Intervals, calories and HRMs

cupcake568

I've started trying intervals on the elliptical...I increase level and speed for 1 - 2 minutes then go back down for the same amount of time... I have 3 questions.

Is there a good ratio I should be using (same time for each, or should I do the lower level for a shorter amount?)

Also, when I log my exercise on here there isn't anything for intervals, so I have just been using the generic elliptical choice...do the intervals burn more calories than if I just kind of average out the speeds? I've been changing the times a bit to match the number of calories the machine said I burned.

Finally, can anyone recommend a fairly budget friendly heart rate monitor. I don't know that it is really necessary right now (as I have really changed up my lifestyle so the weight is coming off fairly well) but I imagine I will hit a plateau at some point and I think a HRM would help to keep me on track.

THANKS!

jodimitchell

im still loving my Polar ft4... got it at buy.com for $79 a few months ago. Also if you have a droid phone, the nike Boom app is great for intervals.

sunshine79

Check out http://www.intervaltraining.net/ it will tell you all you need to know and more.

vgs15

I use the acumen women's basix plus. Features that I like: price, counts calories and you can change the battery in both the watch and the chest strap. If I remember correctly, you must send out the polar chest strap in order to replace the battery. I know that performance bikes currently has a good price on the acumen (but there could be better prices out there).

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1063100_-1___

Shmookalink

I have three HRM's but my fave is my Adidas MiCoach Zone. I like the fact that, once properly calibrated, you can tell at a glance whether or not you are in THE ZONE. It has a permanently flashing light that changes colour according to your heart rate perameters, so you can always tell if you are training hard enough without the need to push any buttons.
Dead easy to set up. I use mine every day!

AngelaIhry

HIIT or High Intensity Interval Training is a great workout. I do 1 minutes sprints and a 2 minute recovery. There are lots of articles on it. And there are HIIT workouts in TurboFire - a beach body workout. The F6 Polar is what I use. I suggest sticking with Polar and finding the model that meets your needs.