Do any of you wear your HRM when lifting weights?

Guamybear

Or just during cardio.

I have only used mine during cardio but I do break a sweat lifting and was wondering if I should use it then too...

skylark94

I wear mine for any activity that gets my HR above 120 and keeps it there.

WDEvy

No, It's not accurate at all for lifting.

lamarnnem

i wear mine fort all activities but i do allot of HIIT so within the circuit its accurate

Bob314159

My HRM only does calorie counts for walking/running/cycling using GPS positioning. Last week I went to buy a regular HRM (for weight lifting and treadmill) and was told they are not accurate for most lifting and to save my money. (I have a FItBit that will do the do for treadmill workouts anyway)

meeka472

HRM's are not accurate for lifting. The only thing that would work is a bodymedia device since they measure calorie burn all day.

besaro

Can someone explain why its not accurate for weight lifting? I think it might help illuminate my follow up question.

I allow myself to eat back calories however, I am wondering if I should eat those from walking. My heart rate never gets to 113 while walking. I have been not eating my walking calories back for the most part.

nexangelus

I no longer use a HRM as my heart rate pretty much sits quite nicely where I want it to...am fitter, faster and stronger, those are the gauges I use now...

imaginaryplaces

Can someone explain why its not accurate for weight lifting? I think it might help illuminate my follow up question.

For an explanation about HRM and lifting: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/hrms-cannot-count-calories-during-strength-training-17698

besaro

spanks

EvgeniZyntx

Can someone explain why its not accurate for weight lifting? I think it might help illuminate my follow up question.

I allow myself to eat back calories however, I am wondering if I should eat those from walking. My heart rate never gets to 113 while walking. I have been not eating my walking calories back for the most part.

HR increases during weight lifting are more related to receptor activation than metabolic oxygen utilization - HRM have been calibrated to give you calorie utilization only during steady state cardio - you do burn calories during weight lifting, just that the HRM equation isn't good for that evaluation.

Jynus

your body has 4 energy systems that power the muscles.

one of them is the cardio system, in which oxygen you breath is mixed with carbs in the muscles to make ATP which makes the muscles go. Your heart delivers this oxygen. And knowing things like your VO2MAX and MHR, you can make a decently accurate guestimate at how much oxygen is being pumped into the body per beat, and thus, how many calories are being burned.

Here's the problem, this formula is ONLY accurate when the cardio system is being used. When you're not doing cardio, like say when you're walking slowly, doing everyday non intense activities, or lifting weights, you're using the fatty acid energy system, or the ATP-CP energy system, which do NOT use oxygen, thus your heart rate has ZERO bearing on calories being burned. HRM's for things like walking horribly inflate calories burned as the fatty acid energy system is far more efficient at doing work than cardio. And for weight lifting, it's very hard to make any correlation outside of the more compound and more you lift, and more to failure you go, then the more calories you will burn. But there is no practical way to calculate what that burn would be outside of if the scale is changing at whatever pace you want it to.

George1567

What are the thoughts on the Polar FT 80? This heart rate monitor has a specific program to be used when lifting weights. It is advertised as a HRM that is designed to be used for weight lifting?

When activating the wrist unit you have to chose between cardio or weight lifting. Would appear they have a different algorithmic formula for each?

Natihilator

I only use mine to time the rest breaks between sets. But on days that I lift, I know to increase my intake by a few 100 calories, keep my carbs and protein a bit higher, and my fat intake a bit lower. On cardio days, I go down to my usual moderate carb, moderate fat diet and eat back the burns my HRM gives.

Colbyandsage

I only use mine to time the rest breaks between sets. But on days that I lift, I know to increase my intake by a few 100 calories, keep my carbs and protein a bit higher, and my fat intake a bit lower. On cardio days, I go down to my usual moderate carb, moderate fat diet and eat back the burns my HRM gives.

I do this as well. It helps me eat back the calories from burning, I usually add 300-400 calories on lift days.

When I run or do Insanity, I use HRM. Good luck!

Azdak

your body has 4 energy systems that power the muscles.

one of them is the cardio system, in which oxygen you breath is mixed with carbs in the muscles to make ATP which makes the muscles go. Your heart delivers this oxygen. And knowing things like your VO2MAX and MHR, you can make a decently accurate guestimate at how much oxygen is being pumped into the body per beat, and thus, how many calories are being burned.

