Reader’s Request: Techie Training Buddy
It’s almost the weekend… and another day closer to being in San Diego, breathing in the ocean smells. I can’t wait 🙂
Lots of breakfast and random foods have been happening over here this week, because a favorite guy of mine had a flight upgrade.
So this means open-faced sandwiches
[Black rice bread, heated organic turkey, olive tapenade, mustard, arugula and goat cheese]
lots of eggs
veggie creations
[The bnut squash was covered in ketchup post-photo]
fruits and soup.
You know.
While things haven’t been too groundbreaking on the food front –KILLER recipe comin’ atcha tonight, though!- workouts have been exciting, since I have been back at work this week. I took last weekend off for the baby shower and to spend time with out-of-town guests, and it felt really good to be back yesterday. Buff Booty, assisting dance classes, Zumba today- I had missed the all-day activity and wearing my fitness thinking cap. It’s nice to be back in action.
Whenever I teach or assist an intense class at work, I always wear my heart rate monitor. Not only does it help me gauge how hard I’m working, it helps me keep track of the amount of calories I’ve burned through exercise, so that I’m fueling myself properly for the extra activity.
[Polar FT40]
I used a Polar F6 for a couple of years, until it bit the dust and the HRM training went by the wayside, and this summer decided to get a new heart rate monitor for work and my personal workouts.
Bonus: it’s also a watch, so I’ll just wear it all day when I’m at work and add the chest strap when I need it.
[Old pic- the baby belly is much bigger now]
When I bought my new HRM, I posted some of the benefits of using one:
Benefits of using a heart rate monitor:
1. It’s a great way to know how hard you’re pushing yourself and if you can push harder. The first time I used my Polar F6 (about 3 years ago), I was surprised to find out that I wasn’t recovering completely in between my HIIT intervals, and that I could take my cardio to the next notch.
2. It tracks calories burned (for the entire week, too!), which can help with assessing fuel. On my teaching days, it let me know how many additional calories I was burning so I could plan my fuel accordingly.
3. It’s customizable to YOU. Heart rate monitors will usually let you input your age and weight, and will adjust your target heart rates according to what activity you’re doing. It will be able to tell you where you should be each training zone, or you can preset these numbers if you know which percentage of your maximum heart rate that you’d like to train at.
4. They’re fantastic for races. Having a heart rate monitor helped me gauge my exertion from the beginning, so I could keep from pushing too hard too quickly and burning out. I also liked the fact that it has a timer on the watch for when you start the activity level, so you know how long you’ve been going for.
So how exactly do you use one?
-There are a few different types of heart rate monitors. Some are pretty advanced (ie, it would take me forever to figure out how to use them), but the basic ones include some type of transmitter, either through the watch itself or a separate chest strap. If it has a chest strap, I’ve found that wetting the sensors before use helps, along with regular washing. I’ll detach the plastic part from the strap and wash the cloth portion on gentle, then let it air dry.
-For some HRMs, you’ll input your personal data before you first use it. Weight, height and age are the usual suspects, and my new Polar had me do a Fit Test before I started using it. I had to lay on the floor without moving for 5 minutes or so and then it used the data to determine my resting heart rate and ideal training zones.
Some tips:
-Many heart rate monitors take time to adjust their “suggested training zones” to your training. My first one (the F6) thought I was working out too hard while I was teaching Zumba and spin, until it realized that was the norm for me. It may take a few workouts for your HRM to get to know you, so be patient and I’d suggest turning off the sound so it isn’t beeping at you all the time.
-General guidelines for target training zones: [of course everyone is different, and check with your doc to be sure of a good plan for you]
1) Determine your maximum heart rate: 220 minus your age. For me, it’s 220 – 26 = 194
2) Determine your training range. Ideally, you want to work out between 60-85% of your maximum heart rate (so take your maximum heart rate and multiply by .6 = 116 and .85 = 165, so my ideal training range is from 116 and 165). Of course, the closer you are to the 85% will have a higher impact on your endurance, but it’s important to remember to alternate workout intensities. Like I said before, our heart is our most important muscle, and just like all muscles, it needs time to rest and recover, instead of being worked out to the max everyday.
-Wear the chest strap so that it’s snug, but not cutting off your circulation. I’ll wear mine so that it’s right under the base of my sports bra, which helps keep it in place.
-If you find out that your chafing –the new models are made out of softer materials- try using some Body Glide to prevent it.
