Educate me on heart rate monitors

[cabbieman]

I'm guessing this will be the best forum to ask. I'm getting into my turbo training and I think I would like to know my heart rate as it seems to be a key part of structured training. Any recommendations? Any do's or don't? I'm not running a smart trainer yet but I may get one in the next couple of weeks if that has any bearing.

 

[CXRAndy]

Buy Wahoo Tickr chest HRM. It connects via Ant+ or Bluetooth,.

Find your max HR by doing a workout to the point of absolute failure . From there I use training peaks to set my heart rate zones for targeting workout strategy

 

[theboxers]

If you can't get on with a chest HRM try the one from Scosche the Rhythm+ or Rhythm24. Both are ant+ and BLE. They are used on the arm. They are optical not electrical. I have had no issues with mine.

Whatever you get make sure it is dual ant+/BLE

 

[Ming the Merciless]

If you get a Bluetooth 4.0 HR monitor it will work with your tablet and phone but not likely GPS. Ant will talk to GPS and more modern Android phones / tablets.

Bluetooth one can also do Heart Rate Variability (HRV) if you are interested in that for monitoring your recovery.

 

[tom73]

+1 Wahoo Tickr simple set up and works with any app or phone. Never had a issue with mine.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Also consider the Tickr X from Wahoo. Does a couple of extra things you may find useful.

 

[Racing roadkill]

Be careful that you’re not sensitive to the materials commonly found in chest wrap HRMs ( acrylate based plastics in particular ) I am, so have to use non chest wrap HRMs. Something like a Wahoo TICKR fit works well.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wahoo-TICKR-Heart-Armband-Bluetooth/dp/B078GRMFSN

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

I'm guessing this will be the best forum to ask. I'm getting into my turbo training and I think I would like to know my heart rate as it seems to be a key part of structured training. Any recommendations? Any do's or don't? I'm not running a smart trainer yet but I may get one in the next couple of weeks if that has any bearing.

Save your money and ignore heart rate monitoring as it is a fad, it comes from elite level sport where a lot of experienced people work with dedicate pro or semi pro athletes who have rigid training routines and life styles and doesn't apply to "normal" people.

If you think I am being disrespectful to the method, look at the typical charts used with heart rate monitors, they have 5 zones, very occasionally 6, yet you can probably tell from Perceived Exertion which of those 5 zones that you are in. When you get into the serious exercise area there are usually 3 zones, again really easy to tell in general and the border cases are just guesses anyway.

If you heart rate is 82% of your max, which zone are you in, especially as you almost certainly won't know you max heart rate down to the last couple of heart beats?

Even if you are sure, what does it really tell you, do you truly believe that there has been enough research done to be able to say that training at 82% of max heart rate is different from training at 78%?

Then what about those few pints that you had last night that have upped your heart rate by 5 beats per minute, pushing you from one zone into another, do you train lighter because of them?

A valid training method has been taken and simplified for mass consumption but the result of this simplification is that it is meaningless.

Remember the BMI (body mass index) it is now generally a derided measure? Yet it was a good tool for the job it was supposed to be used for, a guide for people who are obviously overweight.

Bye

Ian

 

[Brusgaard]

Good morning,



Save your money and ignore heart rate monitoring as it is a fad, it comes from elite level sport where a lot of experienced people work with dedicate pro or semi pro athletes who have rigid training routines and life styles and doesn't apply to "normal" people.

If he wants to use Zwift alongside the structured training and do any racing, HR-strap is required in most races. Failing to wear one gets you disqualified in most of them.

 

[Heltor Chasca]

Nope. HRMs are very useful on the turbo. Besides, the new smart fan, the Wahoo HeadWind can be hooked up to your HRM so when you exert yourself, the fan blows harder. Cleverness.

 

[Deleted member 1258]

Good morning,



Save your money and ignore heart rate monitoring as it is a fad, it comes from elite level sport where a lot of experienced people work with dedicate pro or semi pro athletes who have rigid training routines and life styles and doesn't apply to "normal" people.

