My heart rate monitor has a calorie counter on it. Anyone know how accurate these things are? Just curious, cause it seems like it might be helpful in regulating my diet if they are close.
HRM question
- Thread starter edoz
- Start date
Not very. They extrapolate your calories burned from duration and intensity [BPM] of your workout and your weight. They don't take into account things like % body fat, blood glucose level, environmental conditions and your specific biomechanics. At best, they're a vague approximation of what your calories burned might be under controlled conditions. If you REALLY want to tailor your diet to training, you're much better off spending $50 and having a sit-down with a nutritionist.
By the way, I'm using the S510, what are you using?
By the way, I'm using the S510, what are you using?
I'm using a Sigma Sport PC-14. It's cool, but it's my first hrm so I can't compare it to anything.
I think you'll find that using any HRM in training is a huge improvement. You'll start wondering how you managed to get along without one.
Yeah, I've already noticed a big difference.
The trick is to log your workouts and vary the intensities. Today, I did a threshold training workout [running mainly, due to the weather], tomorrow, I'm planning a zone-3 aerobic workout. The cool thing is that I can actually see how my anaerobic threshold has risen thanks to structured training.
HEY - I know you!!
I just bought the Polar A5 - actually, the s510 was my first choice but a bit out of my price range.
I also bought a book by Sally Edwards - so far, so good!
Hey, MtnBikerChk, wassup?
I thought I'd see how the dirt-set lives and, since you're all so friendly to radies, I thought I'd stick around a bit.
I got my S510 for $175, and the cadence sensor for another $30, so it was a good deal. [It's at an LBS where I have a relatinship.] I needed a new HRM, and I needed a new computer with cadence so, with the other features like the software and all, it was easy to justify. The software -- PC Coach Lite -- isn't all that great, but I'm sure I can find something better. I wish I could export files as XLS, though...
I thought I'd see how the dirt-set lives and, since you're all so friendly to radies, I thought I'd stick around a bit.
I got my S510 for $175, and the cadence sensor for another $30, so it was a good deal. [It's at an LBS where I have a relatinship.] I needed a new HRM, and I needed a new computer with cadence so, with the other features like the software and all, it was easy to justify. The software -- PC Coach Lite -- isn't all that great, but I'm sure I can find something better. I wish I could export files as XLS, though...
Hey, I got that book for Xmas! Can't wait to start it.Originally posted by MtnBikerChk
HEY - I know you!!
I just bought the Polar A5 - actually, the s510 was my first choice but a bit out of my price range.
I also bought a book by Sally Edwards - so far, so good!
NOT HAPPY!!!!
On my way to the gym last night for spinning...... wearing my hrm chest strap in the car (gym is 4 miles away). SNAP! Plastic clip broke - I'm not THAT fat
On the bright side, I ordered it from Creative Health Products online - I called them this am and they are sending me another one, no questions asked.
Heidi - that book is great.
Observation: After determining my max heart rate, and then my heart rate zones, I realize that I haven't been training as hard as I thought I was - did this happen to anyone else?
On my way to the gym last night for spinning...... wearing my hrm chest strap in the car (gym is 4 miles away). SNAP! Plastic clip broke - I'm not THAT fat
On the bright side, I ordered it from Creative Health Products online - I called them this am and they are sending me another one, no questions asked.
Heidi - that book is great.
Observation: After determining my max heart rate, and then my heart rate zones, I realize that I haven't been training as hard as I thought I was - did this happen to anyone else?
Well, I determined my max rate by the simplistic method of 220-your age. I can't get close to it no matter how hard I ride though. I barely got to 181 once, though my max is supposed to be 193!
You're thinking about it the wrong way!
What you should realize is that you CAN train at a higher level. When I got my HRM, I found that I had been doing most of my training just below 70% -- which is great for endurance/aerobic training, but was doing nothing for my anaerobic threshold [which was probably why I always died on climbs... but that's another story]. With the HRM, I was able to target my zones much better. I was able to push my AT higher [by 5 bpm!] and I found that I was able to sustain more than 75% of my HRM almost indefinitely. [Okay... not indefinitely... but you get the picture... ]
One think I also found was that it is VERY difficult to keep your HRM up cycling unless you do a lot of intervals and climbing.
As for MAX HR, it SHOULD be almost impossible to hit. You should start feeling a great deal of discomfort after a few minutes at your AT, and 90%+ of max should be almost unbearable. Don't TRY to reach max -- there's no adaptive training value to that.
I have little trouble hitting my max. Mine was tested on the computrainer as 201, and in fact I've seen 209 in the finish line sprint at the local crit. As time goes on, I don't hit my max as often, but I still seem to get really close. I can spend an hour or two at 90%. It doesn't seem unbearable, just uncomfortable. The last XC race I did, my hr didn't come below 85% the whole race. (almost 2 hours) Am I doing something wrong?
No... you're just in far better shape than most people. I'm sure your Max VO2 is well over 60. Sounds like you've pushed your AT up to 90%, which is great! I would avoid spending too much time at max, though. That can cause some trouble.
So if i do a race what should my target hr be?
Read the book, Tony. It will explain it all! First you have to determine your max heart rate (through series of tests, then take the average). Then you can determine your training zones -
zone 1 = 50%-60% of max heart rate
zone 2 = 60-70% and so on.
Depending on what you are training for, you decide which zones you ride in and for how long etc etc!
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My goat is to win, guide me
Go that way really, really fast. If something gets in your way, turn.Originally posted by The Toninator
My goat is to win, guide me
Sweet! Now that's the kind of advice i've been looking for.
Better off Dead.
Depends... find your anaerobic threshold [also called lactate threshold] and stay just below it. That may be at 140, 150, 160, 165, whatever -- it depends on your physiology and metabolism. A good rule of thumb is to find the highest HR that you can hold comfortably, but with some effort, for more than an hour. That's what training is [partly] about. The other part of training is about causing metabolic and physiological adaptations to higher intensity levels of muscular activity and higher HRs.
i was doing 170 - 175 the other night and it felt good. peaked at 191 going up a hill.
You never let me down!