general fitness question/resting heart rate query..

paulamarsden

so... the scales not moved this week... ive upped my cals so expected it really... however in the last 2 weeks ive shaved 44 seconds off of my fitness test at the gym (3km bike at level 4) and increased my weight on various machines by between 20kg and 40kg..

when i am lifting i can see my biceps and triceps so im excited to show these guns off once the fat has gone...

as yet no measurement change... should i measure at the same time of day similarly to weighing in? will i gain inches throough the day like weight?



secondly, my resting heart rate... im slightly concerned that sometimes its 84 (lowest ive seen it) and other times like right now (sat on sofa) its 96.

today at the gym when i put my hrm in the changing rooms when i was about to go to the gym floor, it was 124?!

ive done this both with my polar, and also by counting beats in 10 seconds and x by 6.

will my resting heart rate im prove as i lose weight/get fitter or should i be concerned?

i dont feel out of breath or fluttery in my chest...

3dogsrunning

To your first question -
From personal experience, I measure the same time I weight, first thing in the morning. Your stomach can change during the day (or at least mine does) and you may also see a difference in muscles that have just been worked out.

The other thing I was going to mention is I went through a similar thing when I upped my calories and intensity in working out. I maintained the same weight for 4 weeks. I also didn't move in measurements right away, however, in the pictures, I could see a difference. For example, my waist and hips stayed the same, but the area between the two that I can't measure accurately everytime got noticably smaller. My measurements started changing before the scales did. You could also see the change in my face, neck, shoulders, arms, etc.

as for the other, sorry can't help.

MandaJean83

I'm gonna BUMP this, because I have the same heart rate issue!

I will add, however, that athletes do tend to have lower resting heart rates. Mine has never been below 80, and is usually closer to 90ish most of the time!

paulamarsden

thankyou very much for your response... iits weird because i would say my collar bone is more prominent and i can feel the bones at the corner of my shoulders more, they seem more square than rounded?

i suppose i will see it catch up...

subigirl

My resting heart rate was 94 bpm when I was at my heaviest, and with a family history of hypertension, this definitely concerned me. Now, it usually runs between 60 and 68 bpm. I achieved this after about my two years of working out, and dropping my first 40 lbs. So, yes, your resting heart rate will get lower as you get into better shape and lose weight, as your heart will not have to work as hard. I used to not even be able to do 5 minutes on the elliptical without hearing my heart beat in my head because my heart rate would go so high. These days, at a steady average pace, it stays around 130 bpm (fat burning zone for my age) when I'm on the elliptical, going up to about 155 bpm when I do my interval bursts...which is about the middle of the "extreme" range for my age.

With measurements, I would treat it much like you do the scale...same time every day...better in the morning before food, drink, or exercise. Through the day, you can gain a little, especially in the waist as you eat and drink water (I know after downing a 30 oz glass of water, any measurement around my tummy will not be the same). Also, when you exercise, you pump up the muscles a little bit, so any measurements after exercise will not be accurate, either. Being a woman, I would also make note of where you are in your cycle, and avoid measuring on potential water retention days, as this would be just plain discouraging.