Heart Rate Monitors

Does training with a Heart Rate Monitor really improve performance?

I have been jogging with a monitor for a couple of months now and have found it to be a really interesting and worthwhile training aid. My max heart rate is 185 beats per minute and for building base fitness I need to keep my pulse rate at between 150 & 160. That can be quite a tricky thing to do and I often find that my pulse is up as high as 170 when I'm just out for a light jog.

I went for a light jog this morning however and seemed to struggle to get my pulse up to 150 and then keep it there. I found that I was having to constantly push myself to maintain my pulse in the target range. I went on to record a personal best time for the 6K circuit which I was jogging, which I largely put down to the extra effort I was putting in, in order to try and remain in my target zone.

I definitely believe that training with a Heart Rate Monitor is a great way to monitor the intensity of your training. They provide instant feedback on you intensity levels and provide a motivation to increase the effort when required.

My Heart Rate Monitor is now an essential part of my training and I don't leave home without it.


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