Tips for using a HRM.

Think of your HRM as a tachometer, instead of a speedometer; the goal is to get more efficient by running at LOWER bpm for longer (hence, the rpm/tachometer analogy), rather than saying "let's see how high this baby will go" - which is more of a speedometer "redlining" test.

I'd highly recommend the Sally Edwards book, "The Heart Rate Monitor Book for Outdoor and Indoor Cyclists: A Heart Zone Training Program"for training program ideas utilizing an HRM. They provide over 60 training workouts, about 2/3 for indoors training, 1/3 for outdoor riding.

if you're computer-savvy, the downloadable HRMs are good, b/c you don't have the same need or tendency to look at your HRM all the time while riding - since you'll see the profile of your workout after you're done (max, avg. time and %s in different heart zones, etc.).

Heart rate monitors also come “coded” and some not, which means the cheaper models will cross read if you sit close to another person with a heart rate monitor on. This often occurs in group indoor cycling sessions, about one and half metres (5ft,) apart and your okay.

Some times if you wear the receiver on your wrist it will drop out of range and appears if it is playing up, so it is better to stick in on the handle bars.

The chest transmitter needs a little moisture on the surface against the skin to pick up your heart beat.

Maximum and minimum heart rates are very individual specific, I train with a thirty year old female who can maintain a HR of 204 bpm for twenty minutes and another of the same age who goes anaerobic at a HR of 170 bpm.

your max HR will also be different for different physical activities, running may produce higher HRs than cycling for example

Your max HR also goes down (or up ) as your fitness improves.

You can test yourself to establish your Max HR

some more in depth stuff here

http://www.heartzones.co.uk/220_no_merit.pdf

My thoughts:

Never stick to 'zones' unless you have worked them out first.Don't use the 220-age,cause it can be off too much.Do a Conconi test to get max heart rate.(and make sure you rested before doing it first)Search on Google or somebody will post on how to do that.

Never look at it in a race.(use download if you wish for ref)

Few hard days in a row, you wont be able to reach as such high rates as previous.

..dont get scard when you heart rate goes from 150 to 200:eek: ,with no change in effort.Remember electicity line and similar HRMs close in range...

Once you know your max HR and target zones, use your HRM on every training ride to help you stick to your plan. It takes discipline to keep the work level down on the recovery and base endurance days, but you'll benefit in terms of aerobic economy and pain-free training.

The easier days when you train with your HRM will have you rested and ready for the weekly hard training days when you're climbing or doing intervals.

if it read 0 when ur busting a gut, get to the hospital quick! Don't train with it all the time, otherwise you'll get fed up and won't enjoy the sport (i've been there)

i need some advice, that's for sure. my girlfriend bought me a polar HRM, and i've just begun to use it. i'm a long-time bodybuilder, just converted to cycling, so i have a good idea what 'redline' intensity is like for anaerobic efforts, but not for aerobic training. also, i have a natural aversion to electronics: not that i'm not computer savvy, just that i'm more comfortable with RPE than with monitors and such. Just don't find them 'fun'.

i've been reading a couple of books on cycling, Carmichael's 'Ultimate Ride' (TM) and Arnie Baker's 'Smart Cycling'. I was a bit surprised to see how high a HR one must maintain for endurance or base training. I find that if I even begin to approach 160, I get lactic in a major way. My intuitive sense is that my base training should be done closer to 140, where I feel I'm getting after my fat, rather than going glycolitic.

My question, then, is should i try to adopt Carmichael's regimen, or should i just go with my intuition. I wonder also if the whole HRM thing is a bit faddish; I question its efficacy. It certainly seems to rob me of some of the fun, which I'm sure has a negative effect on my training.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by OLMO
i need some advice, that's for sure. my girlfriend bought me a polar HRM, and i've just begun to use it. i'm a long-time bodybuilder, just converted to cycling, so i have a good idea what 'redline' intensity is like for anaerobic efforts, but not for aerobic training. also, i have a natural aversion to electronics: not that i'm not computer savvy, just that i'm more comfortable with RPE than with monitors and such. Just don't find them 'fun'.

i've been reading a couple of books on cycling, Carmichael's 'Ultimate Ride' (TM) and Arnie Baker's 'Smart Cycling'. I was a bit surprised to see how high a HR one must maintain for endurance or base training. I find that if I even begin to approach 160, I get lactic in a major way. My intuitive sense is that my base training should be done closer to 140, where I feel I'm getting after my fat, rather than going glycolitic.

My question, then, is should i try to adopt Carmichael's regimen, or should i just go with my intuition. I wonder also if the whole HRM thing is a bit faddish; I question its efficacy. It certainly seems to rob me of some of the fun, which I'm sure has a negative effect on my training.

How old are you ?
How tall are you ?
What is your heart rate at rest ?

I have found that by monitoring my HR my training is more structured I stay out of the anaerobic zones when I'm meant to.
My training volume has increased dramatically because of this.. improvement has been significant

G'day,

Forget carmichael if you are new to cycling!. Establish your HR zones & then work out what you want to achieve. From there you will be able to establish what 'zones' you need to train in (& the intensity & time) in order to improve & rach your goals. Don't get to 'locked in' to what the HRM says. Enjoy your cycling & go with the flow. If you are lactating at around 160bpm (assuming you have a normal range), you probably need to establish plenty of 'base' miles IE: long slowish miles to establish a fitness base,

cheers,

Hitchy

fair enough. my training volume is already very high, close to 400km per week. i'm starting to throw in interval training, once per week.

ah, well, it's all a process. thanks for the advice about training zones! i will keep that in mind. I guess I just feel that I already know what easy, mediocre, and intense efforts are, intuitively.

i wonder about the efficacy of HRM. isn't a power meter a better, more exact measure of intensity?

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Hitchy
If you are lactating at around 160bpm

Sorry, this just made me laugh - lactating is when mothers are breastfeeding their babies.

i wonder about the efficacy of HRM. isn't a power meter a better, more exact measure of intensity? [/B][/QUOTE]

IMHO the heart rate monitor is indespenable as a tool. Especially if you know what your LT is. While the power meters are more than likley better for training, I really can't justify the expense. My tip for heart rate monitor use is, know your zones and stick to your training schedule. You will see great improvements.
BQ

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by OLMO
I wonder about the efficacy of HRM. isn't a power meter a better, more exact measure of intensity?

Yes perhaps, but HRM's are cheap, easy to get hold of, easy to use and there is lots of info available on how to use them to help training. I think that power based training will change a load in the next 10 years, while HRM's will still be using the current Zone systems.

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by Julian Radowsky
Sorry, this just made me laugh - lactating is when mothers are breastfeeding their babies.

kinky!

thanks for the advice, guys. perhaps the more i work with the HRM, the more i will come to enjoy it. i'm going out to the velo here in Victoria this weekend to push myself to the redline and see what HR max i'm at currently. then i'll be able to establish my zones a bit better.

regards,

OLMO

Quoted post said:

Originally posted by OLMO
kinky!

thanks for the advice, guys. perhaps the more i work with the HRM, the more i will come to enjoy it. i'm going out to the velo here in Victoria this weekend to push myself to the redline and see what HR max i'm at currently. then i'll be able to establish my zones a bit better.

regards,

OLMO

So what did you come up with for your max HR? What is your age?