HRM during Strength Training?

WalkingGirl1985

What do you think? Or should i use mine more during cardio?

Huskychemist

My understanding is they are intended more for cardio where your heart rate will be fairly constant and in the 'zone' above 60% or so.

That said, I still use mine for strength training because I often do my strength workouts as a circuit with little rest between sets. For example, I do a leg set, then an arms set, then a core set, then a leg set, arms, etc. This allows the specific muscles to recover a bit between sets, but keeps my heart rate up a bit, almost like a cardio workout. I like to see how my HR tracks over the workout and compare workouts in terms of intensity.

fasttrack27

I say yes! Mine shows I burn as many in an intense strength/conditioning class at the gym as spinning or other cardio. It's all about keeping up the intensity and therefore heart rate. Too many breaks and it drops off quickly. At least thats my experience

kerriBB37

I had typed out a long response and then my computer pooped I'm trying to remember what all I had typed!! It was good, lol.

Basically, I suggest wearing it all the time when you are working out. I never count calories burned when "cleaning" or "walking while shopping at the mall" but I do when I am at the gym and have my gym clothes and shoes on! I think it's important to realize that when you're strength training, you are burning calories! I wear mine during those sessions because those are the days I really burn the calories at the gym. Usually I burn 350-400 in a good 45-60 minute strength training session. Afterwards (like they tell you do) I do cardio. Usually I burn a good 1000 or so on those days!

I'm reading a book right now called "the New Rules of Lifting for Women" by Schuler and it is AWESOME! It is very helpful and explains things well. I did want to type out this quote, which I have highlighted in the book! "The amount of fat you burn during exercise matters less than the amount you burn when you aren't exercising. And that's where you start to see some of the results of the hidden benefits of strength training." I know that's not 100% an answer to your question but it is an important fact! It's on page 20 of the book!

Bottom line, a calorie burned is a calorie burned especially when you're pushing your heart rate out of it's resting zone.

SHBoss1673

I don't, unless I'm using it to time stuff. Because of the nature of weight training, it's not going to give you an accurate calorie count. There are multiple reasons for this but basically it breaks down to 2 fundamental reasons.

1) The HRM is a simple ecg device that measures the electrical impulses given off by the heart when it pumps. Knowing the approximate size and other stats of the individual, formulas can be used to predict the amount of oxygen being used, and if VO2 is used, an accurate depiction of calories burned can be garnered. Even without VO2, relatively accurate calorie counts can be achieved for most individuals (assuming you are in the "normal" range of humans with regards to % oxygen burned.
When doing exercise routines that involve heavy, short bursts of energy, you place artiificial stress on those muscles, which raises blood pressure and increases heart rate but the resulting calorie burn from the activity is not in line with the increase in heart rate. Plus, since most HRM's take averages over 5 to 10 second intervals, depending on the speed of the specific exercise repetition, it may not even register a significant change.

2) Weight training doesn't raise calorie burn the same way that cardio does. Since part of weight training is the microscopic tearing of muscle fibers, in order to rebuild them larger and stronger, calorie burn from the activity isn't necessarily indicative of the total rise in energy requirements for the duration of the muscle reparation activity. I.E. when you weight train, for anywhere from 8 to 48 hours after the activity, calorie burn will be in a slightly elevated state to compensate for the extra energy needed to repair and build new muscle tissue.