Pausing HRM in between machines

emarcia28
emarcia28 Posts: 140 Member
edited September 20 in Fitness and Exercise
I used my Polar FT40 for the first time yesterday & was very happy with it!
I did the elliptical for 40 minutes & there was a 130 calorie difference from what my watch said & what the machine said. Of course from now ill go by what my watch says which is a lot lower than the machine. I went on to do some strength training but i was unsure of what to do so in between machines i would pause my HRM session while i wiped down the machine & went on to find another. Is this the right thing to do or should i just leave the session running while i do all that?

Thanks for your help & have a good day!:flowerforyou:

Replies

  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
    I have the FT60 and that's what I do. I don't want to start a new session for each machine I go on (usually 3, plus strength training). I don't know why it wouldn't be okay to do that....but you never know :)
  • emarcia28
    emarcia28 Posts: 140 Member
    I have the FT60 and that's what I do. I don't want to start a new session for each machine I go on (usually 3, plus strength training). I don't know why it wouldn't be okay to do that....but you never know :)

    Oh ok..so you let one big session run from the time u start until you leave the gym, including all machines?
    I did 1 session for the elliptical and 1 session for strength training ( i would just hit pause and continue while i switched machines).
  • jillybeanruns
    jillybeanruns Posts: 1,420 Member
    Nope, I do exactly what you do. I pause it and wipe down the machine, drink some water and move onto the next machine. And the second I start the new machine, I continue my session. So I do all the cardio machines on one session...I just pause my HRM between machines. If it's going to be a long strength training session, I start a new session...otherwise I throw it in with my cardio session.
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    Edit. I might be confused about your question. I was thinking you were talking about pausing between individual weight machines, so my answer relates to that. I don't have feelings either way about pausing between doing the cardio and strength portions of your workout.

    I don't currently use a HRM because I need to send mine in to get fixed. However, I would not pause it between machines. The reason I say this is because, essentially, any rest that you take between machines IS part of your workout and, if you are just standing waiting patiently to get on a machine, your heart rate is going down and you are not burning as many calories as you could be. Maybe that is what you want. Sometimes longer rests during weight training are desirable. Usually this is the case when one is trying to add mass. Assuming you are trying to burn fat, I think you want to keep your heart rate up as much as possible even while doing your weight training. One thing you might want to try is to do some quick cardio while waiting for a machine (jump rope, jumping jacks, high knees, mountain climbers) or do some bodyweight exercises. Do some pushups, some walking lunges, some squats, etc. (ideally something that works different muscles from the ones you were just working/will be working on the machines). Your heart rate will stay up between machines and you will be torching fat.
  • emarcia28
    emarcia28 Posts: 140 Member
    Edit. I might be confused about your question. I was thinking you were talking about pausing between individual weight machines, so my answer relates to that. I don't have feelings either way about pausing between doing the cardio and strength portions of your workout.

    I don't currently use a HRM because I need to send mine in to get fixed. However, I would not pause it between machines. The reason I say this is because, essentially, any rest that you take between machines IS part of your workout and, if you are just standing waiting patiently to get on a machine, your heart rate is going down and you are not burning as many calories as you could be. Maybe that is what you want. Sometimes longer rests during weight training are desirable. Usually this is the case when one is trying to add mass. Assuming you are trying to burn fat, I think you want to keep your heart rate up as much as possible even while doing your weight training. One thing you might want to try is to do some quick cardio while waiting for a machine (jump rope, jumping jacks, high knees, mountain climbers) or do some bodyweight exercises. Do some pushups, some walking lunges, some squats, etc. (ideally something that works different muscles from the ones you were just working/will be working on the machines). Your heart rate will stay up between machines and you will be torching fat.

    Thanks!! You answer was exactly what i was looking for! :D
  • salyha01
    salyha01 Posts: 36 Member
    First of all, maybe my HRM is totally screwy as I am burning WAY more than the machines say! I use a wrist HRM and I make sure to take a moment every 5 minutes (no matter what machine I'm on) to check in w/my HR and make sure to get the most accurate reading AND to see if I need to amp up my effort or take it back a notch. Between machines I don't pause it, however, I use that time to check my recovery. I think that it is important to see the ebbs and flows or your heart rate and your recovery time is a very important component of that (and additionally a great indicator of your fitness level and progress!)
  • DrBorkBork
    DrBorkBork Posts: 4,099 Member
    I have a Polar and always pause it between machines. I usually go between a TM & stationary bike. I don't think moving to another machine should count as exercise, since it's something you would have done anyway (like getting up to go to the bathroom shouldn't count as exercise-- same concept)
  • hallswan
    hallswan Posts: 90
    I pause between the cardio machines - actually - I record the cals on myfitnesspal via my iphone and then I start again when I start my next machine

    I don't use it on strength training - I just do it - I really focus on cals burnt through cardio
  • emarcia28
    emarcia28 Posts: 140 Member
    I pause between the cardio machines - actually - I record the cals on myfitnesspal via my iphone and then I start again when I start my next machine

    I don't use it on strength training - I just do it - I really focus on cals burnt through cardio

    lol i was doing this yesterday!
  • emarcia28
    emarcia28 Posts: 140 Member
    First of all, maybe my HRM is totally screwy as I am burning WAY more than the machines say! I use a wrist HRM and I make sure to take a moment every 5 minutes (no matter what machine I'm on) to check in w/my HR and make sure to get the most accurate reading AND to see if I need to amp up my effort or take it back a notch. Between machines I don't pause it, however, I use that time to check my recovery. I think that it is important to see the ebbs and flows or your heart rate and your recovery time is a very important component of that (and additionally a great indicator of your fitness level and progress!)