[I put that on Facebook last night, and someone added the 4th option. Not quite sure what a “scrote” is, but if it’s anything like it sounds like…]
So tell me, friends:
Do you train with a heart rate monitor? What are your tips for using one?
If not, how do you gauge your workout intensity? The talk test (seeing how easily you can say words or sentences during your workout) is an easy, cost-free method
Does anyone own a Bodybugg or similar device? What do you think?
Enjoy your day and I’ll see ya on my lunch break with a Family post <3
xoxo
Gina
You might also like:
70 Comments
Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I have the Polar F6 in Green! 🙂
I love it, but often forget to put it on. I usually put the watch around my sports bra strap too since I’m not a fan of wearing a watch during my workouts. It’s great to see how many calories I’m ACTUALLY burning at the gym rather than the inflated number that the cardio machines try to tell me I’m burning (usually it’s 30-40% less!).
I have a bodybugg for 3 years now. It ROCKS!
I have an HRM and used it mainly when I was marathon training, but don’t really wear it much now. I think the main reason is because I just don’t like the feeling of the chest strap, but now that you’ve reminded me of it, I think I might bust it out again for a few spin classes and treadmill runs!
I’ve been training with a HRM, but have backed off the past week or so because I know how many calories I burn in certain activities (BodyPump). I still wear my Polar for a long run because it’s insane how many calories are burned, and I definitely need the extra help figuring out how much more I need to fuel.
Bodybugg owner here. I love it because unlike a heart rate monitor, it’s on all the time, so you know how many calories you burn cleaning the house, walking around, working out. It’s amazing to see calories burned during 30-minutes of moderate weight lifting versus 45-min balls to the wall cardio (FYI, for me, I burned the same, if not more, weight lifting. So the literature is true, lol!)
It’s also a pedometer and you can set goals for steps and calories burned in a day. Bodybugg is great for people who just aren’t sure how much to eat because when it’s all laid out in front of you, you can see if you’re eating more than you burn.
I have Polar F7 – thought I had to put it away for a while. I became semi-obsessed with the number of calroies that I was burning .. A workout session wasn’t condsidered as such unless I got that number above 600. I would try to get it as high as I possibly could. And it was not good. I haven’t used it in a while, but i am thinking of bringing it back again. If I start to get obsessed again, I will put it away.
Former Bodybugg owner here — I don’t think it was very accurate for me. I used it for over a year and found that even though I was supposedly running a caloric deficit, I was actually gaining weight. I think it was overestimating how much I was burning because no matter how exact I was with the calorie count, the pudge wouldn’t budge.
I gave it away to a fitness friend. I seem to be in the minority here though — lots of people (ie, CHALENE!) love it. I think it’s partly that we WANT to love it. It’s expensive and fancy (and you can customize it with stickers! I had mine all covered in a pink love skin!) and you just feel like it must be the most awesome thing ever. But… it just didn’t give me great results.
I have the same PolarFT40 in white and I absolutely love it. I think my favorite part is that it helps me to see when I haven’t worked hard enough so I can increase the difficulty of my work outs or add more on at the end if needed. I love seeing which work outs get my heart rate going the most 🙂
I don’t own a bodybugg but I am a trainer for a gym that sells them. To be honest I’d much rather have my clients by a HRM. The Bugg just tells them how many calories they burn throughout the day, which is great. However, I want my clients in that 60-85% range when doing cardio, which the Bugg can’t tell you.
I’ve used heart rate monitors in the past but I wish they didn’t need the strap around your chest. I can always feel it and wished they had one that just needed the wrist part.
I love my HRM!! I used to use a Polar and now I use a Garmin so that I can track other data, too.
I love this topic! I got a heart rate monitor for christmas last year and LOVE it. One of my fave things was using at the gym during strength training. I really had no idea how high you can get your heart rate doing things like pushups and lunges. I didn’t realize such a huge part of my calorie burn came from doing strength training. It also helped for classes, especially new ones. I’m a cardio enthusiast and prefer a class where I can get sweaty and really move. I also love it for triathlon training. The first time I wore it during a long bike ride, I couldn’t believe how many calories I burned. No wonder I was so hungry! Now I’m way better at planning out when to refuel on my long rides.