Here's the problem, this formula is ONLY accurate when the cardio system is being used. When you're not doing cardio, like say when you're walking slowly, doing everyday non intense activities, or lifting weights, you're using the fatty acid energy system, or the ATP-CP energy system, which do NOT use oxygen, thus your heart rate has ZERO bearing on calories being burned. HRM's for things like walking horribly inflate calories burned as the fatty acid energy system is far more efficient at doing work than cardio. And for weight lifting, it's very hard to make any correlation outside of the more compound and more you lift, and more to failure you go, then the more calories you will burn. But there is no practical way to calculate what that burn would be outside of if the scale is changing at whatever pace you want it to.

Fatty acids can ONLY be metabolized by the "aerobic" system, which is a relatively slow way to create the energy. That is why endurance athletes see such a drop in performance when they "hit the wall" and exhaust their glycogen stores. In those instances, relying almost exclusively on beta oxidation, one can only work at 60% of VO2 max or lower. But overall, fatty acid oxidation is THE primary fuel substrate used when exercising "aerobically".

Your body is always using a mixture of energy sources and creating energy via all the pathways at its disposal. There is no "on/off" switch for any metabolic pathway or any energy source.

Jynus

Fatty acids can ONLY be metabolized by the "aerobic" system, which is a relatively slow way to create the energy. That is why endurance athletes see such a drop in performance when they "hit the wall" and exhaust their glycogen stores. In those instances, relying almost exclusively on beta oxidation, one can only work at 60% of VO2 max or lower. But overall, fatty acid oxidation is THE primary fuel substrate used when exercising "aerobically".

Your body is always using a mixture of energy sources and creating energy via all the pathways at its disposal. There is no "on/off" switch for any metabolic pathway or any energy source.

I never said it wasn't an aerobic system. I just said it's a LOT more efficient than the cardio system. The ATP produced per oxygen molecule is significantly larger using fatty oxidative pathways. This is why I twitch when people do stupid crap like logging housecleaning or walking for work, or shopping.

And yes that point should be hammered too that all systems are running, but it needs to be said that for all intents and purposes, it's possible to basically train within 1 particular system where the others are functionally barely operating.

Azdak

Fatty acids can ONLY be metabolized by the "aerobic" system, which is a relatively slow way to create the energy. That is why endurance athletes see such a drop in performance when they "hit the wall" and exhaust their glycogen stores. In those instances, relying almost exclusively on beta oxidation, one can only work at 60% of VO2 max or lower. But overall, fatty acid oxidation is THE primary fuel substrate used when exercising "aerobically".

Your body is always using a mixture of energy sources and creating energy via all the pathways at its disposal. There is no "on/off" switch for any metabolic pathway or any energy source.

I never said it wasn't an aerobic system. I just said it's a LOT more efficient than the cardio system. The ATP produced per oxygen molecule is significantly larger using fatty oxidative pathways. This is why I twitch when people do stupid crap like logging housecleaning or walking for work, or shopping.

And yes that point should be hammered too that all systems are running, but it needs to be said that for all intents and purposes, it's possible to basically train within 1 particular system where the others are functionally barely operating.

you're using the fatty acid energy system, or the ATP-CP energy system, which do NOT use oxygen,

Maybe you are just sloppy with your subject/predicate agreement.

gxm17

Yes. I wear an HRM for strength training and yesterday my peak heart rate hit 166, with an average heart rate of 134. Whereas this morning, I did a HIIT routine followed by yoga and my peak heart rate hit 160 with an average heart rate of 127. Of course, there are many folks who would say that a circuit-style strength routine is not really lifting weights, but the program I do is low reps (8 to 12) and I'm lifting more weight than I would have ever imagined I could. For me, I have a normally high heartbeat and I always count my strength training calories because if I don't eat them back, I burn out. IMO, it's important to listen to your body and using the HRM is one way I manage that.

tabi26

I didn't read most of the posts here, but the general concensus seems to be that you'll get an inaccurate burn. Personally, I wear mine for my weights routines, and I eat back Most of my calories burned, and I lose weight. If/when that stops working, I'll stop doing it. Lol.