Group and individual heart rate monitoring allows trainers and coaches to optimize each individual's exerise intensity which is the key parameter to driving results! This course provides an outline of the science and methods to using Heart Rate Monitoring to optimize performance and drive sales of individual and group programming

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Instructor Course

2. What do Heart Rate Monitoring Systems
Do?
Close up of Individuals Online Dashboard

3. Chest Strap Arm Band
Monitors

4. Chest strap monitors use electrodes built into the skin side of the belt
that pick up the electrical depolarization of the heart as it beats using
exactly the same technology as an electrocardiogram so they are VERY
accurate!
Armband monitors measure blood flow to track heart rate like finger
mounted clamps used in hospitals to measure pulse and oxygenation
levels. They are also very accurate but less so when doing strenuous
arm movements where they may have issues during strong arm
contractions.
How Accurate are these Systems?
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5. • People using Beta Blockers or other medication which artificially alter heart rate
need a physician to do a stress test while using the medication to determine
appropriate target heart rates for these individuals.
• Although numerous studies have shown that HIIT (High Intensity Interval
Training) can be highly beneficial for people with heart disease and other forms
of cardiovascular disease this should only be done with the supervision of
medical personnel and/or after being tested and cleared for this type of
exercise by a medical professional.
Contraindications

6. • Three key benefits of HIIT Training:
• Quick workout – half hour is PLENTY of time!
• Big calorie burn during AND AFTER!
• No down-time so no boredom!
• Challenges to HIIT workouts
• If not using H.R. Monitor that coach and participant can see - correct intensity
is doubtful so results not where they should be!
• Cannot coach HIIT properly without knowing intensity – period!!!
• Without H.R. data coaches can push to hard (dangerous) or not hard enough –
poor results!
HIIT and Heart Rate Monitoring

7. Oxygen Consumption • Afterburn from HIIT can mean
significantly elevated metabolic
rate and calorie burn for up to 36
hours AFTER a HIIT workout!
• The less fit the participant the
higher EPOC tends to be!
E.P.O.C aka Afterburn from HIIT!

8. • Heart Rate should be between 85 – 100% of Maximum Heart Rate!
• Should be in this range for 10 – 15 minutes (half the workout or longer).
• Without H.R. Monitoring people will not achieve this and coaches have no way
of knowing if they are getting there.
• Rate of perceived exertion is NOT the best indicator of actual workout intensity
for the person or the coach!
• The workload necessary to get a person to 85 – 100% is different for each
person!
Key Requirements for HIIT

9. • Must enter persons’:
• Height
• Weight
• Age
• Sex
• System will use data to:
• Estimate Maximum Heart Rate (need age to estimate)
• Provide Percentage of Maximum Heart Rate Data
• Provide accurate training zones for each person based on their age and
associated maximum heart rate.
• Provide accurate calorie burn estimate based on the relationship between work
– heart rate – oxygen consumption and calories!
Match Each Person’s Data to Monitor

10. • At the beginning of each class/workout Coach should give a brief explanation of the
individual “tiles/blocks” so that each person knows where they find their
information and what zone/percentage of max heart rate they should be shooting
for during the session/class
• During exercise – during recovery periods cue client to find their tile, note their
zone/percentage of max heart rate, and adjust their workrate to get into the correct
zone!
• After – look at workout summaries with clients and explain them to them:
• How much time did they spend in the target workout zone relative to the goal?
• If they were above zone explain how to decrease intensity next time
• If they were below zone explain need to increase intensity next time
• Encourage clients to share workout summaries with friends and on social
media
Coaching using Heart Rate

11. • All formulas for estimating maximum heart rate can result in significant
error in determining a person’s maximum heart rate!
• Using formulas built into system to estimate maximum heart rate is fine
for demo workouts, BUT once the person buys into the concept we
should perform the Foster Talk Test to more accurately define each
person’s actual maximum heart rate!
• It only takes 10 – 15 minutes and can be done as part of a client’s
warm-up!
Foster Talk Test

12. (see protocol instruction sheet and recording sheets)
• Insure person is entered into Fitmetrix Software and has a monitor matched to
them and their data.
• Use bike or treadmill where workload can be gradually and progressively increased.
• Start with light workload and gradually increase every 2 – 3 minutes. At end of
each step client will recite Pledge of Allegiance or other 30 – 50 word phrase
(anything works!) AFTER they finish speaking you will ask them “are you
comfortable speaking?” They should give ONE of three possible answers:
– Yes
– Not sure
– No
• Test terminates when person says “not sure”.
• See protocol sheet for instructions on calculating VT1 and Max Heart Rate.
Foster Talk Test Protocol

13. • One to a maximum of three workouts per week can be HIIT workouts (depending
on client goals) with heart rate goal to keep heart rate above 85% of predicted
maximum heart rate for 10 – 20 minutes.
• All other workouts heart rate should NOT exceed 80% in fact the more HIIT the
person does the lower the heart rate should be kept during any other workouts.
• When in doubt keep them under 70% the ENTIRE workout when trying to maximize
recovery!!!
• Another way to insure recovery is to encourage go getters to integrate Yoga or
Pilates classes/sessions to address muscle imbalances and enhance breathing
mechanics and recovery.
• In an ideal world have client monitor heart rate variability to track recovery
Guidelines for H.R. Programming

14. • Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is the variation in time between each individual
heart beat. Even when your heart rate is steady (say 72 beats per minute) the
interval between each heart beat is NOT steady and in fact there is variation in
the exact amount of time between each heart beat.
• The autonomic nervous system controls heart rate variability and when we
measure HRV we can determine the person’s state of recovery.
• When a person is overtrained/overstressed HRV is LOW - meaning there is LESS
variation in the time between heart beats reflecting the fact that the nervous
system is not as responsive as it is when NOT stressed. For example heart rate
variability during exercise is lower than at rest because the system is under
stress of exercise.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

15. • HRV can be measured using several apps AND a chest strap ECG type monitor NOT
armband monitors! Monitor must have bluetooth because these apps function
through cellphone so the monitor must put out a bluetooth signal to communicate
with phone.
• HRV is best assessed first thing in morning before rising or eating or drinking or
exercising.
• Apps for tracking heart rate variability
• http://www.bioforcehrv.com/
• https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/sweetbeat/id492588712?mt=8
• http://www.elitehrv.com/
HR Variability Continued

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18. • Coaches and staff must be thoroughly familiar with operation of entire Fitmetrix
system.
• Must promote and market the benefits of H.R. Monitoring (see Fitmetrix Club
Launch Marketing Materials).
• Email
• Posters and Flyers
• Demo classes and trials of monitors!!!!!
• All staff should understand and be articulate in explaining:
• How heart rate monitoring works AND
• How it benefits the people who use it!
• Have a 60 second elevator speech that they can deliver effectively to address
these two key points!
Staff Training Essential

19. Essential to have loaner belts/bands so people can experience benefits of H.R. System
BEFORE asking them to buy anything!
• This means having LOTS of loaner straps/bands – the straps need to be washed
after each use so you need way more straps (which are inexpensive) than
transmitters if using chest strap monitors. If using Mio Link Bands can easily
wipe off rubber band with alcohol and reuse immediately!
• The transmitters unclip from chest straps and just get wiped down with alcohol
wipe.
• If using chest straps place soiled straps in pillow case or similar and tie it off
and place in washer on gentle cycle with cold water then hang dry or place flat
to dry.
• Have to have procedures in place to assign loaner monitors AND to insure
people do not walk out with them!
• Also want to have extra monitors on hand to sell people their own monitor
once they see and understand the benefits!
Loaner H.R. Monitors

20. THANK YOU