Used HRM w/ Step Blast yesterday--too much beeping!

M

Muffin Top

Cathlete
I just used a heart rate monitor for the first time. It's a Polar F4. I plugged in all my info and it came up with 120-156 being my target heart range. Well, I was already at 157 by the end of combo 1 and trying to modify down. I ended up having to modify nearly the whole workout to make the incessant beeping stop and I still managed to burn 532 calories!
Anyway, I figured out how to disable the sound, but was wondering if it's ok to go ahead and work above my target heart range. The HRM doesn't have you plug in a resting heart rate, so I was wondering how accurate their numbers are. I thought I was in pretty good shape after 6 months of Cathe workouts. Does anyone have any ideas on this? Has anyone else disabled the blasted sound on their HRM so they could work their butts off through Cathe's workouts?
 
I have a Polar F4 as well. When I was doing IMAX 3 a couple of months ago, I was at 101% of my target heart rate. I am quite often in my anaerobic range and I can stay there awhile (up to about 92-94%). Above that, I have to stop and let my heart rate go back down a little. Back in August, when I did Step Blast along with C&W abs, I burned 490 calories and my average heart rate was 140 (about 78%). I did this on a 8" step. I also disabled the blasted alarm. I don't know how totally accurate my HRM is either. I did find it a little strange that I was at 101%. My target heart rate is 179. I usually work up to the time I am either out of breath or exhausted. HTH.

Marcy
 
My beeps are disabled mainly because I do some kind of interval in every cardio workout... that causes beeps!
 
Why do you want to modify down? Do you think that range is accurate for you for a high intensity workout, or is this your steady state cardio range? It wouldn't make sense to keep yourself in the steady state range for Step Blast, which has *intensity BLASTS* - the point of the workout is not steady state cardio.

If anything, I'd only use the HRM to tell you when you are dogging it. You know when you are pushing too hard, you don't need a beep to tell you that, in my opinion. Unless, of course, you are doing a long, slow, training session (like a long run, where it actually is important to stay in your aerobic range, and should back off if you start pushing too hard). But I actually don't see ANY of Cathe's stuff fitting into this category, frankly.

What are you looking to get out of the HRM?

m.
 
Also, max HR is very individual - the 220-age thing (and it's slight variants) is really just an estimate. I did a max HR test many years ago, and my max was MUCH MUCH higher than the simple estimate predicted.

m.
 
I have the F4 as well, and I am almost always above my target zone by the end of each combo (in Step Blast) and definitely in the blasts. I don't mind it, because I know I'm working really hard and it's a reminder of all the calories I'm burning!!
 
>Why do you want to modify down? Do you think that range is
>accurate for you for a high intensity workout, or is this your
>steady state cardio range? It wouldn't make sense to keep
>yourself in the steady state range for Step Blast, which has
>*intensity BLASTS* - the point of the workout is not steady
>state cardio.
>
>If anything, I'd only use the HRM to tell you when you are
>dogging it. You know when you are pushing too hard, you don't
>need a beep to tell you that, in my opinion. Unless, of
>course, you are doing a long, slow, training session (like a
>long run, where it actually is important to stay in your
>aerobic range, and should back off if you start pushing too
>hard). But I actually don't see ANY of Cathe's stuff fitting
>into this category, frankly.
>
>What are you looking to get out of the HRM?
>
>m.

Mainly, I want to know how many calories I'm actually burning. It was great to see that even modified, I burned 532! The beeping was really distracting so I modified to make it stop...then it would start again and I'd modify and it would stop and so on...
I did turn the sound off so I can go back to working to my full capacity (and see how many calories I really burn)!
:D
 
I read an article recently (I can't remember where, I had so many magazines on the darn plane to keep me occupied!) where the experts are actually encouraging working in the anaerobic zone because the recovering the body has to do actually burns more calories than staying in the aerobic zone does. In fact, they actually encouraged HIIT for this reason. They found that increases in fitness were better and more when this was done, vs staying aerobic. I wish I could find that article, darn it!x(
 
I also just bought a hrm mainly for the calorie burn. I also had the crazy beeping during the first workout and it was very distracting. I turned the sound off. Now I just do my workout and check the numbers afterwards. I did bootcamp and it stated I stayed in my zone for 27 out of 60 mins. The blast send my hr over the edge. Just turn the sound off and enjoy your workout.

Jenn
 
Can you not adjust your target with the F4?? I have only ever had HRMs that I could set the high and low ranges... and I never have the beeping on, since I exercise to *escape* noises like that, and it just drives me batty!!!

One exception: when I ran my first half marathon in 2002, I had the beep turned on, and it beeped the entire 2 hours I was running! I used it as motivation to keep running as fast as I could. }( :7 I had trained at a 10 min mile pace and ended up finishing with an average of something like 9:15!
 
I have the Polar F4 also. My heart rate zone is 118-158 and I am so use to that beeping now, I hardly notice it. Step Blast definitely sends me into anaerobic zone. When I run, I have my MP3 player on so I don't hear the beeping which it is doing pretty much the whole time. I don't disable the beeping because I really want to know when I hit the anaerobic threshold. My MHR is suppose to be 176 (well it may be lower than that now since I have turned 45, that was based on age 44) and I usually go up to 176 or 177. I have been known to hit 180 to 182 on grade changes when I am running. I believe my MHR is higher than 176 because isn't it theoretically impossible to surpass 100% of your heart rate without collapsing/passing out. Someone correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe I have read that somewhere.
 
Jane I agree with you 100% on your MHR comments. Remind me never to run next to you, though, as the beeping would make me insane!!:p

btw, I have never stayed in the zone I'm "supposed" to be in... I feel like I'm always high!
 
Yes, it's impossible to go above your max heart rate, as your MHR, is exactly that - your MAX! If you go above what you previously *thought* was your max HR, you've simply determined your new max. :)

If you regularly hit 177, then your max is most definitely quite a bit above that. When I did the max HR test, it was BRUTAL - not something one would ever do to themselves, even if you are an endorphin junkie. I can't remember exactly what mine was at the time (I think I was 29 when I did it, perhaps 30 max), but something like 209 or 212 is coming to mind. Note, that is WAY off of what the 220-age would have given me.

m.
 
There is really no way to accurately measure ones maximum heart rate without some kind of medical test (like a stress test, but even those don't hit your maximum). All the formulas are just approximations based on averages. That's why sometimes a talk test or even perceived exertion can be a better judge.
 
I turned my sound off for Cardio and Weights (Step and abs only) and was actually in the zone for 22 minutes! Besides that, I burned 390 calories. I really love seeing the numbers. Somehow, it just gives me that added "boost" that I'm doing something really good for myself. I guess if I were a walker or a runner, the beeping might be a good feature, but not for Cathe workouts!
 
>There is really no way to accurately measure ones maximum
>heart rate without some kind of medical test (like a stress
>test, but even those don't hit your maximum). All the
>formulas are just approximations based on averages. That's
>why sometimes a talk test or even perceived exertion can be a
>better judge.


Oh kathryn you just reminded me of a probability test I took today (lol) average, median, histograms, etc. When I bought my new scale I had to check out how accurate the measurements are and it's +/- 0.2 lbs for weight and +/- 0.5% for bodyfat and body water measurements. I don't own a HRM anymore, but I would check how accurate one is before making that investment.

I do a talk test all the time. I usually know the workouts by heart and sometimes I say exactly what Cathe is saying and that's my talk test right there.:D

By the way, I think I've seen some newer models of HRMs that people can use for interval training.
 
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