Heart rate training. Advice please.

oaky

I’ve always avoided heart rate training. About ten years ago, when I used to mess around on the CV equipment at the gym, I could easily get my heart rate up to 220 bpm without feeling like I was putting much effort in. This seemed high, so I went to the doctor who, after a couple of blood tests and an ECG, told me that heart rates vary, I was fine, and if I was bothered the best thing I could do was turn the heart rate monitor off. So I haven’t really looked at one since.

Now I’ve got back into cycling – and onto this forum – it appears training with a heart rate monitor is the norm. So I’m considering buying one.

My question is, should I?

I don’t have any major cycling goals other than to enjoy myself, ride a bit harder/faster/longer than I did last week. And also enter the odd race or two.

Will heart rate training really benefit me more than simply riding to perceived effort? And how religiously should I stick to it?

Thanks.

softlad

riding to a perceived effort is fine, so long as your perception of effort is realistic. It depends what you are training for....and whether you have any direct experience of the effort level you actually need to be training at...

For instance, if you have been clinging on to a road race bunch at 35mph, you will have an appreciation of the effort involved, which makes it easier to try to replicate that level of 'discomfort' in your training....

Sheptastic

Oaky,
With out wanting to fob you off, have a search on this forum for threads on HR training, believe me there are plenty! They should answer most of your questions.

I train with HR, mainly cus I dont have a power monitor but also because I know my MAx HR and the training zones ertc.

I dont find training on percieved effort is any good, I find i need proof of the work i'm doing. For example, in the club '10' last night i used my HR monitor to help me judge my effort and in some places validate the level of pain I was feeling. It also was useful for when my HR dropped, ment i could squeeze out a bit more power and get it back up.

by the way, I reckon HR monitors in gyms are a waste of time, they're probably not that accurate due to the build quality and location of the sensor. so maybe ignore that data!

hope this helps.

oaky

Both very helpful replies. Thanks. Sorry for repeating other posts. Looks like I should definitely get one.

oldwelshman

As softlad said when you get more experienced you will be able to know where your levels are without HR but as they are so cheap these days may as well get one and use it to build up your experience on training rides at different efforts.
I use mine sometimes training, but mostly use it in races on track and road to ensure I do not overpush as I find I tend to push too hard in races but not in training
With respect to a gym hr monitor, most I have seen are made by polar so I have never noticed any discrepancies in the ones I have used in many hotels and some have even worked using my transducer