Equipment - Do You Need a Heart Rate Monitor for Your Workout?

You want your cardio workouts to be effective. Whether it’s on a treadmill, elliptical trainer, or exercise bike, it seems like the only way you can really tell if you had a good workout is based on how you feel afterward. Yet, we all have our “good days” and “bad days” – and using a subjective measure based on how you feel might not be the best way to judge how good your workouts are.

But, there is a solution. If you want to get more exact with your precision cardio, you can use a heart rate monitor in addition to evaluating your rate of perceived exertion. The heart rate monitor will tell you exactly what your heart rate is as you're exercising, which means you can then increase or decrease your intensity to get a precise workout. Many types of cardio equipment have heart rate monitor programs, and you can also purchase your own heart rate monitor (which usually consists of a chest strap and wrist watch monitor) at many sporting good stores (not to mention at Fitness 4 Home Superstore!) And, one benefit of a heart rate monitor such as a Polar® Heart Rate Monitor is that you can also take them with you – perfect for travel, as well as those types you exercise outside.

The secret to fat loss with your cardio program is to work out within the proper heart rate range. Short of getting tested by an exercise physiologist, the best way to figure out the heart rate range you should be working at is by calculating your maximum heart rate and then calculating certain percentages of this rate to work at for your warm up and cool down, your moderate pace, and your interval pace. This will be a good starting point, though keep in mind that this calculation is based on the "average" person -- something that none of us is!

To estimate your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 226. (Men would subtract their age from 220.)

226 - your age = age-adjusted maximum heart rate

Now, take your age-adjusted maximum heart rate and calculate the following percentages for the various parts of your workout.

• 60 percent for your warmup and cooldown
• 65 to 75 percent for your moderate pace
• 75 to 85 percent for your vigorous or interval pace

For instance, a 40-year-old woman's estimated maximum heart rate is 186 (226 - 40 = 186).

• 60 percent of her max = 112
• 65 percent of her max = 121
• 75 percent of her max = 140
• 85 percent of her max = 158

Keep in mind, however, that this calculation can be off by as much as 15 beats, so use the rate of perceived exertion as well. Also take into account that your heart rate can vary depending on which activity you choose. Different activities use different skills and muscle groups, so an experienced swimmer will have a lower heart rate swimming than she does when running. Keep that in mind as you vary your cardio choices. Also, some exercises that you do while sitting down, like riding a recumbent bicycle, won't get your heart rate as high as those that you do while standing, such as walking hills outside. So use your heart rate monitor and evaluate your rate of perceived exertion, but also learn to listen to your body.

Lastly, one nice feature of many heart rate monitors is the ability to calculate the calories you’ve burned during your workout. Remember, the best way to lose weight, is to burn more calories than you take in. It can be pretty easy to figure out your intake, but getting an idea of what you’ve burned during the day can be more difficult. Wearing a heart rate monitor for a few days, can give you an idea of how much you burn during the day, as well as helping you calculate how much cardio you’ll need to do to burn off those pounds!

Exercise – Cardio Tips

So, you’re either planning on starting a cardio program, or you’re wondering whether or not you’ve put together an effective cardiovascular exercise plan. Here’s some tips you can use to make sure you’ve build a plan that works best for you!

First, your goals and your body type will dictate how much cardio you need per week. If you’re trying to add muscle mass, and you’re naturally lean, you should keep your cardio sessions down to only one or two times per week. On the other hand, if you’re prone to storing fat, and one bite of carbohydrates seems to add inches to your hips – you might need 3 or more sessions per week to keep your figure! And, if your training for something like a marathon or triathlon – well, you should increase your frequency as you get ready for your event.

Also, if your goal is just general health, you might want to do long, slow runs on your treadmill. Keep in mind that if you’re not having fun, you won’t make it a habit, so make sure that you pick the type of workout that makes you happy! (And, if you’re not sure what type of workout you’d enjoy - a great way to figure that out is to stop by one of Fitness 4 Home Superstore’s 3 Phoenix-area locations!)

Next – decide what your overall goal is – fat burning or cardiovascular health. If your goal is fat burning, you might want to do moderate cardio workouts. Those are the type of workouts where your heart rate returns to normal within a short period after you complete your workout. If fat burning isn’t your goal, but maybe your looking to improve your time for an event your planning on entering, you want a more intense cardio workout, where your heart rate might be elevated for a couple of hours after your event. A great way to tell the difference is like this – if you can carry on a conversation while working out – that ‘s a moderate workout. If you can barely speak two or three word sentences…well, that’s intense!

Over time, your goal should be to move up to more intense workouts. Here’s why – in a moderate workout, your body will burn fat DURING the workout, but not after. In an intense workout, you won’t burn fat during the workout, but your body will burn fat AFTER the workout for hours! The reason for this is as your body gets more accustomed to intense workouts, your metabolism becomes more efficient at burning fat – so even if your treadmill or elliptical is set for cardio workouts, make sure you “up” the level of those workouts over time to help your body “learn” how to pick up your metabolism! But, always throw in a moderate workout once in awhile – it’s always good to keep your body guessing (and, the variety helps you stay motivated to keep working out!)

Your heart rate can provide you a lot of information about your training. Over time, your resting heart rate should decrease. By tracking your heart rate, you can monitor your effort. If you train today at 160bpm then have a lousy day and don’t feel like you’re receiving any benefit, use your heart rate as a guide. As long as you are pushing hard enough to hit that 160bmp mark again, you know you are getting at least the same intensity from your training as the time before.

One last thing – make sure you keep your workouts interesting by injecting variety into your plan. If you always use the treadmill, your body will become so efficient at using the treadmill that you will begin to burn fewer calories doing the same workout. On the other hand, if you perform treadmill work one session, elliptical on your next another session, then go for a bike ride, you will continue to see the benefit of increased calorie expenditure. This will keep the fat melting off and continuously improve your cardiovascular conditioning. And, don’t let yourself think that cardio isn’t necessary, since even when you’re in peak condition, a little cardiovascular exercise is always necessary for a healthy lifestyle. Just make sure you change the style and frequency of cardio to suit your lifestyle and fitness goals. Consider various styles of training, different terrains, and new types of equipment to train on. Learn what your body needs, keep a good journal, and find out what works for you!