heart rate monitors

No. HRMs can be useful for refining fitness, but not basic fitness.
Its just another distracting number in the early stages.

this last attack of my nature were I can't kill these s.o.b. well to
say again. I am not mental.
crawling under a rock for a week.
the human ability to greed is to say.
truely dred.
I now know why and how you killed me
truly dred .
fuw. Lowtuc

biker's .

It seems to me I heard somewhere that The Crow wrote in article
<[email hidden]>:

Quoted message said:

I posted this message elsewhere originally, and they suggested I should try
here instead. So here it is, hope you don't mind, any help or advice
welcome. Thanks.

Quoted message said:

I wanted to get my dad a heart rate monitor for his birthday. Anyone know
anything about these items? He's started working out at the gym recently,
and does some cardio for which I thought he might find it useful.

Quoted message said:

He's in his mid fifties, will a heart rate monitor be helpful do you think?

I use one, and for the way I use it I find it helpful. I don't think
there'd be much advantage for weights or other gym activities except
perhaps the treadmill. IMO they should *not* be used to try to reach
targeted heart rates from charts or books. I run, and use my HRM to
track my own individual HR over time and with round numbers. HRMs are
not lab-accurate under real-life conditions (the machine may be, but the
conditions under which they are used are not).

Quoted message said:

Also, getting specific, I've found an entry level model made by Oregon, it's
the HR102 model. It looks basic, but anyone know anything about this piece
of kit?

I've only used Polars, for which there are many models, and another
brand I won't mention which had good features but poor quality
materials.
--
Don
[email hidden]

The Crow said:

Hi.
I posted this message elsewhere originally, and they suggested I should try
here instead. So here it is, hope you don't mind, any help or advice
welcome. Thanks.

------------

Hi.
I wanted to get my dad a heart rate monitor for his birthday. Anyone know
anything about these items? He's started working out at the gym recently,
and does some cardio for which I thought he might find it useful.

He's in his mid fifties, will a heart rate monitor be helpful do you think?

Also, getting specific, I've found an entry level model made by Oregon, it's
the HR102 model. It looks basic, but anyone know anything about this piece
of kit?

Thanks a lot. Again.

One could save the money for a gadget you don't
really need and simply check the pulse rate at
the carotid (neck.) There's a HR included with
my portable BP monitor; it's no more efficacious
than checking the pulse with a watch...

"Tom Phillips" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

The Crow said:

Hi.
I posted this message elsewhere originally, and they suggested I should
try
here instead. So here it is, hope you don't mind, any help or advice
welcome. Thanks.

------------

Hi.
I wanted to get my dad a heart rate monitor for his birthday. Anyone
know
anything about these items? He's started working out at the gym
recently,
and does some cardio for which I thought he might find it useful.

He's in his mid fifties, will a heart rate monitor be helpful do you
think?

Also, getting specific, I've found an entry level model made by Oregon,
it's
the HR102 model. It looks basic, but anyone know anything about this
piece
of kit?

Thanks a lot. Again.

One could save the money for a gadget you don't
really need and simply check the pulse rate at
the carotid (neck.) There's a HR included with
my portable BP monitor; it's no more efficacious
than checking the pulse with a watch...

well, Mr. Frugal, i dont use an HRM myself (no strap large enough) but i can
see where it might be a bit tough to get a count on the run.

Quoted message said:

but i can see where it might be a bit tough to get a count on the run.

not at all.

In article <[email hidden]>,

Tom Phillips said:

Quoted message said:

but i can see where it might be a bit tough to get a count on the run.

not at all.

Maybe not for you, but I find it difficult to run with my fingers on my
neck, looking at my watch, and count accurately while my feet are
pounding and I'm breathing hard.

Not to mention the fact that my HRM gives me continual data, which I
can't get using your method without running the whole race that way.

Similarly, it's hard to ride a whole bike race with your fingers on your
neck without sacrificing steering and aerodynamics.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson

Harold Buck said:

In article <[email hidden]>,

Tom Phillips said:

Quoted message said:

but i can see where it might be a bit tough to get a count on the run.

not at all.

Maybe not for you, but I find it difficult to run with my fingers on my
neck, looking at my watch, and count accurately while my feet are
pounding and I'm breathing hard.

Try stopping for 20 seconds. That's all it takes and
shouldn't change your HR significantly if you take
your pulse immediatedly (beats per 10 seconds x 6 = HR.)
Simple.

Quoted message said:

Not to mention the fact that my HRM gives me continual data, which I
can't get using your method without running the whole race that way.

Are we talking running or racing? Seems the OP said
his dad was just getting in shape at the gym, not
running a marathon to win...

Personally I never run according to HR readout; sometimes
I want to run a slightly faster, somestime a slightly
slower, pace. And I don't see the necessity of constantly
checking it. I try to be a little more in tune with my
body that relying on a techie gadget for telling me how
to run. But that's just me...

Quoted message said:

Similarly, it's hard to ride a whole bike race with your fingers on your
neck without sacrificing steering and aerodynamics.

--Harold Buck

"I used to rock and roll all night,
and party every day.
Then it was every other day. . . ."
-Homer J. Simpson