5 simple rules for heart rate monitor training

courtesy of self.com

Alot of people can be clueless when it comes to using a heart rate monitor to train either for paddling or other sports like running. I hope this post may enlighten you with a few rules to follow when you use your heart rate monitor. Having experienced wearing a polar RS300 for the past 5 months for runs and cycling sessions I decided to try it out this morning on a  kayaking session with a few of my NUS teammates on the water for the first time. I must say the results of heart rate training has made my training alot more productive with 5 simple rules: 

 1) Always know your objective before training.  Is this training for aerobic base training? Or intervals? Are you expected to go beyond aerobic threshold or anaerobic effort? If these terms seem foreign to you, then you should really look up some websites to provide some assistance to determine your objectives for your training. Going out with a heart rate monitor may look swanky, but if you're wearing it not knowing what it does, its as good as wearing sunglasses indoors. 

2) Make sure the transmitter strap feels comfortable. The last thing you need is for your transmitter to bob up and down because its too loose or you start feeling breatheless because its so tight around your chest. make the adjustments necessary to ensure a secure fit. If you feel its a little loose, always adjust it to fit snug enough to allow for moisture loosening the strap. I've never worn a bra before, but I sure as hell know that its not sexy when it making you hard to breathe..

3)For aerobic intensity training, maintain heart rate 70 -85%of your peak heart rate. You can google online on your to achieve your peak heart rate through various calculations. It is pretty simple how you can make your base aerobic training more effective just by maintaining levels at the 70-85% of your peak heart rate so that you can achieve the proper cardiovascular benefits of aerobic base training. This simple rule can be applied to any cardiovascular activity even running as part of your off season programme. 

2) For anaerobic threshold training, achieve heart rates at 85-90% of your heart rate.  As simple as it may sound, many make the mistake of training at too high at an intensity when they train within this region. Overzealousness, peer pressure and competition may prevent the athlete from maintaining these levels of heart rate; often over exerting the athlete and fatiguing too early within the prescribed sets. Keeping to these heart rate levels will ensure proper conditioning of lactate threshold levels (i.e. prevent your body from burning out too quickly) from intense exercise. 

3) Upload your progress on the provided software for close monitoring. What's the use of a heart rate monitor when you leave the information in your watch to rot? Upload it as quickly as possible into the product's online portal (in my case, polar link) and see your progress as it develops. You will be surprised at how fast your improvements can be tracked with time and see your improvements in real time. If you're keen, other gps products will allow you to track more information that can be useful in determining your pace or speed. 

Next up I will talk about how I use my gps for trainings! hope this may help the clueless to try out a heart rate monitor watch!