The flip side is that I found out I don’t really like it for racing. Weird, huh? I don’t know if it is nerves but I wore it for one half marathon and it was the worst race of my life. I felt awful and I think I got stressed about trying to keep my heart rate in check. (It was sky high, near 190 the whole time, even when I tried to jog as slow as possible). I did a tri and another half without it and it was waaay better. I’m sure everyone is a little different, but for me, I’ve found the monitor to be more useful for training and I leave the strap at home on race days. I’m also sort of an experienced racer (not fast, but experienced) so I think I’ve become pretty good at racing and listening to body without the gear. Maybe the combination of race day excitement and seeing my heart rate is just too much for this girl!
I love my HRM. I have a polar but I’ve been doing lots of outdoor walking this summer and I use my Garmin with HRM instead now. I like to compare my speeds with my max heart rate and avg heart rate to see if I am getting faster but still maintaining the same heart rate levels. Just another way to measure progress. Fun stuff.
I didn’t until I got pregnant, now I love it. I really want a fitbit, so hopefully santa will bring me one.
Gina! Can I bug you for your chocolate and almond butter macaroon recipe?! I can’t find it anywhere on your blog…& I saw some at the store today. Resisting the urge to buy store-bought ones was hard, but I knew yours looked better 🙂 I would sooooooo appreciate it 😉 Thanks! If you don’t want to give out the recipe…that’s cool too.
I go from always wearing mine…. to almost hardly, and then repeat to always! I still find them uncomfortable when I sweat so much!! All in all though….I think they are a great tool and important for re-feuling properly. 🙂
It’s so funny, I was literally on amazon looking at HRMs just before reading this post. I’ve been wanting one for a long time so I can know how hard I’m actually working out and if there’s room for improvement. Pretty sure it’s what I’m asking for for Christmas this year.
I use a garmin forerunner for race training – I love it! I don’t really use the HRM because I use it mainly for distance and pace. My old roomie used a polar and it was really helpful to her when she was teaching herself to exercise properly and it helped her drop quite a few lbs. I think they are a great tool to have, esp since you can use them in so many ways.
Now, 2 questions:
1. Where did you find the black rice bread? I’m not gluten-free, but I love the taste and texture of brown rice bread toasted (only toasted!). I have been looking for that black rice bread ever since I saw it on here.
2. What are persimmons like? I keep chickening out when I go to the store.
I would love to purchase a heart rate monitor as I have some minor issues while working out and would like to see what my ticker is doing while this is happening but I have no clue even where to start with purchasing one.
I have a HRM that is a watch, no strap needed. I use it for hiking the mountains. Put two fingers on the sensor for a few seconds and it shows your HR. I use it mostly when climbing hills. It is my “stop whining and keep going” watch.
I am curious how many of you use the HR strap on your Garmin?
SICK watch chica! Ahhhh goat cheese is literally my addiction. I don’t know what I would do without it. It’s the best for making pizza crust!
That black rice bread looks really interesting!! Is that homemade?
nope, food for life brand
I only sometimes wear the chest strap to my Garmin, mainly because I find it super uncomfortable. The talk test works for me!
I use a Garmin 305 and I love it. I wanted a GPS watch to help me track my runs. It is also a heart rate monitor. I don’t use it for every workout, but once in a while I like to make sure I’m staying on track and that I keep my heart rate in the correct interval.
I use a BodyBugg, and have for a while. I purchased my first one when I was marathon training a few years back because I was having a terrible time refueling. Since I didn’t know how many calories I was burning during the day I wasn’t eating nearly enough. I recently bought the new style that connects to my phone since I’ve started following Tracy Anderson Meta. I refuse to follow her eating plan since I’m not looking for a quick fix, and the BodyBugg helps me refuel properly based on what I’m actually burning. I’ve never used a heart rate monitor, but this was great information that may have changed my mind about them. Thanks!
was that saying you burnt over 2000 calories?!?! Lol I want to go to your class. I have a heart rate monitor that came with my Garmin, but I haven’t been able to figure out how to use it to get my calorie count. I think I have to use the disc on my computer… I should work on that.
I have – and love – my heart rate monitor! I also have a Bodybugg and I like it. After pretty much 15 years of dieting (and I’m only 25), I was so out of tune with my body and the Bodybugg was really enlightening. That said, I do still use my heart rate monitor because the Bodybugg is very inaccurate for activities where you don’t use your arms (like the stepmill, my love).
I feel like such a dork for writing this, but its suppose to rain here in San Diego this weekend (saturday they think). You probably check the weather but I think sometimes people dont because they expect it to be so nice here all the time. I was reading a blog where someone was here last week and wasnt prepared. Wet feet are no fun 🙂
I’ve used my FT60 for a little over a year and I love it! I upgraded from a no-name $30 watch that would sync with my neighbor’s cardio machine and freak them out.
