Heart rate monitors (HRMs) are a great training aid and fitness tool. For me, an HRM keeps me honest during my workout. There are some days I am mentally and physically ready to exercise. Other days, I’m mentally out of it and just don’t want to push myself. These are the days an HRM maximizes my training effort and ensures that I have a good workout.
Some people don’t need to use a heart rate monitor because they are in touch with their body signals and know how hard they are pushing themselves. I am not one of these people. Coming from a team sport background, I pushed myself based on my competitiveness. When I switched to endurance sports, I really needed an HRM to help me monitor my training level. Using an HRM has definitely helped me train more effectively.
Are you in the process of buying an HRM? Keep in mind, getting a heart rate monitor is so much more than the HRM watch itself, it’s just the start. For runners, I found a great intro to HRM article on Runner’s World, Follow Your Heart. In the article the max heart rate calculation of 220 minus age is debunked.
“For years, everyone (including us) has been telling you that the best way to find your maximum heart rate (MHR) is to subtract your age from 220. Sorry about that.
Turns out that’s not the most reliable method, at least not for healthy, fit individuals like the readers of Runner’s World. For most of you, two newer formulas will prove far more accurate:(A) MHR = 208 - (0.7 x your age)
(B) MHR = 205 - (0.5 x your age)A small group of Runner’s World staffers recently tested these two formulas, and reached the following conclusions. Both seem to work almost equally well for runners under 40. For runners over 40, formula (B) appears to be more accurate. We now believe that (B) is the single best formula for predicting maximum heart rate, and we’re adopting it as our Runner’s World standard.
Then there’s option C: Of course, no predictive formula can ever be as accurate as an honest-to-goodness, all-out field test. You can conduct such a test on a track or a moderately steep hill, which may work better if you’re not an experienced track runner. And by the way, since all the workouts in this article depend on an accurate MHR, it’s worth the effort to take this test. You’ll need to wear a heart-rate monitor for it.”
I prefer option C, the all-out field test, to figure out max heart rate but it’s a grueling, painful effort. Runner’s World also had an article for the best HRMs under $150, Don’t Skip a Beat. I’ve listed a few HRMs from the article that are under $80:
I couldn’t tell the publication date of the Runner’s World article but I suspect it’s a few years old based on the lower prices found on Sprenzy.
Personally, I’ve owned a Timex Ironman HRM, Ciclosport CP29, Polar RS200, Ciclosport Hac 4 plus and a Garmin Edge 305 GPS HRM. The latter two are cycling computers/HRMs. I’ll do a follow-up post on the cycling computers/HRM in the near future. The Ciclosport CP29 heart rate reading fluctuated too wildly for me. I am extremely happy with the Polar RS200.
It’s not necessarily the Polar RS200 watch that I like. It works fine just like all other HRM watches that I’ve owned. I tend not to use all the great watch features after the first couple of weeks. What sets the Polar HRM apart is the chest strap.
Polar has the Wearlink coded transmitter and belt set. It’s the only soft fabric transmitter according to Polar. Most chest straps have hard rubberized transmitters, which can be uncomfortable to wear. The Polar Wearlink chest strap is very comfortable and conforms to your body much better than the harder plastic chest straps.
Polar states that the Wearlink strap is “compatible with all Polar heart rate monitors.” If you are looking to buy a Polar HRM, I would recommend looking for a model that comes with a Wearlink strap. I think this is the most important component to an HRM. If the belt strap isn’t comfortable or constantly slips, you won’t wear it and use your HRM.
For all of you gym rats, most exercise equipment such as treadmills, elliptical machines and Stairmasters have heart rate sensors. These sensors are generally compatible with analog transmission HRMs. The downside with analog transmission is the possibility of interference from other HRMs. On the flip side, digital transmission HRMs reduce the likelihood of interference but may not work with gym equipment. The Polar Wearlink “coded transmission eliminates interference from other HRMs” and still works on most gym equipment.
Good luck with your HRM decision. I really enjoy using my HRMs and any gear/gadget that promotes healthy living and exercise is a good thing!
Posted by: Chuck
Posted in Sports and Outdoors
Tags heartratemonitor, hrm, watch
