Heart Rate Monitors

[KeepItSteel]

Can anyone tell me how a HRM will improve my training, and recommend the best ones availble for a budget of between £30 and £80?

Are the extra pricey ones worth the extra cash?

What are the key features to look for?

Chest strap or no chest strap?

 

[TheGreenRabbit]

you can pick a basic one up on lloyds the chemist for about £15 and its as good as the polar one I had BITD for £80, alldepends on how much infomation you want to keep.

I used to train with one and over a season of training for a marathon it helped me drop 40mins of my time. I used the following formula

220- your age = maximum heart rate

train at approx 80% of this and you will get results !

yes you need a chest strap, your heart is in your chest, simples !

 

[Carge]

I used a Polar CS200CAD for turbo training over the winter a few years back.
Usual bike computer functions - plus HRM - and the cadence feature enabled me to make sure I was keeping to 80-100rpm.

I used the training plan available on the Polar website - 3 sessions a week. The sessions vary in intensity - and the concentration to keep your heart rate up at or down below certain levels for certain times really helps to make the time go by. Well - add an iPod for good measure.

What GreenRabbit says is true - train at 70%-80% of your max - then reap the benefits!

BTW - you pay more for the CS200CAD - as it has cadence as well. If you buy a CS100 - just go into the menus and enable cadence - it works!!

 

[Neil]

Can anyone tell me how a HRM will improve my training

They can help with consistency and ensuring you're not taking it easy. They can help chart progress, and along with other measures / metric, show improvements - or highlight the opposite.

Measuring your RHR (say first thing in the morning) can help you gauge your training levels and impact on your fitness / recovery. By that, I don't mean being obsessed with lowering RHR, I mean the trend in RHR can show either improvements, or in some cases overtraining.

Don't know much about individual models - cardio-weenies normally have a good take on that. I'd decide what features are important. Perhaps recording a workout / training session, and allowing you to upload / record that data elsewhere (PC / Mac).

Are the extra pricey ones worth the extra cash?

The dearer ones do tend to have the more recording and analytic features, which if you're already shown consistency in your training, are worthwhile, in my opinion.

 

[KeepItSteel]

cheers guys.

i probably should mention that its intended use would be for running, not cycling. but I guess doubling up would be a good feature!

 

[paininthe]

These are the most amazing value at the moment and will cover all your training needs

forerunner 305

GPS tracking and heart rate monitor

 

[kaiser]

Are you motivated by numbers and logging/recording? Do you think you get into the whole science bit and if so to what extent? And what is your running goal? And are you disciplined?

 

[kaiser]

These are the most amazing value at the moment and will cover all your training needs

forerunner 305

GPS tracking and heart rate monitor

That does seem great value.

 

[KeepItSteel]

that does seem good value, GPS eh? Maybe I need that..


Kaiser, I am disciplined yes. My main motivation is CV work to lose weight and improve fitness. However, im very competitive, and not far from getting into shape.
Plus im a secret statistician, and love comparing data. Although, my patience wears thin quickly so if its too complicated then I wouldnt be bothered to get my head round it.
Im currently running/cycling/rowing at least 5 times per week so im thinking that a HRM as a training aid may be of benefit.

My morning RHR is now averaging 51/52 BPM and although they say you shouldnt train just to lower your heart beat, im keen to see what would be involved to get it under 50 BPM

 

[Neil]

My morning RHR is now averaging 51/52 BPM and although they say you shouldnt train just to lower your heart beat, im keen to see what would be involved to get it under 50 BPM

Don't be.

All other things equal, those with really low RHR tend to be genetically predisposed to it.

Tracking the trends in your RHR can be worthwhile and revealling, but focussing on driving it down - unless you're fairly unconditioned at present - is a largely pointless endeavour.

Those genetic freaks with really low RHRs, would likely still have pretty damn low RHRs whatever they did - so long as they didn't get woefully out of any sort of cardiovascular fitness / capacity.

And likewise, there are some, very conditioned, that have great cardiovascular capacity, yet don't have particularly low RHRs (compared with athletes, as opposed to the general public).