Heart Rate Monitors

[Dangerous Dave]

What do people think of heart rate monitors for improving fitness? Anyone use them?

What is the best make to buy?

[Jon]

They are good for cardio training (especially cycling) , if you want to achieve it the scientifically way. I would recommend the old fashoined way though - just run a set distance and increase that distance every week or so.

[Sisyphus]

DD

Bought a heart rate and B.P. monitor because the good lady has high B.P. At the doc's one day I got them to check mine and compared it against our monitor. Got the wife to do the same when she visited the nurse for a 'routine check up'.

On both occasions our monitor was giving incorrect readings. So the question is: how do we know the monitor is calibrated correctly or, at least, maintains accurate readings without being able to calibrate things?

I guess if you're using it for comparative purposes it matters less. So, if a weighscale is, say 3 lbs out, it doesn't really matter if you're just checking loss or gain of weight instead of absolute weight.

[Dangerous Dave]

I Know what you mean. I do have reservations about their accuracy. Its the same with the body fat scales - they can give all sort of readings. I guess trusting technology isnt the best thing to do.

[anglo-saxon]

Tips of the fingers have always worked for me.

[Cronkilla]

I have a pulse rate monitor. It has a small sensor on the watch you place your finger on. £20 from boots. Its not as fancy and wont give you reading without the hassle of placing your finger on the sensor. It is however easyily done while running/cycling or at the end of any exercise. It is a little temperamental when your heart is not "pumping"(after any exercise) and struggles to find my resting pulse rate

[Cheeks]

The most useful one that I saw (like hell I want to subject myself to it) is one which alarms when your heart rate drops below a preset level, above this level is when the cardiac muscle is actually training (and for most of us it's stupidly high).

[Scooter]

Forget about the science mate, just get out there and do some hard work. Your body will tell you if you are working hard enough.

[Cheeks]

No jokes, aerobic exercise is not effective unless your heart is working right on the limit.

[anglo-saxon]

Take the figure 220. Deduct your age. Then work out what 60-80% of that number is. The bracket you come up with is called your "training zone". For instance, if you're 20 years old, your training zone (i.e., the heartbeat range in which the "training effect" is taking place) is 120-160 BPM. Training in the 120 BPM range would be a lower end "steady-state"-type workout, while training up around the 150 BPM range (or higher) would be obviously more intense. Of course, this is a rule of thumb and there are exceptions to the rule. Very "fit" people will be able to get their heart rate safely higher (up around the 180-190 BPM range) and see it recover to the 120 range much quicker. Good interval training would be running at a pace that maintains a heart rate in the 120s, then sprinting between lamp posts to get the heart rate up and then allowing the heart to drop back down again (while still running) to the 120s, and so on. Of course this approach can be achieved in a variety of acivities, including circuit training, swimming, cycling, etc.

The radial pulse can easily be found, especially when the heart is beating hard. Use the tips of the index and middle fingers together and place them lightly on the wrist just below the "top" forearm bone (the one in line with the thumb) and at the base of the fleshy part of the thumb. Don't press too hard or a double (inaccurate) pulse might be felt. Take the pulse for 15 or 20 seconds and multiply by 3 or 4 respectively to get a reasonable accurate BPM count. Never use the thumb to take the pulse.

A manual system like this helps you to get "in tune" with your body during training.

[Whitey]

I like those things.

[bullpup]

BP monitors; are used incorrectly; you must take three consecutive readings and if they show "variation from the norm" you should check it manually!

Wonderful!

All gadgets have a degree of infalabilty in them; it doesn't seem to matter a jot how much you spend on them; all automatic BP machines need to be checked if you find an anomally.

Soapbox mode://: off:

There is a far better way of checking blood pressure......................


Bull