Heart Rate Monitor -Just got one!!

ishapeme

Hey guys,

So I just got a heart rate monitor and I’ve been using it. It’s always beeping at me because I go over my target heart rate.
Can someone explain to me why this is bad? If I go any slower I feel like I’m not working out at all!

What is a healthy target rate for women? The calories on my heart monitor say I’m burning more than when I log my exercise in MFP. What’s up with that? It’s a big difference!

Please share any information you know about heartrate monitors! I honestly have no clue!

jazzy020106

I really have no idea =/ I would assume the HRM is the accurate calories burned. I want one of those SO BAD!

raisingbabyk

bump, im curious too

ladybug1620

Can you adjust your "target zone" on your hrm? I had to do that w/ mine. I felt like the fat burning zone that it was set at was just too low for me, and if I stayed within that zone I didn't feel like I was working to my full potential. So I went to the next zone up.

ItsMeLori

I just turned off the sound so I don't hear it. For the most part I am in the zone but for a bit I can go higher. Its not a big deal

dad106

Hey guys,

So I just got a heart rate monitor and I’ve been using it. It’s always beeping at me because I go over my target heart rate.
Can someone explain to me why this is bad? If I go any slower I feel like I’m not working out at all!

What is a healthy target rate for women? The calories on my heart monitor say I’m burning more than when I log my exercise in MFP. What’s up with that? It’s a big difference!

Please share any information you know about heartrate monitors! I honestly have no clue!

What kind did you buy?

I have a Polar FT7 and it never beeps at me... Most HRM's determine target heart rate using 220-Age, and then take 60% to 70% of that number as the "zone" you should be working out in.

I'm almost always in the "fitness" zone on my HRM, and it hasn't harmed me yet or slowed my weight loss down.

rileysowner

Ignore it and turn off the beep. The HRM beep has to do with the so call "fat burning zone" Google "myth of fat burning zone" and you will find out that you will get more bang for your time exercising harder, so unless you have hours and hours a day to devote to long, slow, boring cardio, I know I don't, do yourself a favor and turn off the beep.

jacksonpt

Just like this site, the HRM is still just an estimate. It doesn't know what your max heart rate is or what kind of shape you are in, so it estimates calories burned. Now... it does know how hard you are working, or more accurately how fast your heart is beating, so it's estimate is going to be more accurate than the ones on MFP.

The beeping and target heart rate thing has to do with heart rate zones. I happen to believe in the benefits of target heart rate training, at the end of the day you want to be burning calories and feeling good about your workout. If you can adjust the target HR zones on your HRM, then it's probably worth doing. Or, as previously suggested, just turn off the beeps.

mikeyrp

What zone were you looking for?

My experience is that the fat burning zone is basically the effort of a fast walk ... If you want to burn fat in the most efficient way this is actually it... but there is a huge caveat: it assumes you are not limited by time.

Example - 3 hours fast walk (4mph) will burn 1100 calories.
1 hour running at 8mph (that's my 5k pace and extremely hard to do for an hour for most people who actually run!!! 10K at this pace takes 45 minutes) burns 992 calories. Most people would burn under 900 calories going flat out for an hour.

So... if you have 3 hours to spare and want to burn the most calories you can - walk - because after an hour of running that fast you are going to need to stop! And you probably wont be doing anything strenuous the next day either.

On the other hand, if you want to get fit - or if you only have an hour to spend in the gym - go faster!!! My Heart rate normally goes up to 160 for a 30 minute training session and is at 140 for anything over an hour. I never do 3 hours

ishapeme

Hey guys,

So I just got a heart rate monitor and I’ve been using it. It’s always beeping at me because I go over my target heart rate.
Can someone explain to me why this is bad? If I go any slower I feel like I’m not working out at all!

What is a healthy target rate for women? The calories on my heart monitor say I’m burning more than when I log my exercise in MFP. What’s up with that? It’s a big difference!

Please share any information you know about heartrate monitors! I honestly have no clue!

What kind did you buy?

I have a Polar FT7 and it never beeps at me... Most HRM's determine target heart rate using 220-Age, and then take 60% to 70% of that number as the "zone" you should be working out in.

I'm almost always in the "fitness" zone on my HRM, and it hasn't harmed me yet or slowed my weight loss down.

I bought the Polar FT4.

jacksonpt

What zone were you looking for?

My experience is that the fat burning zone is basically the effort of a fast walk ... If you want to burn fat in the most efficient way this is actually it... but there is a huge caveat: it assumes you are not limited by time.

Example - 3 hours fast walk (4mph) will burn 1100 calories.
1 hour running at 8mph (that's my 5k pace and extremely hard to do for an hour for most people who actually run!!! 10K at this pace takes 45 minutes) burns 992 calories. Most people would burn under 900 calories going flat out for an hour.

So... if you have 3 hours to spare and want to burn the most calories you can - walk - because after an hour of running that fast you are going to need to stop! And you probably wont be doing anything strenuous the next day either.

On the other hand, if you want to get fit - or if you only have an hour to spend in the gym - go faster!!! My Heart rate normally goes up to 160 for a 30 minute training session and is at 140 for anything over an hour. I never do 3 hours

Yes, all of this is true, but there is a caveat about working harder as well.

Working harder (higher intensity = higher HR = more calories burned) means a great chance of burning muscle (catabolic state). Working harder puts greater importance on a good post-workout meal/shake in order to rebuild the muscle.

Working easier reduces that chance as your body is more likely to be metabolising fat.

Obviously there are other factors involved, but to keep the conversation relatively simple...

working easier =
- "fat burning zone"
- fewer calories burned in a given time period
- more likely to burn fat

working harder =
- "anaerobic zone"
- more calories burned in a given time period
- more likely to burn muscle

mikeyrp

jacksonpt

Agree with you in principle, but I think people over complicate their lives worrying about this stuff... at the end of the day if you are looking to loose weight, its straight forward calories in vs calories out.

Sure - if you are doing competitive sport you need to worry about where those calories come from but for most people this is pretty trivial.

Whilst we are doing the complex thing: Always do weights and or 'fat burn' work before you do high intensity CV - your body can access the energy more easily from fat but if you are already accessed higher heart rate you will consume sugar then muscle - even doing low intensity work.

jacksonpt

jacksonpt

Agree with you in principle, but I think people over complicate their lives worrying about this stuff... at the end of the day if you are looking to loose weight, its straight forward calories in vs calories out.

Sure - if you are doing competitive sport you need to worry about where those calories come from but for most people this is pretty trivial.

Whilst we are doing the complex thing: Always do weights and or 'fat burn' work before you do high intensity CV - your body can access the energy more easily from fat but if you are already accessed higher heart rate you will consume sugar then muscle - even doing low intensity work.

Complete agreement. People should always start with (and focus most on) calories in vs calories out.