Mini study - Heart Rate Monitor | Free Workout Guides

Mini study - Heart Rate Monitor

Submitted by arm88 on Mon, 11/02/2009 - 15:48.

General Discussion

Test:
I have been working closely with a heart rate monitor lately, to see the effects of different types of exercises.

I have some very interesting results.
(Remember, these results are based on my findings and my body. This does not necessarily mean this will work exactly the same for everyone.)

I have been testing different exercises and what effect they have based on how fast my heart is beating. Here are a few of the exercises that I tested and there Results:

Results

Sprints (Max HR: 176 bpm, Average HR 145 bpm)

Bench press (Max HR: 165 bpm, Average HR 110 bpm)

Squat (Max HR: 173 bpm, Average HR 130 bpm)

Dead lifts (Max HR: 172 bpm, Average HR 125 bpm)

Clean and press (Max HR: 173 bpm, Average HR 130 bpm)

The “300” exercise (Max HR: 178 bpm, Average HR 160 bpm)

Long distance running (Max HR: 140 bpm, Average HR 130 bpm)

AB exercises (Max HR: 135 bpm, Average HR 85 bpm)

Standing bicep curls (Max HR: 166 bpm, Average HR 125 bpm)

Sitting bicep curls (Max HR: 135 bpm, Average HR 75 bpm)

Standing triceps exercise (Max HR: 155 bpm, Average HR 120 bpm)

Sitting triceps exercise (Max HR: 130 bpm, Average HR 75 bpm)

Standing Shoulder press (Max HR: 170 bpm, Average HR 130 bpm)

Sitting Shoulder press (Max HR: 140 bpm, Average HR 85 bpm)

(Something I noticed, almost all exercises that were standing had a higher HR than sitting or lying down exercises – the only exception that I could find was the bench press)

Resting – standing, sitting, and lying down

Standing: When I was standing for rest, my HR was around 30 - 40 bpm higher.

Sitting: When I was sitting for rest, my HR was around 25 - 35 bpm lower.

Lying down: When I was lying down for rest, my HR was around 50 - 70 bpm lower (I would never recommend lying down for rest because it can cause a massive decrease in HR, especially when doing exercises like sprinting, when you stand up it can cause you to faint).

Conclusion:
Each of these can actually be used to an advantage and a disadvantage. Obviously, everyone should want the best advantages out of there workout plan. So here is my suggestion based on my results:

If you are looking to lose weight, then focus on “whole body exercises” for example: squats, dead lifts, burpees, “300” exercises, sprints (to name a few). Also, when taking breaks in between sets, keep standing! This is a lot more beneficial then I thought. When standing, for rest, your heart rate is 30 – 40 bpm higher! This will allow for a higher focus on burning fat.

Funny enough, when I was doing this test I realized that the “300” exercise was better, in terms of max HR and average HR, than sprinting. So, I started doing the “300” exercise in place of sprints. I noticed that the “300” exercise allowed me to lose more weight and gain a bit more muscle then I normally would by just sprinting. Also, it was a lot easier on my knees then sprinting.

Because my average HR was higher, about 15 – 20 bpm higher doing the “300” exercise then sprinting; it was burning more calories. Also, it targeted more then just my legs; it was a whole body exercise. And it was more interesting then sprinting.

I’m not saying sprinting is bad, in fact I am on a sprinting team and I love sprinting. But for my results, the “300” exercise seemed to be more beneficial.

If you are looking to gain muscle, then you should probably focus on whole body exercises as well, but take longer breaks. Also, when taking breaks sit down, this will make a big difference! Your heart rate will be about 25 – 35 bpm lower. The lower your heart rate, the faster you will gain your energy. Consequently, the more you will be able to lift.

I am very glad that I did this “mini study”. It has helped me a great deal in deciding what exercises to add and remove from my plan. If you guys have the money and the time, I would urge you to get a heart rate monitor (mine is a HR monitor watch – they run about $150, but they are worth it) and pay attention to it. Focus on your own results, but I think they should be similar to my results.

I hope this has helped!
Thanks!

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Amazing post man, I'm loving

Submitted by justin on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 01:17.

Amazing post man, I'm loving the amount of detail you put into this. I have a heart-rate monitor somewhere around my house. It would be interesting to bust it out and see what my results are like.

I'm going to add this to the front page when I get home from the gym.

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Thanks man, I've been doing

Submitted by arm88 on Tue, 11/03/2009 - 12:30.

Thanks man, I've been doing this for about a month now. I actually learned a lot from it; what exercises to add in my routien and what ones to take out, and so on.

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