Heart Rate Monitor

[Kinyo]

My Polar F4 arrived today, set it up and played tennis with it for an hour.

I'm a 25 year old male @ 276 pounds. According to the manual, my max heart rate for high intensity workout is 177, low is 117. I hit 177bpm 25 minutes into hitting.

I'm a pretty good tennis player, but there was no way that I feel that my heart rate was 177. Well it could've been, but that really shouldn't be my max heart rate. I jogged around the track once and im huffing and puffing like no other.

Any experts in this area wanna take a crack at it?

[BigRunner]

Re: Heart Rate Monitor

I think the most accepted formula is 220-Age for maximum heart rate. By that formula your max heart rate should be around 195. That 176 would be about 90% of your max. That would be much too high to work out at.

The max formula is for the AVERAGE person. Some people have max heart rates way above this average and some have max heart rate well below. The only true way to KNOW is to have a stress test done in the presence of a physician.

That said, I would believe the heart monitor. Most people who don't like exercise very much is because they push themselves WAY TOO HARD WITHOUT EVEN REALIZING IT.

When I started running at 245 pounds, I had to WADDLE at 13+ minutes per mile in order to stay away from my max heart rate. Only now after 3 years of running and 60 pounds lighter can I even approach SLOW without sending my heart rate up.

I would use the heart rate monitor as a guide. Take it easy and see if you don't see steady improvement and actually find the exercise gets much more effortless over time.

I have a Polar 625X for running (does time, distance, heart rate, etc.) and absolutely love it.

Good Luck.

RichF

[Kinyo]

Re: Heart Rate Monitor

Thanks Rich, I'm having my annual checkup on Thursday and will ask my doctor.