The one caveat I’ve noticed is that running HR zones seem to be different from regular exercise HR zones. Running is HARD work, and I almost always go above zone 3 during them, then it penalizes me and I don’t earn my trophy at the end of the week* because I did too much training in zone 3. Polar lets you set a workout goal: lose weight, improve fitness, or maximize fitness; mine’s set on maximize because I’m training for a 1/2 marathon but it chides me for not training more in zone 1.
* The HRM sets total time spent working out and calories burned goals, as well as time spent in zones 1-3 goals and if you meet those goals you get a trophy, 1-3 stars, or nothing at the end of each week. It’s like a gold star for the over-achiever in you :-).
is this “reward” only with a certain model of polar or any polar? I like that feature but i dont want to spend a crazy amount…
I have been thinking about getting a HRM for a while now, I was just wondering in your opinion if the FT40 or the FT60 is better? Thanks for your awesome posts! 😀
Also, what do you think about the Fitbit versus a HRM?
I had a BodyBugg for awhile, and I liked it for many of the reasons you like your HRM. However, it got to a point that I realized I was becoming obsessed with my calorie numbers, and it wasn’t healthy for me. I think they’re a great tool for weight loss and for all of the other reasons you listed, but I think you have to know yourself too and make sure you have a healthy mindset about it (which I didn’t).
I was just like you…I loved the BodyBugg, but became so obsessed with the numbers that I had to stop using it! Now I just listen to my body and that seems to work much better!
I have the Polar Ft60 and LOVE it!! I have had it for about a month now and find it is a great tool to have while working out. I haven’t set up the weekly goals yet (I keep forgetting) but plan to now! I really like how it displays calories, zones, heart rate, and a timer. I find it great for intervals and weight training!
Long time lurker and the bodybugg discussion forced me to comment! (I love Fitnessista! )
IMHO I feel like we should never rely on any device to help us “get to a certain level” as in life we wont always have those tools with us/on us and we need to learn how to gauge our own bodies (which is that connection of body mind and self a lof of us who have to lose weight already struggle with!) That being said no other tool has helped me better than Body Bugg. I have a personal trainer who rocks! She introduced me to it (well after I said ‘hey I want one!’) and wow it really changed everything. Knowing EXACTLY (yea yea its not perfect but what is) how much you are taking in and how much you exhert is pivotal. There’s no way IMO to cheat or “fudge” things. I also could not disagree more about the comment that when you aren’t using your arms that much its inaccurate, thats bollocks to me. I always used to think ” You Zumba-ed so now go eat whatever” but if Zumba burns 650 calories, you can’t then EAT 650 calories!
Zumba is the bomb and I love that Gina loves it too! Ive lost 40 pounds and still go 4 x per week over the last year! (Steps off soap box 😉 )
thank you so much for saying hi!!
good to know you like the body bugg so much!
I have one for my Garmin 305 and I wear it but I don’t really pay too much attention to it when I run. I’m more focused on mileage & pace. I would like just a regular one when I do non running workouts though.
You read my mind! I was thinking about buying a HRM and had no idea where to begin. Thanks for the great info!
I wanted to love the Polar f6 and then the Garmin I bought but I returned both of them b/c the chest straps really bothered me…always slipping, shifting, or poking me. I just couldn’t fully get comfortable with them so returned one and sold the other on Craigslist.
If not, how do you gauge your workout intensity? = I guess I don’t and I just push myself to make sure I am sweating, moving fast enough, a bit winded, and just…tired. Old school but hey, it works for me.
I have the same watch but in purple/pink. I loved it and received many compliments wearing it as a watch. However, I stopped using it about a year ago because the baterie went dead. It took me a while to go to the store to replaced it but when I did, I noticed that the strap baterie was dying too. I never got to change it… I guess I’ve been lazy with that!
Oups in fact I have the FT60. Look alike.
Gina- I have been considering getting a HRM for a while now and am so excited you did this post 🙂
I’m still trying to decide which one… but this post/comments are helping 🙂
ALSO I was wondering what your opinion of the fitbit was. I was thinking of getting the fitbit to wear all day to monitor daily activities etc and then a hrm watch (like your polar ft40) to wear when I work out. Who knows if that would be too much though..
