HRM for resistance training?

ldrosophila

Is a HRM effective with resistance training and flexibility training. This is a pretty elementary question and probably a real "DUH", but it would seem to me that since you really dont get your heart rate up into an areobic state that it would not be a good indicator or calories or work performed. Is a HRM monitor good for all forms of exercise or areobic exercise only? Thanks for your help.

mmapags

They are useless for this as you suspected. They are designed to project calories based on the heart rate and heart rate changes during steady state cardio.

nataliescalories

I think it really depends on how intense the resistance training is; if you're using light resistance or two pound weights, yeah--one probably isn't needed.

This is what Sparkpeople says and I think it states it clearly:

"A HRM won't give you an accurate idea of how many calories you burn during strength training, because the relationship between heart rate and calorie expenditure is not the same during strength training as during cardio exercise, which is what the HRM's estimate is based on. Unless your weight training is very vigorous circuit training, the heart rate monitor will be overestimating your calorie burn by a fair amount.

The problem is a technical one. Calorie burning isn't determined by heart rate, it's determined by the number of muscle cells that are activated to perform a given activity. It's the working cells that actually use the energy (calories) and consume oxygen. When working muscle cells need more energy and oxygen, your heart rate goes up to deliver these things to the cells via the blood stream.

Any muscle that performs a high intensity or maximum effort (strength training) will trigger an increase in heart rate and blood flow. But if only a single muscle group is on the receiving end to utilize that extra oxygen (doing a strength exercise that isolates your biceps, for example), only a relatively small amount of oxygen (and calories) will actually be consumed.

So while a series of strength training exercises may elevate your heart rate like aerobic exercise does, you're not actually using as much oxygen and burning as many calories as you would be if you were steadily using several large muscles all at once, as when walking, running, swimming, or doing aerobics for example.

The heart rate monitor doesn’t know whether your increase in heart rate is due to several large muscle groups working (cardio), an isolated muscle group lifting a weight (strength training), or even if adrenaline or excitement is increasing your heart rate. It just knows your heart rate, and the formulas it uses to estimate calories are based on studies of aerobic exercise, not other activities. So, it's going to overestimate your calorie expenditure when the rise in heart rate is stimulated by using isolated muscles at maximum intensity, which is what occurs during strength training."

citation: http://www.sparkpeople.com/community/ask_the_experts.asp?q=75

I find them completely useful because I am lifting at about 75% of my max while circuit training. I use a HRM when working with kettlebells and it helps me track my burn--to some extent. My heart rate almost hits max rate during these workouts and for an extended period of time (but I'm also making an effort to keep moving between sets).

rileysowner

Without going into details strength training uses different energy pathways than cardio training and HRM calculations are not designed for that so don't work for it.

nataliescalories

What does your training consist of? Even though it doesn't quite work to calculate calories (for the reasons I stated above), as another morbidly obese individual, I find it quite helpful to watch my HR--which is still accurate.

mmapags

Without going into details strength training uses different energy pathways than cardio training and HRM calculations are not designed for that so don't work for it.

Here is a decent explanation of what you are talking about. The poster above you is incorrect about it being effective for lifting at all. And it make no difference if you keep moving or shorten rest cycles between sets.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/hrms-cannot-count-calories-during-strength-training-17698

nataliescalories

Whatever kind of training you're doing, the calorie burn indicated by your HRM isn't going necessarily going to be an overestimate (granted there are the usual inaccuracies in a HRM's measurement).

(Again, just building here from my two previous comments)

Edit to add: training here referring to strength.

nataliescalories

Without going into details strength training uses different energy pathways than cardio training and HRM calculations are not designed for that so don't work for it.

Here is a decent explanation of what you are talking about. The poster above you is incorrect about it being effective for lifting at all. And it make no difference if you keep moving or shorten rest cycles between sets.

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/Azdak/view/hrms-cannot-count-calories-during-strength-training-17698

I said it was effective for circuit training and seems to be--it definitely isn't an over-estimate in my case. Do you have some stuff beside that blog to drive this point (I'm completely open to being off here). However, I also still think a morbidly obese individual doing strength training is likely getting a good burn--that we don't necessarily want to overlook. Perhaps she could use the online calculators for strength training? Are those considering enough factors?

Violetta86

I wear my HRM during non cardio workouts such as lifting and yoga, but I always slash the calories in half for logging purposes.

DavPul

I wear my HRM during non cardio workouts such as lifting and yoga, but I always slash the calories in half for logging purposes.

Then why bother? Why not just pull a number out of a hat?