of how this happens, and the factors that make some better than others. Then, coupled w/an understanding of the way we utilize statistics and averaging, it makes one pause a bit when thinking about some of the ways in which HR monitors are used. What I mean is this: Everyone is slightly different when it comes to working. And, my ideal HR ranges are not going to be anyone elses. Yet, most people using the HR monitors are basing their target ranges off of averages compiled across populations (Which I think is also true for machines that target calories burned - ymmv). Is this really how we should be thinking about using this tool?
I know, I know, heretical for me to even posit the idea that a great gadget may not be quite so great.
Power meters for bikes are available but they are expensive! I have a PowerTap (rear wheel that measures torque and speed which converts to watts) and just bought the Polar power accessory which calculates watts from chain tension and speed. I also have watts from my Tacx stationary trainers. Wattage has many benifits over HR. The big ones are less variability (HR changes with temperature, how you feel, etc.) and instantaneous feedback. It’s better than just speed since it tells you how much force you’re exerting when speed will vary depending on wind, road surface, your brake rubbing
…
Watts covert nicely to kjoules to measure total work. Kjoules can also be converted to Calories. What the Polar watches do is calculate Calories burn based on values you supply for VO2 max, max HR and weight. It’s an educated guess but a pretty good one. It will be interesting once I mount the Polar power sensor to see how the wattage derived kjoules compares to the HR derived Calories. If you’re using a HR monitor and not adjusting the zones to your personal max heartrate then it may be worse than not using an HRM at all. The standard formula they preach about 220 minus your age for max HR is about useless. That’s what most of the machines in the gym use.
I’ve got a cheep HRM, but I’m not really a fan for general training - how it feels & what’s on the schedule for the workout seems to be a much better guide for me. There was a great episode (#97) of Phedippidations about this around two months ago all about this kind of thing.
What I DO use it for though is on the bike when racing. Up there on the bars next to the bike computer it’s the fourth measure I need during a race:
o Speed / average speed: Am I on target for my split?
o Cadence: Am I in the zone for high power / low torque?
o Rolling time: Drink every ten minutes!
o HR: Don’t over-bake it. Keep near the top of the curve, without taking it too far. Run & walk works on foot, but I don’t think sprint & coast works out the fastest way on the bike!
I’ve wondered the same question, and wondered about it all through my marathon training. I don’t feel like I’m missing out on not knowing what my HR is, but if I keep stuggling with motivation I may get one just to have a new gadget to play with!