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Creatine and Teenagers
Continually in the news people see the questions about creatine
and a teenager. Especially in high school sports where in some
cases the supplement has been banned. But if you have read the
creatine article entitled "Creatine: What is it?" you...
Indoor Environment And Sports Performance
I saw a horse race once where the winner was not declared until the race people had a chance to look at the “photo finish.”
Boy was it close. There was a bout 3 inches difference between first and second place.
What could that second place...
Parachutes And Who Made The First Parachute Jump
The first parachute jump in history is a bit debatable. While many seem to think that an extreme sport like parachuting has its roots in recent history, it has, in fact, been around for centuries. In 852 A.D., Arman Firman, a Muslim holy man,...
The New Discovery That Makes It Possible To Get An Effective Workout In Less Time
Copyright 2005 William Mackie
The Art of Multifunctional Training
People often complain about how they just do not have enough time to spend working out in a gym. It seems every year the lives of many Americans become more hectic and they have less...
What is the Benefits of Meditation
Meditation, an exercise recommended for everyone, but especially
those of us with hectic, stressful lifestyles, is defined as an
engagement in contemplation, especially of a spiritual or
devotional nature. Meditation has been shown to relieve...
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Train More Effectively with a Heart Rate Monitor
Today's heart rate monitors have made it easier for athletes of
all levels to get the same feedback they would get from a
high-priced trainer. It's like having a personal coach strapped
to your wrist.
Until you get a heart rate monitor, you measure your effort by
time or distance. With a heart rate monitor, however, you can
now get a better indication of effort. And it comes from the
heart. Literally. Your heart will tell you how hard you are
exercising, how fit you are, and how you are recovering. Knowing
these things will make you training more effective.
A heart rate monitor consists of a watch unit worn on the wrist
and a chest transmitter strap. The watch can be worn as a
regular sports watch, and when not connected to the transmitter
strap, will still give you time of day, alarms, stopwatch
functions, etc. The chest transmitter senses your heartbeat and
constantly transmits that information to the watch.
There are some units that don't use a chest strap. These
normally measure the pulse when the user places two fingers on
each of two buttons on the watch face. Pulse is a decent
measurement, but does not give you the same level of continual
information a chest strap will.
One of the first things you need to know when using a heart rate
monitor is what your maximum heart rate is. The standard formula
used is to subtract your age from 220. You can then calculate at
what percentage of maximum you should be exercising at.
When doing cardiovascular training, research says exercising
at
60-70% of your maximum heart rate will be best for fat loss and
to build endurance, while exercising in the 70-80% of maximum
range will increase your fitness.
There are a number of features available in modern heart rate
monitors. Some are more useful than others. Of course, a
constant measurement of heart rate is vital. It is helpful to be
able to set zone alarms or otherwise be able to see where you
are compared to your maximum heart rate. Some will do all the
calculations for you, telling you when to ease up or to pour it
on, depending on your workout for that day. Others will just
show a heart rate number, and you will need to know what the
upper and lower limits are for your workout.
It pays to shop around for the features you need, and not buy a
lot of things you don't need. Too many extra features may
confuse you and discourage you from using your heart rate
monitor regularly. That's bad. It's better to get something
simple that you can commit to using regularly. Still, if you can
handle it, there are some sweet features available.
Whatever heart rate monitor you choose, use it regularly. It
will provide you so with much detailed information about your
training; you'll wonder what you ever did without it, and you'll
never want to be without one again.
About the author:
Visit RYP Sports to learn more about our full line of heart rate
monitors and how you can improve
your training efforts with a heart rate monitor.
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