Let’s be honest: There’s a lot of “crap” masquerading as gym accessories. It’s usually packaged in a crafty way to get you to fork over your money with the hope of having a better gym experience, or better yet drop a few extra pounds. I’m sure you’ve seen the countless gadgets offered online and in retail stores. It’s enticing, right? Why wouldn’t you want to purchase the latest and greatest fitness invention that could make working out just a bit easier? I sure would! But it’s important not to fall victim to these gimmicks and to discern what you truly need versus what is simply a waste of money.
THE ULTIMATE WEIGHT LOSS TOOL
As someone who has been in the fitness industry for more than 20 years and purchased a lot of “crap,” I’ve learned what items are a good versus bad buy. And there is one particular accessory that has been very important to my training and to numerous clients as well: the heart rate monitor. I’ve been using a heart rate monitor for the past four years, and it has advanced my training and physique in ways I never knew were possible. And while there are a few specific brands I trust more than others, spending your hard-earned money on this particular item, in general, will be a purchase you’ll not likely regret. Do your research and read reviews before you buy (of course!), then get ready to reap the benefits. Bring on that summer body!
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Still have some doubts? Here are five reasons why I believe using a heart rate monitor is so important to use as a weight loss tool and achieving your fitness goals. Hopefully, this will help you see why I’m so passionate about heart rate training.
1. Keeps you honest:
How do you judge whether a workout is effective or hard enough? Do you base it on the puddle of sweat you leave behind or how sore your muscles are? While some of these signs might be indicative of a good workout, your heart rate is going to tell you the truth about how hard your body is working. It will help you realize that your typical workouts aren’t quite cutting it or even let you know that you need to take it down a notch!
2. Monitors recovery periods:
Another way heart rate monitors can help you reach your fitness goals is by assessing your body’s ability to recover. If it’s a rest or active recovery day at the gym, the heart rate monitor can alert you when you’re pushing too hard. It’ll also help you better gauge how much time you need to recover during interval training workouts such as sprints so that you can improve your overall efficiency.
3. Receives data:
This is where I believe this device can boost your fitness game to an entirely new level. A lot of heart rate monitors will give you information such as total calories burned, distance traveled, average heart rate, max heart rate, and how much time is being spent in each zone. When you see what you’re achieving as a result of your hard work, you’ll get an instant dose of motivation and be more likely to stay disciplined each week. Numbers like this are small achievements, things you should be proud of accomplishing and continue striving to obtain each workout!
4. Helps you bust out of ruts:
Sometimes we hit plateaus or even regress despite working out on a regular basis. Fortunately, a heart rate monitor can give you data that can help you realize you might be overtraining or not increasing your workout intensity. When you stop challenging your body each week or stop taking care of yourself between each workout, you’ll fail to achieve your fitness goals. A heart rate monitor might show that your heart rate is decreasing during typical workout sessions (often seen with a plateau) or having trouble recovering as quickly as it normally would between sets (often seen with overtraining).
5. Improves endurance:
Hey runners, listen up! A heart rate monitor is very important to achieving your fitness goals, whether you run shorter distances or ultra-marathons. Tracking how efficient you are during specific runs and learning if you are setting out too slow or fast in training can take your game to an entirely new level. You’ll be aware of how much time you’re spending in lower zones versus more anaerobic zones and conserve energy better as a result!
Do you see why I believe a heart rate monitor is so important to achieving your fitness goals? This is a smart gadget that can take a lot of guesswork and training mistakes right out of the equation. You’ll learn how to train smarter, not harder. And you’ll be able to see what your body is actually doing versus how it’s simply feeling, which we all know isn’t the best indicator of how we should be moving! So avoid the “crap” and spend your money wisely on this goal-smashing device!
