How accurate are the heart rate displays on cardio machines?
I was running on a new treadmill at my local gym yesterday, and I had really exerted myself and my breathing started getting a little out of control (I'm asthmatic, so I'm careful not to overdo). I slowed to a walk, and as I did so, I put my hands on the heart rate monitors, and ... according to the display, my heart rate was at only 112, but I know from monitoring it at other times, at a similar intensity, it has shown 180+. Huh?I've noticed before that my heart rate fluctuates considerably depending on the day, but never looked into it. Yesterday, though, it made me realize that I really have no idea what heart rate I reach at my peak, and what I maintain.
Continue reading How accurate are the heart rate displays on cardio machines?
Scientists in Britain think so. According to them,
Ever wonder why you work out day after day, yet you don't really see any results? Or, maybe you were getting results before, only for your body to sort of reach a stand-still in terms of progress? Aside from fitness plateaus -- which occur when you do not vary your workout enough, your lack of jack may be due to the mere fact that you, my friend, just plain ain't trying hard enough.
What do you do first -- cardio or weights? Me, I've always done the following: stretching, a 10-minute warm-up on a cardio machine, 25 minutes of weights, followed by 35 minutes (or more) doing cardio. I do it this way because a personal trainer told me that I would burn more fat if I revved my heart rate with weights and then did cardio. Plus, I enjoy doing cardio more than weights, so the cardio session is what motivates me to keep going.

If you're going to spend valuable time exercising, make sure you do it right. Did you know that heart rate training could help you reach your fitness goals faster? Here are some facts:
It's always good to remember the basics, especially when it comes to your fitness and exercise routine. And thanks to our friends over at 
Ah, the infamous "zone." Somebody's always "in the zone," "feelin' the zone," "trying to find the zone" -- but who knew the elusive "zone" is actually a pretty concrete idea: the actual physical measurement of your body's most effective level of exercise. If you're going to bother working out, you might as well try to make it as effective as possible, right? Don't want to waste a perfectly good effort!











