Are Heart Rate Monitors An Effective Training Tool?
By far the most under rated and under used piece of fitness equipment is a heart rate monitor. They are essential in helping you improve your fitness and by keeping an eye on your heart rate, it is much easier to gauge if you are overworking or under working during a training session.
Depending on your budget, you can pick one up for as little as £30 ($55) to just measure heart rate, right up to £300 ($370) for ones which offers a number of statistics on your training performance with all the information downloadable to you computer.
What is my Maximum Heart rate? (Max HR)
Ok. So you have you Heart rate monitor and you see your heart is ticking along at 70 odd beats a minute -so what now?
The first thing you need to do is to find out what your maximum possible heart rate is. You can do this in two ways - the easy way (theoretical test) or the hard way (practical test)
The hard way, but accurate method to discover your true maximum heart rate is to quite simply undergo a progressive exercise test and keep going until you can no longer continue. The reading on your heart monitor at point of failure can then be used as a very accurate way to discover your true maximum heart rate.
Although this procedure is very accurate, it is also very dangerous if you are unused to regular exercise, or performing the procedure on a treadmill where the risk of falling flat on your face on the running belt is high, so be careful.
If you do decided to take the practical test, the best way to do it is either on an exercise bike, rowing machine or slightly more dangerous a treadmill.
The Practical Max HR Test
Choose your piece of equipment and perform a thorough warm-up. This doesn't mean a poxy 3 minutes at an idle pace, but a good 10 mins at a steady pace. You should have raised a bit of a sweat by the end of it and your heart rate should be well into the hundreds.
After a stretch, hop back on the treadmill, bike or rowing machine and set off at a really gentle pace. After 1 minute, increase your pace by 10%. For Example:
- On the treadmill - If you start off at a pace of 8km/h, increase your speed by 0.8km/h every minute.
- On the bike - if you are pedalling at 100 watts, increase your speed by 10 watts every minute. However, feel free to also adjust the resistance too. So long as the intensity increases by around 10%, it doesn't really matter if you pedal faster or up the resistance.
- On the rowing Machine ¬- this test can be performed slightly differently. You can either set the monitor so that it displays your wattage and increase it by 10 % every minute, or-
- Start pulling at a 2:30/ 500m pace and speed up by 5 seconds every min until 2:00 /500m, and then drop by 2 seconds every min.
When you can't go on any more and you are rolling around on the floor in exhaustion, or feeling like the guy above, quickly check the highest reading that your heart got to. This is your maximum heart rate.
Whichever method you chose, you're in for a tough workout and for results to be accurate; you really have to push yourself to the limit. If you think you can't go on, think again and do it for one more minute!
It is very tough, physically and mentally, so do not attempt this form of training if you are unsure. If in doubt, check with your GP.
The Theoretical test
If the practical Max HR test sounds a bit too hard core, then I'd suggest you use the theoretical test instead - you don't even have to lift a finger.
To guess your Max HR, all you need to do is subtract your age from 220.
For example, if you are 40 then your theoretical maximum heart rate is 180 beats per minute.
This formula is not always 100% reliable and due to individuality, such as gender and age, can vary greatly. You may find that during a hard run or workout, your heart rate may exceed this figure. If this happens, adjust your maximum heart rate accordingly.
How to know what heart rate to train at
Once you have a rough idea of your maximum heart rate, you are then in a position to be able to accurately train within certain heart rate zones to help your training sessions to be performed at the right intensity.
As a rough guide:
Running / exercise intensity % of Max. Heart Rate
A comfortable paced - e.g. distance run 70-75
A tempo pace - e.g. quick paced hard run 85-90
Interval & hill training- e.g. short sprints 90-95
Running and training at an intensity which elevates your heart rate to 90%+ is pretty tough going and should only be performed if you have had a recent check up with your doctor.
Your fitness levels can improve dramatically by performing high intensity runs but your heart is placed under a great deal of stress, so care must be taken when your training runs reach the higher end of your heart rate limit.
Above all, train within your means. If you are new to exercise, check your heart rate regularly throughout your session and ease back a bit if you notice it edging towards the 85%-90% of Max HR.
Overtime, you will find that you will be able to tolerate higher heart rate levels but do not rush into it! A heart rate monitor is worth its weight in gold if used correctly, so if you are toying with the idea of getting one - stop toying and get buying!
A good start is by visiting: