Fitness watch/coaching

andyh01
andyh01 Posts: 599
edited January 2019 in Road buying advice
Merry Christmas all.
To go with a new bike I'm tempted to invest in a bike Computer, however, I also have any to do a bit of running and strength conditioning, so I'm thinking I'd be better off with a fitness tracker/watch.
Main things I'd be looking for are;
Navigation -dont currently know any decent local loops yet.
Heart rate monitoring
Coaching plans for both run and cycling using heart rate zones - don't have/know of plans to follow to get best gains out of limited time.

Main reason is to improve overall fitness vo2 max/CV and to lose 10kg weight without losing muscle mass.
I currently have an android smartphone phone, Bluetooth headphones and be paying £24 for zombie run year subscription.
Do I need a fitness watch and if so what to get?
Thanks Andy

Comments

  • sloppyschleckonds
    sloppyschleckonds Posts: 8,019
    AndyH01 wrote:
    Do I need a fitness watch?

    Of course you don't. Sounds like you could do with some nutrition advise though.
    I'm sorry you don't believe in miracles
  • andyh01
    andyh01 Posts: 599
    Would I benefit from a tracker as I say be interested in the heart rate zones and coaching.
    I am looking to eat better as well as less whilst moving more. Already lost 10 kg down to 87kg at 169cm height.
    I also have any to improve fitness prefer outdoors then gym but other than just going for a run and commuting to work as quickly as possible , I don't really know what I m doing.
    I'm looking to get zombie run full membership rather than having to wait a week for next story.
    I've done a few spin classes at gym and a bit of hiit and hill repeats but having some kind of coaching plan I think would help with structure and motivation
  • PhilipPirrip
    PhilipPirrip Posts: 616
    I've a fitness tracker as well as a bike computer because whilst a bike computer can provide useful data whilst riding it can't provide data for the 20 odd hours each day when you're not riding. As your goals include weightloss and therefore monitoring daily activities beyond just cycling a fitness tracker that provides whole day activity tracking would be useful.

    I have a Garmin Vivoactive 3 but that's because I still have a Garmin Edge 800 that remains reliable and together they can provide data for whole day activity. I also have the Garmin smart scales just to complete the picture and keep all the data active and contiguous through one app/website.

    If I was to choose one device to do it all a Fenix 5 would be on my list but there's plenty of other do it all devices. As one of your key goals is weightloss being able to combine a fitness tracker with smart scales in one app/website is worth considering to provide more accurate and complete data.
  • wongataa
    wongataa Posts: 1,001
    AndyH01 wrote:
    Do I need a fitness watch and if so what to get?
    Thanks Andy
    If you want navigation then there is only one option - the Garmin Fenix range which is expensive. While you can use fitness watches on a bike the small screen is less useful as it will be harder to see data/maps.
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    wongataa wrote:
    AndyH01 wrote:
    Do I need a fitness watch and if so what to get?
    Thanks Andy
    If you want navigation then there is only one option - the Garmin Fenix range which is expensive.
    Not really true. You can use the dwmaps app and data fields on numerous lower range Garmin watches, or you can just get a non Garmin.

    I just got myself a ticwatch E for Christmas, it was just under £90 on sale, has HR and GPS, runs the latest version of the android wear os so you can use Google maps or numerous other navigation apps on it.

    It's no replacement for my edge 520 bike computer (I mainly just wanted a new smart watch as my Sony is pretty knackered) but if money is tight and you do a bit of running etc could be just the ticket.
  • navrig2
    navrig2 Posts: 1,844
    Forget the watch. I've also got the Vivoactive 3 and it is cr4p, $hit and rubbish. £220 I wish I had never spent.

    Just go exercise regularly and as the fitness improves get something which uses a heart strap and mounts on your handlebars.

    Currently I would touch Garmin but would consider a Wahoo.
  • andyh01
    andyh01 Posts: 599
    @navrig2 buy it off you for £50 :D
    Seriously though that's what I'm worried about after awhile novelty wears off and not too fussed about tracking, rather have an active coaching than reactive data if that makes sense.
    I've looked at the Polar m463? Which I think sync to phone with coaching plans based on heart rate and buzzers if under/over as well as the tracking.
    I had a quick look at chest heart rate strap and looking around £60 for one anyway and whilst out running/cycling he hard to look at phone on the go, unless app would also give audio through headphones?
    I tried the couch to 5k a bit but found it too slow suppose I could've skipped the first few weeks but as I say I tried zombie run and much prefer this, maybe if I paid the membership to access the interval training.
    I guess the navigation is least important as again can use app on phone /headphones or bar mount phone.
  • navrig2
    navrig2 Posts: 1,844
    AndyH01 wrote:
    @navrig2 buy it off you for £50 :D
    Seriously though that's what I'm worried about after awhile novelty wears off and not too fussed about tracking, rather have an active coaching than reactive data if that makes sense.
    I've looked at the Polar m463? Which I think sync to phone with coaching plans based on heart rate and buzzers if under/over as well as the tracking.
    I had a quick look at chest heart rate strap and looking around £60 for one anyway and whilst out running/cycling he hard to look at phone on the go, unless app would also give audio through headphones?
    I tried the couch to 5k a bit but found it too slow suppose I could've skipped the first few weeks but as I say I tried zombie run and much prefer this, maybe if I paid the membership to access the interval training.
    I guess the navigation is least important as again can use app on phone /headphones or bar mount phone.

    Why do you need to see the screen or hear audio during the activity. Just do it and use the data to look back and learn.
  • andyh01
    andyh01 Posts: 599
    Plan is to have a more structured workout.
    Having done a bit of spin classes they seem more structured whereas the commute I just do it to get from A to B as quickly as possible. I would like to use the commute as training plan.
    Same when out running I probably not got pacing right going too quick at start so don't improve on endurance only CV
  • lakesluddite
    lakesluddite Posts: 1,337
    I was at my tri club xmas do back in November (!), and inevitably the talk turned to training. There was one member who had trained for her first Ironman back in summer, and she followed a plan to improve run endurance which involved concentrating purely on heart rate zones - keeping in zone 1 or 2 (can't remember which zone tbh), and increasing speed whilst keeping in this zone. She found that in the beginning she was barely running at all to keep the heart rate down, but found she could quite quickly gain more speed whilst keeping the hr down. I think for things like this you would need to keep a close eye on the HR, so looking at the metrics post-run/ride would not be as useful.

    This was mainly for running as I say, but you could easily apply it to cycling as well.

    I will try and do the same this year as I want to do my first marathon and half-iron later this year, and I tend to try and run too quick at the beginning of each run and end up running (ho ho) out of umph too soon (like you). I already have a Fenix 3 (ebay find for £180), but it does not have a HR monitor built in, so I will probably get one of these, which will be around £30 with BC discount:

    https://www.halfords.com/technology/wea ... te-monitor

    Some say that the wrist based HR monitors aren't as accurate as the chest strap anyway.

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