    gotcha! maybe u need a new battery? does yours have a chest strap?
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    I have a Polar and always pause it between machines. I usually go between a TM & stationary bike. I don't think moving to another machine should count as exercise, since it's something you would have done anyway (like getting up to go to the bathroom shouldn't count as exercise-- same concept)

    Well, I wasn't saying that it was "exercise" but I feel like there is a difference between a workout that is:

    1) lift a set, rest a minute, lift a set, rest a minute

    and

    2) lift a set, lift another set (different muscle group), lift another set, lift another set -- where you do not rest much between the different exercises

    I just feel like if you are working out like in (1) but pausing your HRM during your rests you might be making it look like the workout in (2). This is just my logic, might not be right.

    Ultimately, I don't think that it would make THAT big of a difference between what the calorie burn shows. I guess my main point (which is somewhat tangential to the actual question asked) is that, if you want to maximize your fat burn during the strength portion, just don't rest a lot between sets (more than 30 seconds or so). Your heart rate will stay up and the question of whether to pause the HRM or not isn't an issue. Just my thinking and the way that I tend to workout (circuit training, for the most part). It isn't right for everyone.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    There is no way to even begin to explain this in a short answer. But, in general, if you are doing "traditional" strength training (e.g. 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps, working to MVC each set, resting 1-2 min between sets), it doesn't make any difference because your HRM cannot accurately count calories during strength training--so any number you do get is about as accurate as making one up.

    If you are doing a type of circuit training--i.e. a high-intensity workout--then the HRM is a little more accurate (although it can overestimate direct calories burned by 30%-40%), but in that type of workout you should be using relatively lighter weights (e.g. 40% of 1 RM) and not resting at all between exercises (maybe 10-20 sec between stations).

    Rushing around weight stations during a traditional strength workout to keep heart rate up and do more "fat burning" pretty much guarantees you will get crappy results overall. In order to move the heavy loads needed to achieve significant and continuous strength, the muscles need adequate recovery time between sets.

    In short, you should structure your workouts according to the workout goal and set workout goals within the context of your overall program. Not every workout should be the same. Too many people waste too much time and energy obsessing with and goofing around with HRMs. Esp an FT40 which is one of the lesser-accurate Polar models to begin with.
  • whyflysouth
    whyflysouth Posts: 308 Member
    Yeah, I agree with Azdak on this one. If you are doing actual cardio exercises, like jogging, aerobics, etc then the HRM is a helpful tool for calculating calories.

    Strength training with weights are not aerobic exercises and don't really fall into the category of activities that HRM calorie equations cover so whatever calorie estimation it's telling you really isn't valid - it doesn't know you are lifting weights as opposed to running or walking briskly.

    I think Azdak could explain it in a little more detail, but the jist of it is that many different types of activities rise a person's heart rate and not all of burn the same number of calories, so you could be scared or nervous, or slowly pushing something heavy, or jogging and you might average out the same heart rate values but each of those activities have drastically different calorie expenditures.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
    I pause between the cardio machines - actually - I record the cals on myfitnesspal via my iphone and then I start again when I start my next machine

    I don't use it on strength training - I just do it - I really focus on cals burnt through cardio

    That's exactly what I do too.
  • toots99
    toots99 Posts: 3,794 Member
    Yeah, I agree with Azdak on this one. If you are doing actual cardio exercises, like jogging, aerobics, etc then the HRM is a helpful tool for calculating calories.

    Strength training with weights are not aerobic exercises and don't really fall into the category of activities that HRM calorie equations cover so whatever calorie estimation it's telling you really isn't valid - it doesn't know you are lifting weights as opposed to running or walking briskly.

    I think Azdak could explain it in a little more detail, but the jist of it is that many different types of activities rise a person's heart rate and not all of burn the same number of calories, so you could be scared or nervous, or slowly pushing something heavy, or jogging and you might average out the same heart rate values but each of those activities have drastically different calorie expenditures.

    I love that picture on your ticker! :laugh:
  • questionablemethods
    questionablemethods Posts: 2,174 Member
    There is no way to even begin to explain this in a short answer. But, in general, if you are doing "traditional" strength training (e.g. 2-3 sets of 8-12 reps, working to MVC each set, resting 1-2 min between sets), it doesn't make any difference because your HRM cannot accurately count calories during strength training--so any number you do get is about as accurate as making one up.

    If you are doing a type of circuit training--i.e. a high-intensity workout--then the HRM is a little more accurate (although it can overestimate direct calories burned by 30%-40%), but in that type of workout you should be using relatively lighter weights (e.g. 40% of 1 RM) and not resting at all between exercises (maybe 10-20 sec between stations).

    Rushing around weight stations during a traditional strength workout to keep heart rate up and do more "fat burning" pretty much guarantees you will get crappy results overall. In order to move the heavy loads needed to achieve significant and continuous strength, the muscles need adequate recovery time between sets.

    In short, you should structure your workouts according to the workout goal and set workout goals within the context of your overall program. Not every workout should be the same. Too many people waste too much time and energy obsessing with and goofing around with HRMs. Esp an FT40 which is one of the lesser-accurate Polar models to begin with.

    Thanks! I think that hits the nail on the head.
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