If you think I am being disrespectful to the method, look at the typical charts used with heart rate monitors, they have 5 zones, very occasionally 6, yet you can probably tell from Perceived Exertion which of those 5 zones that you are in. When you get into the serious exercise area there are usually 3 zones, again really easy to tell in general and the border cases are just guesses anyway.

If you heart rate is 82% of your max, which zone are you in, especially as you almost certainly won't know you max heart rate down to the last couple of heart beats?

Even if you are sure, what does it really tell you, do you truly believe that there has been enough research done to be able to say that training at 82% of max heart rate is different from training at 78%?

Then what about those few pints that you had last night that have upped your heart rate by 5 beats per minute, pushing you from one zone into another, do you train lighter because of them?

A valid training method has been taken and simplified for mass consumption but the result of this simplification is that it is meaningless.

Remember the BMI (body mass index) it is now generally a derided measure? Yet it was a good tool for the job it was supposed to be used for, a guide for people who are obviously overweight.

Bye

Ian

They're not a fad they've been around a long time, we were using heart monitors in the days before there were power metres, me and most of my club mates were training with heart monitors back in the 1990's.

 

[Aleman]

To a certain extent I agree with @IanSmithCSE, in that training to heart rate 'zones' is a bit random, and for general performance you are much better training to Power Zones. On the other hand if you are going to work on Aerobic efficiency then a heart rate monitor, and a set of correctly calculated Heart Rate Zones for YOU, is required.

I have a problem in the real world of always pushing myself just that little bit harder, and find it difficult to back off, using the numbers, like HR, I can recognise when I'm pushing too hard and need to back off, and drop down to a zone lower to conserve effort for later on. This is especially important for multi day long rides.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

The problem with training to heart rate numbers is that you have to understand what those numbers mean and that is way beyond my education and experience and I'm 57 and have used gyms since I was 13, although we didn't have HRMs that far back.

I use a gym 5 minutes walk from home which has top of the line Life Fitness treadmills and exercise bikes, on the bikes you can't comfortably avoid the heart rate sensors so I know my heart rate data quite well.

On the treadmill I take a few reading because I can and I too like numbers.

But and this is a big but the same exercises on the same equipment, not just the same make but the same bike or treadmill produces heart rate readings that vary by as much as 10 bpm between the highest and lowest rates in any short term period.

This is a combination of what I exercise did yesterday, the day before etc, what I ate and drank recently, the temperature in the room, what time of day it is (morning and straight out of bed or loosened up in the evening) and am I annoyed at sitting on the M5 for 2 hours?

Without control and consistency of all of the above and more I am convinced that heart rate is little more than an broad indicator.

Bye

Ian

 

[Milkfloat]

Good morning,

The problem with training to heart rate numbers is that you have to understand what those numbers mean and that is way beyond my education and experience and I'm 57 and have used gyms since I was 13, although we didn't have HRMs that far back.

I use a gym 5 minutes walk from home which has top of the line Life Fitness treadmills and exercise bikes, on the bikes you can't comfortably avoid the heart rate sensors so I know my heart rate data quite well.

On the treadmill I take a few reading because I can and I too like numbers.

But and this is a big but the same exercises on the same equipment, not just the same make but the same bike or treadmill produces heart rate readings that vary by as much as 10 bpm between the highest and lowest rates in any short term period.

This is a combination of what I exercise did yesterday, the day before etc, what I ate and drank recently, the temperature in the room, what time of day it is (morning and straight out of bed or loosened up in the evening) and am I annoyed at sitting on the M5 for 2 hours?

Without control and consistency of all of the above and more I am convinced that heart rate is little more than an broad indicator.

Bye

Ian

Heart rate monitors on gym equipment are really just semi random number generators. They are really not worth using at all. On the other hand a decent chest or even arm strap, together whit working out your maximum and your ranges can be a pretty decent tool to supplement power readings.

 

[tom73]

Agree with @Milkfloat HRM on gym equipment are not great i've yet to get one to work and don't know anyone who ever has or see any one using it. The only ones that maybe of any use are the ones that now pair directly with an Apple watch. Sadly my gym is not looking to update any time soon.

Which you like to use is up to you. I like many have found a dedicated HRM to work. Likewise day to day general use I've found my Apple watch to be a good stand in.