Weight loss method questions

360rumors

Hi guys. I have several questions and am trying to figure out what I need to do to meet my goal.

Current weight: 180 lbs.,
Other info: sedentary, 42yo, Height: 5'8
Objective: 160 lbs.

1. I don't have a heart rate monitor, but I have a Samsung S6 which has a pulse meter. Is that good enough? If not, among decent ones, what's the cheapest?
2. According to the S6 pulse meter, my pulse is around 160 after a round of Thrill of the Fight (yes I'm huffing and puffing). Is that a good range or should I decrease the intensity (e.g. by fighting a weaker opponent).
3. How many minutes of that would I need to do every night, assuming I can do that 5 times a week?
4. I've tried other active games e.g. racket nx but I don't seem to sweat at all with them, nor does my heart rate go up significantly. So far Thrill of the Fight is the only one that seems to really give me a workout. Do you know of any other apps that give a really good workout?

Thank you very much.

Best regards,
Mic

TheBoa1

Hey Mic,
I'm glad you've taken the the initiative to do this for yourself!

Here's my opinion on the questions you asked:
1. The pulse meter is a way to see where you are after playing a game, but it won't be as good as a heart rate monitor on estimating the calories burnt during the workout itself. I personally have a Fitbit that works pretty well for me, and they're available on Amazon for a little over $100. Just keep in mind that it's not a necessity.
2. I believe 160 is a good number for you. At your age the average maximum heart rate is around 180, which puts your target heart rate (between 50-85%) at around 90-153bpm. Adjust the intensity based on your perceived exertion and time remaining on that game. Set a time for 10-20 minutes, and pace yourself accordingly. Eventually you will be able to go harder for longer!
3. Considering you've been sedentary, start our with 30 minutes and try to build upon that.
4. You will definitely want to check out other games like Holopoint, Holoball, Bitslap, Sword Master, and others mentioned in the conversations on the group. Playing a single game may get old fairly soon. My personal favorite is Holopoint!

Best of luck to you and keep us posted!

-Raf

LepperMessiah1

360rumors wrote: »

Hi guys. I have several questions and am trying to figure out what I need to do to meet my goal.

Current weight: 180 lbs.,
Other info: sedentary, 42yo, Height: 5'8
Objective: 160 lbs.

I just said this in the other thread I think, but our measurements and goals seem very similar. I started at exactly 180.4 and am also 5'8". So if it worked for me (granted I'm only at 166), it will work for you too.

1. I don't have a heart rate monitor, but I have a Samsung S6 which has a pulse meter. Is that good enough? If not, among decent ones, what's the cheapest?

A heart rate monitor is by no means a necessity, but it is helpful for calculating your daily caloric needs. You could grab a cheap Jawbone Up2 or a FitBit, which will estimate calories based on your steps, but getting an accurate heart rate monitor on the cheap gets to be pricier. Maybe better to save your money and just plug it into MyFitnessPal as "circuit training." http://www.myfitnesspal.com/exercise/calories-burned/circuit-training-general-43

2. According to the S6 pulse meter, my pulse is around 160 after a round of Thrill of the Fight (yes I'm huffing and puffing). Is that a good range or should I decrease the intensity (e.g. by fighting a weaker opponent).

Personally, I think 160-165 is the sweet spot for high intensity, granted that your heart rate will fluctuate quite a lot given the moment to moment demands of the game.

3. How many minutes of that would I need to do every night, assuming I can do that 5 times a week?

I did 10 minutes of warming up and 10 minutes of cooling down and 40 minutes of "high intensity" exerviving. I tend to think that's a good maximum number. More importantly than whether you're hitting that number every night, or only getting 20 or 30 minutes on some nights, is that you're maintaining consistency. It can be easy to set goals that are too demanding and become frustrated when they aren't met perfectly; that's certainly something I struggle with. So just be okay with whatever you can manage.

4. I've tried other active games e.g. racket nx but I don't seem to sweat at all with them, nor does my heart rate go up significantly. So far Thrill of the Fight is the only one that seems to really give me a workout. Do you know of any other apps that give a really good workout?

I had the same experience with Racket NX. Too slow paced for me, even as a warmup. Maybe the final version will be better. HoloBall is a much better alternative to that, imo. All the games Raf mentioned are excellent as well. A good rule of thumb though is that every game can be adapted to be played more "actively." For example, in HoloPoint, you can dodge the projectiles by either leaning, side stepping, half squatting, or full squatting for maximum intensity.

Thank you very much.

Best regards,
Mic

My pleasure! I hope this helps give you some direction and welcome to the group!

360rumors

Thank you very much Raf and LM! OK I ordered a Polar H7. I hope that can do the job of measuring the calories burned. I need an objective way to measure it otherwise I might slack off

I'll check out those games. I just haven't gotten them thinking that they wouldn't give me an adequate workout (haven't been bored with TotF yet) but it's reassuring to see that they've worked well for both of you.

Thanks again!

Best regards,
Mic