The Heart Rate Handbook

I'm sure by now you've seen the case of heart rate monitors at your local sporting goods store and probably considered buying one. Maybe you've even bought one, but don't really know what to do with it. Let's talk a bit about what heart rate training is, why you would want to consider it, and how to go about it.

What is Heart Rate Training (HRT)?

As you may have guessed, heart rate training is tailoring your workouts and performance based upon your heart rate. Believe it or not, you're already sort of doing this, even if you don't have a heart rate monitor. When you run at what you consider an easy pace, what does that really mean? Among other things, it means that you run at a heart rate that you consider maintainable for a specified duration. Looked upon from this perspective, everyone performs heart rate training; some just do it more precisely than others and in a greatly more organized fashion. When people usually talk about HRT, what they mean is training in specific zones utilizing the feedback from a heart rate monitor.

How do you monitor your heart rate?

Ever see someone walking around after a run with two fingers held up to the carotid artery taking their pulse? Well, that's one way. I can churn my own butter too, but I'm not Amish so I'll kick it up a notch technologically speaking.

You're realistically going to need a heart rate monitor to get started. Several manufactures make them including Polar, Timex, and Nike. Personally I like Polar because they're compatible with most commercial treadmills, but it's an individual preference. Your monitor will have 2 pieces, a strap you wear around your chest to capture your heart rate, and a receiver, typically a watch. You can get all kinds of bells and whistles in these things, calories burned, PC synch capabilities, compass, barometric pressure, and whatnot, but all you really need is one that displays your heart rate and the time.