New to HRM's, I have a couple questions. Thanks!

tkawertz
tkawertz Posts: 9
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi!

I have been exercising for the past 3 months regularly, and now am going in for the final kill. I've started meticulously tracking my food, and bought a heart rate monitor so I could loose the last 12lbs or so.

I am doing the 30 Day Shred (for the second time, but this time doing all the full intensity versions of the exercises). My heart rate zone is about 127-167bpm according the heart rate monitor.

I am sorry for all the newbie questions:

1. Even during strength training, my heart rate is sitting at 167-170bpm. My max heart rate during exercise was 179bpm (during cardio). Is it bad to be above your zone? I am pushing quite hard and going at a pretty good pace, so I definitely feel the burn.

2. Once I am done exercising, my heart rate drops SO fast. Within a minute or two I was already down to about 100bpm. Is this normal? Should I be cooling down more slowly and work my heart rate down? My resting heart rate is usually about 60-70bpm during the day, and about 50bpm in the morning before I've gotten out of bed. About 15 minutes post exercise, I am still at about 95bpm but then again I am still up and moving around (not exercising though... just keeping up with my 14 month old).

3. Should I subtract some calories from what it said I burned since the HRM isn't always as accurate with strength training (since the 30DS has strength and cardio). It said I burned 348 calories in 30 minutes of exercise (I added some other exercises in addition to the 30DS). I am about 139lbs, 5ft 2in.

Thank you so much for your help. This is all new to me. I am finding it really hard to loose these last 12lbs, but I am determined!

Replies

  • Greenrun99
    Greenrun99 Posts: 2,065 Member
    1. HRM are more for steady state cardio.. strength training and stuff the readings for heart rate while lifting will very but there is no "zone" for strength training... even during cardio don't obsess over the zones.. just push yourself

    2. Yes your heart rate is suppose to slow quickly after you stop performing the exercise.. that is one of the things doctors like to see is that your heart recovers and slows quickly after a workout (If you ever have a stress test.. that is 1 of the things they are testing for the health of your heart)

    3. The calorie thing is an estimate.. if you exercise for an hour your suppose to subtract your BMR for that hour as well.. but a good rule is to not eat all the calories from your HRM.. so at 5'2 and 139 for 30 minutes of activity it might say you burned 250 calories.. so add 150 or so to your diary and see if there are results.
  • tkawertz
    tkawertz Posts: 9
    1. HRM are more for steady state cardio.. strength training and stuff the readings for heart rate while lifting will very but there is no "zone" for strength training... even during cardio don't obsess over the zones.. just push yourself

    2. Yes your heart rate is suppose to slow quickly after you stop performing the exercise.. that is one of the things doctors like to see is that your heart recovers and slows quickly after a workout (If you ever have a stress test.. that is 1 of the things they are testing for the health of your heart)

    3. The calorie thing is an estimate.. if you exercise for an hour your suppose to subtract your BMR for that hour as well.. but a good rule is to not eat all the calories from your HRM.. so at 5'2 and 139 for 30 minutes of activity it might say you burned 250 calories.. so add 150 or so to your diary and see if there are results.

    Thanks! This helps a lot!

Categories