Exercise in your Heart zone for maximum results!
Written: Mar 27 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: great design, accurate monitoring, watch features
Cons: some complex functions, need to go to service center for battery replacement
The Bottom Line: Recommended to those who want to make maximum out of their exercise sessions in a shortest possible time.
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| ruthless77's Full Review: Polar M21 |
I have been working out regularly since the age 15. However it is only after I joined the medical school, I realized the importance of Target Heart Rate in exercise training. After I started applying the correct technique during my work out, shedding that extra fat has never been a problem for me. In my clinical practice I often come across people who complain that they are unable to appreciate any desired increase in fitness even after regular work-outs. This is because of faulty technique. It is essential that we know and apply correct exercise technique in order to ensure that maximum results are achieved in the shortest possible time. This is easy and does not require much of your time.
What is Target Heart Rate?
Target heart rate or Target heart zone is the heart rate a person should try to achieve during the exercise sessions. Target heart rate gives us an idea on how hard we should exercise during the endurance activities. This is obtained as a range. So it has an upper limit and a lower limit. If we exercise very hard causing the Heart rate to be above the upper limit then we are at increased risk of injury or burn-out. This kind of work out will not help us lose weight more quickly. If we exercise in a very mild way then our heart rate will be below the lower limit of the target zone. This will not help us achieve the desired weight loss or fitness. So the best exercise technique is the one that maintains the heart rate in the Target zone.
How do we do this?- First, calculate your Target heart rate
Next, monitor the heart rate regularly through out the exercise to ensure that the rate is in the target range.
Target heart rate can be calculated by a simple formula. First subtract your age from 220. Now multiply this score with 0.6 to obtain the lower limit. Multiply this score [ i.e; 220-age] with 0.9 to obtain upper limit.
Upper limit= [220-age]x 0.9
Lower limit= [220-age]x 0.6
For example, my age is 26. First I need to subtract 26 from 220. This is 194. Now I multiply 194 with 0.9 which is 174. This is the upper limit. I also multiply 194 with 0.6 which is 116. This is the lower limit. So my Target heart rate is 116 to 174.
Once we know the Target heart rate, we need to monitor our heart rate in this range through out the exercise in order to obtain maximum result from the exercise. We can monitor the heart rate by two methods:
-manually by palpating our own pulse
- mechanically with the help of heart rate monitors.
Anytime during our exercise if the heart rate crosses the upper limit, it indicates that we need to rest a little before we go for another set. Similarly, a heart rate that is below the lower limit calls for a harder session. This is the best technique that can work out wonders for you in a very short period.
Initially during my medical school, I used to monitor my heart rate by feeling the pulse myself. But you need experience for this. Otherwise this manual method gives erroneous results. Even though I check the pulse of atleast 50 patients per day, I have found this method very tedious and erroneous especially when checking my own pulse that too during an exercise session. So, I decided to buy a heart rate monitor and bought a Polar M52 an year back. Polar M52 makes my exercise session very easy by continuously displaying heart rate on my wrist.
POLAR M52 HEART RATE MONITOR:
Polar is renowned in the market for its heart rate monitors for quite some time. Polar has many models but I chose M52 because it offers some extra features at an optimum price. Polar M52 is like a watch and can be worn on your wrist. It has watch features that indicate current time, date and the week day. It also has a stop watch and an automatic [visual] exercise reminder. It costs about $110. It comes with a transmitter belt and a wrist monitor. The transmitter battery lasts for about 2500 hours and needs to be replaced after this period. The battery in wrist monitor lasts for one year if used for 2 hours everyday. I bought my Polar an year back and the battery is still working. If the battery expires the monitor should be taken to the nearest Polar service center for replacement.
The transmitter belt should be worn around the chest. When the heart beats, the electromagnetic signal is then transmitted to the wrist monitor where it is displayed as the heart rate. So, Polar M52 is as accurate as an EKG in detecting the heart rate because both work on the same principle.
The manual provided with the monitor explains all the functions and the method of usage. Before you start exercising, feed your age in to the monitor to calculate your target heart zone. [You need not use the formula that I have explained above. Monitor will do the calculation for you. The formula mentioned above is only for those who want to monitor their heart rate using manual palpation method]. Once you start the exercise, your monitor will notify you with a beep if you are exercising above or below the pre-programmed zone.
Some unique features of Polar M52:
Fitness bullets: Polar M52 heart monitor records time spent in your heart rate target zone. This [i.e; time spent in the target zone] is displayed as one bullet for every ten minutes on the top portion of the watch screen. After each session you can evaluate your exercise and then adjust the intensity if needed. Aim for 20-60 minutes of continuous exercise in your target zone each session. If you are unable to exercise for 20 minutes initially, slow down and gradually build up to this.
Own Cal: Polar M52 is equipped with this feature which allows it to calculate the amount of calories burned per exercise session. It also provides the percentage of calories burned from fat. If you aim to lose fat you should see that this percentage is high. Again this percentage of calories burnt from fat can be increased by exercising within the target heart zone.
Backlight: This helps to see effectively in the dark. The back light can also be turned on by bringing the wrist monitor nearer the heart.
Ownzone: Own zone calculates the target range automatically depending on the person's metabolism at that time. You may use this feature or just use the age method to calculate your target heart rate.
Own index: This is a fitness test that gives a fitness level at rest based on heart rate variability, age, height, weight, sex and activity. We can track progress over a period of time. This helps us know whether we are moving towards our goal or not.
It also displays total exercise time spent. It has an exercise reminder which reminds you three days after the last exercise with a beep or flash. It can store profiles of two persons.
I recently checked Polar website and they say that Polar M52 has been discontinued and is now replaced by Polar M61. Please do not get confused. Polar M61 has the same features as M52. It is superior to M52 in that it has a feature called "Faster Ownzone"-which is more efficient and fast. Moreover M61 costs $20 more than M52.
I believe that using a heart rate monitor goes a long way in maintaining efficient exercise schedule and is definitley worth its price.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
ruthless77
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Location: NJ, USA
Reviews written: 19
Trusted by: 22 members
About Me:
The Fittest Survive!-Darwin never gave his law, a philosophical touch!Lets apply this to life!
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