Pages

Monday, February 17, 2014

Do you use a heart rate monitor when you workout?

*sponsored by LinkVehicle


Heart rate monitors are one of the most useful pieces of training equipment. When an athlete tracks their heart rate, they can watch their intensity to make sure that they are getting a workout that is in their target heart range. Heart rate monitors won't automatically make your workouts more effective; you need to know how to properly use them to get the most out of them.

Avoid these common mistakes that people make with heart monitors:

Avoid The 220 Age Formula

It is important to perform exercises at different intensities; this ensures that you are working both your aerobic and anaerobic systems. Heart rate monitors help you perform each workout at the proper intensity; the monitor assigns a specific heart rate zone to every workout.

When heart rate-based training first became popular, people would use a 220 age formula to calculate their maximum heart rate. The formula involved subtracting your age from 220 to find your maximum heart rate. The 220 formula is arbitrary and ineffective.

The best way to calculate your maximum heart rate is to take a 30 minute jog at a moderate pace. Use your heart rate monitor to average out your heart rate during the 30 minutes; this average heart rate should be used as a target rate for your future workouts.

High Intensity Workouts

Heart rate monitors aren't effective for high-intensity workouts that last less than a minute. Your
Heart Rate Monitors USA aren't effective because of cardiac lag. Cardiac lag is a phenomenon that occurs when you quickly increase your exercise intensity; basically, it takes a while for your heart to catch up to the exercise you are doing. If your exercise is short, your heart monitor won't give you a correct reading. During short high-intensity workouts, it's best to go at a pace that is comfortable.

Relying On Data Too Much

If you train with a heart monitor regularly, you need to remember that your heart rate isn't the only thing you should be looking at. It is important to listen to what signals your body is giving you; if you feel pain or exhaustion, it's time to stop your exercise. You need to be in tune with your body when you exercise. Don't base everything on your heart rate.

Heart rate monitors aid in effective training. When you use one, it can help you figure out if you are training at the proper intensity. Once you get to the proper heart rate, your exercise becomes more effective; since you are training more effectively, you don't have to train as long.

1 comment:

Thank you for taking the time to stop by Fishful Thinking Blog. I hope you learned something new and visit again soon.