Heart rate monitors

[SimpleCycle]

So I bought a heart rate monitor today. It's 104 out, so I haven't tried it out on the bike yet, just wearing it around the house. Some questions:

1. When you're just wearing it, should your heart rate stay steady or does it go up and down. I have a pretty high resting heart rate (around 80) but if I'm just sitting there, the monitor jumps between 71 and 88 or so. Is this normal, my body, or a bad monitor?

2. Where do you put the strap in relation to your bra?

I got a Timex Marathon Compact on sale at Performance. I'm not expecting all that much for $40 (regular $80) but I want to make sure I get a reasonably close estimate of my heart rate. How do I know if it's working correctly?

[Dianyla]

2. Where do you put the strap in relation to your bra?

Ya know I've always wondered about this. They only show men modeling these with the strap riding at nipple height. Couldn't you just... stick it in the left cup? Or clip it to the center part?

[Veronica]

1. When you're just wearing it, should your heart rate stay steady or does it go up and down. I have a pretty high resting heart rate (around 80) but if I'm just sitting there, the monitor jumps between 71 and 88 or so. Is this normal, my body, or a bad monitor?

I think it's normal. Mine does it too. Although a spike is usually associated with doing somethng - even just lifting an arm.

2. Where do you put the strap in relation to your bra?

My strap goes right underneath the bottom part of my bra. I use the bra to kind of keep it in place.

V.

[RoadRaven]

Unless you are absolutely still (like lying down) and thinking about little or nothing, your heart rate will vary... if you burp, fart, hiccup or twitch, it may show in your heart rate. Some thoughts that might make you feel slightly stressed or excited can result in a spike... as can sudden or loud or unexpected noises (someone talking to you, a car outside, a door slamming etc)
It will def fluctuate as you walk about.

I don't wear bra when cycling, I wear a crop top. And the heart rate monitor belt fits underneath that, I make sure the bottom elastic of the crop top sits just under the bottom edge of the belt and it ensures that the monitor stays in the right place.

My partner never wears it at nipple height, he wears it about half way between the bottom of his sternum and nipple height. I just place it under my breasts in the line where bra support would usually be.

[SimpleCycle]

Thanks gals. It seemed to be a little steadier while I was actually riding the bike BUT my heart rate was sky high! This doesn't surprise me, as it was always around the same rate (180) when I would count the regular way in Spinnning class and when I use the hand sensors on gym machines. My max heart rate by the formulas should be right around 200 or even lower at 195 depending on which formula you use. At one point the monitor said 193, and I don't think it was a misread. What is going on here? There's no way I did 45 minutes at 90% of max heart rate, so my max must be higher. Does this just mean I'm tremendously out of shape? Pushing harder than I should be? My resting heart rate is high too - around 80. Keeping myself at 80% would require spinning with practically no resistance.

For those of you who have monitors, what features have you found to be essential? I'm not sure if I'm going to keep this one - it does heart rate and target zones, but that's all. I'm thinking average, max, and time in zone might be good features to have.

[Balrog]

For those of you who have monitors, what features have you found to be essential? I'm not sure if I'm going to keep this one - it does heart rate and target zones, but that's all. I'm thinking average, max, and time in zone might be good features to have.

Hi SimpleCycle, I have the basic Polar A3 (about $80) which does average and time-in-zone (plus stopwatch and gives you a little indicator of time in 10-minute "bullets"). I credit this item and my use of it with a weight loss of 40+ pounds and the best aerobic fitness of my life to date.

Occasionally I've had problems with the unit while running (weirdly high readings) but never while cycling or spinning. I would not "trade up": it's perfect for my needs. The *average* function is, I've read, the feature people most need.

Oh! And it has BIG NUMBERS.

--Balrog

[BIKEAWAY]

My heart rate monitor is based on my age and weight. It then calulates what my target rate should be and I have a beeper to tell me if i am going too hard or too slow.
It also gives me a fat buring range and a cardo range up to the 90%. I find that at 46 years old, my range is anywhere from 112 to 165, but I know that younger totally fit people around me are shooting for a much higher average.

[Balrog]

Yeah! I'm 45 and I figure staying around 138 is pretty dang good for an average. I almost NEVER manage that on the long loping rides outdoors, but when I'm spinning "intentionally," that's where I like to keep it.

Running, it's a challenge to keep it BELOW 80%.

Heart monitors are GREAT (necessary?) for interval training.

[RoadRaven]

I'm only interested in my max, because then I can work out different zones and work at a percentage of my max
Knowing the average for me is a useless stat I never refer back too

I just want to know how hard I am pushing it 'today'
Its excellent for use in a time trial situation, because the goal is to push it so you almost max out and then keep it there for the entire race.

Thats how I use a heart rate monitor and so thats the only feature I really use on it

[CorsairMac]

What is going on here? There's no way I did 45 minutes at 90% of max heart rate, so my max must be higher. Does this just mean I'm tremendously out of shape? Pushing harder than I should be? My resting heart rate is high too - around 80. Keeping myself at 80% would require spinning with practically no resistance.

I have read more than one time and more than one place that those are avg numbers based on age. You might keep track of your numbers and see if you're consistent - in which case you may just have a higher max than the "avg".

[spazzdog]

I use a Polar - can't remember the model. It does the usual bit. The only issue I have with it is it has an "auto on" feature, i.e. if the chest band and watch get very close together, the watch starts going in the stopwatch mode.

Very irritating, especially when one doesn't unpack ones suitcase for a month and finds her trusty heart monitor has been timing her domestic shortcomings.

spazz