I LOVE THE FITBIT! Its so discrete and it measures so many things! Steps, calories, sleep, miles logged, floors walked. I would recommend it to everyone!
i have a polar F7 HRM for indoors, and i use my garmin outdoors (gps, obviously) I LOOOVE my HRM’s, makes me so much more aware of where my heart rate is, and how much I am burning, it helps alot so then i know not to overeat because i didn’t burn as much as it feels sometimes
I have a Garmin that I bought about a year ago. I like it for the GPS and being able to track my workouts, but wanted the heart-rate monitor because we are TTC. With running half marathons, I thought the heart-rate monitor would keep me (and baby) in a safe range. Hopefully, one day, that will happen.
I have a FitBit and I absolutely adore it! Its completely discrete (I hook it to my bra) and it also measures my sleep. Its awesome and I love it! It’s also a pedometer and it encourages me to walk more!
eek!! you have no idea how excited i was that you did this post today. i had just done a search the other day to figure out what heart rate monitor you use 🙂
i did a cardio point assessment at my gym on monday, where she measured my VO2 max, anaerobic threshold, and my heart rate zones. the gym’s personal trainers plugged my results into a computer program, which generated a 12 week training plan to increase my zones 1 and 2 heart rates to make my workouts more efficient. essentially i have workouts that say do zone 1 for X amount of time followed by zone 2 by Y amount of time–repeat Z times. i did my first workout on tuesday, and since i was doing repeats of 2 minutes in zone 1 followed by 1 minute in zone 2–i realized as i was going through my workout that my heart rate was not slowing down enough to get to zone 1 by the time i had to step it back up to zone 2. i was constantly fiddling with my speeds on the treadmill to get my heart rate to the right zone. am i doing this right?
I find a heartrate monitor is good to put on clients when training them as it gives me a back up for judging how they might be feeling and how hard their heart is working. Some people when they first start out are quite unfamiliar with what is hard work and when they start to complain, it’s good to say, ‘it’s ok, you can go a bit longer’ or whatever (of course, understanding that sometimes, they really are about to pass out). And then there are the ones that don’t know when to slow down – the worst I have had for this is trained dancers. They are used to putting that smile on and keeping a relaxed face and controlled breath even when their heart is bounding along at 180.
I used to have a Polar F11 and I loved it until it died. Since I’ve taken up jogging I have been using a Garmin Forerunner, 405, now 210. I love my Garmin, it has a HRM but I like the GPS function most. It comes with a footpod too so you can use it inside. Highly recommended!
I’ve tried a HR monitor and a Bodybugg. Personally, I liked the Bodybugg better. I found it more accurate in terms of how many calories I’ve burned. However, there may be better HR monitors out there that are more accurate. The only downside to the Bodybugg is the yearly fee and you don’t know at what intensity you are working out at.
I’ve always thought it must be so confusing for fitness instructors to know how much to eat, since they’re so active all day. That’s smart to use your HRM monitor to keep track!
I have a Garmin 305, but I rarely wear the chest strap since I mostly just care about distance/pace.
Ah! I want one of these! I may be adding it to my Christmas list! I don’t understand how it works though! Is it your heartrate that allows the monitor to calculate your calorie burn? If that is the case, then how come many say its not accurate for exercises that involve “legs only”?!
what does that even mean? like a recumbent bike?
I think that the HRM is accurate no matter what (based on your heartbeat), but they can’t track distances and times for “legs only” exercises such as the elliptical and the stationary bike unless you buy a foot pod to use with them. The foot pod measures how many revolutions your legs have made to calculate distances. With running, they use GPS. At least, that’s how my Garmin works (Garmin 405cx).
I’m so glad I found this strand! I previously purchased a heartrate monitor but returned it when I realized it didn’t track pace and distance. Does anyone have recommendations for a heartrate monitor for a cyclist(spinner) and runner that tracks HR, calories burned, pace and distance?
Garmin 305!
Thanks Ginna!!
did you hear that starbucks is releasing a whole new chain of juice stores?? thought you’d like to know! 🙂
http://www.zagat.com/buzz/confirmed-starbucks-will-indeed-launch-juice-chain#utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=twitter
i had no idea! scary excited over here
I bought my polar after you got your new one this summer because you wrote such a great post about them 🙂 I love training with mine. One question though…
I love doing HIIT on the treadmill. What do you like to get your heart rate down to during the recovery before your next sprint? the 60% of your max?
Thanks Gina for the amazing information xo
i’m so glad you like it! my heart rate usually goes down to the 40% range or so in between intervals