Heart Rate Monitor

Recently I have had to alter my previous workout routine to replace the cardio sessions I was performing outside on my mountain bike, to inside on my elliptical cross-trainer secondary to a recent sprain to my right knee. Like my machine, most cardio exercise equipment now includes software that only provides you with varied exercise routines such as roadwork, hill work, intervals, etc., but also the capability to monitor your heart rate. Either holding onto heart-rate (HR) sensors built into the handles or by the wearing of a Polar chest transmitter are the two ways to perform this. The chest transmitter is my preferred choice because it allows me to perform a more natural arm swing without having to grip the sensors. I like the additional programs built into my Octane equipment that allows me to set varied parameters controlled by my selected target HR.

I usually select a warm-up HR of 65% of my maximum HR level calculated by the fitness software program within the elliptical.

A rough estimate of your maximum HR can be derived by a simple formula:

220 - your AGE = maximum HR, which for me is 220 - 61 = 159 beats per minute (BPM)

After my HR reaches 65%, I kick the intensity level up to 75% to 85% range to challenge my fitness level.

I feel for me that a good guide for intensity settings is as follows: 

Fat Burn:                       50% to 60%
Fitness:                          60% to 70%
Sports Specific Goals:  70% to 85%

Your HR is one of your best indicators of your overall fitness level, and two main variables are your resting HR and the amount of time required to return to your normal HR upon completion of activity.

Although many companies have started producing HR monitors, Polar was one (if not the first) to produce a wearable HR monitor and is still the number one choice for me. I now own the Polar H7 model with Bluetooth capabilities (as illustrated in the image above)
, and it works great with the Polar Beat software application that I downloaded to my Galaxy S3 Android phone. It not only monitors my HR throughout my entire workout, but also speed, pace, distance, etc., through its link with the phones GPS. Although I feel this to be technology everyone should take advantage of, any inexpensive polar wrist monitor with the capabilities of setting your high and low target HR ranges will suffice.