Interval training on heart monitor

[jrgibb]

Hi all first post, so go easy with me

I'm on a 26 week training programme based on the Concept online programme (converted to distances rather than times), for the sprints I want to set the intervals for a recovering heart rate of 2 x rest rate to then go again. Obviously this is going to be variable.

I've got a PM4 and there's no obvious way of setting up interval distances on the heart monitor, can this be done, if not is there a way around it?

The timing seems to be pretty crucial as initially I want to work on strength but then start to reduce the recover times and work on lactate tolerance.

Any thoughts?

J

[SirWired]

The PM3/4 cannot set up intervals based on heart rate. However, you can either use RowPro to record every stroke of the workout and examine the stats afterward, or you can set minimum-length intervals (either distance or time) and in the final results, the work periods should be obvious.

Obviously, with the second option, it won't be too precise, but it shouldn't be too bad either.

SirWired

[jrgibb]

Not sure I follow your comments, I'm not concerned about the work rate within the workout it's the precise requirements for the rest period that I'm after.

The Concept training guide is very precise about the rest period based on heart rate;

Full recovery between intervals can be considered as taken place when the heart rate has fallen to warm up level (twice resting rate). The intensity of interval-training can be increased by working to 90% or even 80% of full recovery.

Resting Heart Rate = 65bpm.
Warm up rate = 130bpm.

100% recovery = 130bpm go again
90% recovery = 143bpm go again.
80% recovery = 156bpm go again.

The closer the recovery is towards 100%, the more the training will tend towards improving Power, while the closer the recovery is towards 80%, the more the training will tend towards improving lactate tolerance.

The reality of say 5 x 500m on the heart monitor is that the first rest period will be shorter with the heart rate falling quicker to 2 x rest rate than the 4th interval where the heart rate will be higher and will take longer to reach this point.

As I say at the moment I want to work to 100% recovery but as I get closer to the race I want to decrease the rest period to build up lactate tolerance.

The old PM2 (I guess that's what they were called) were fine because you could set a very small rest period and the monitor which would only start the next interval when you started to row. However the new monitor start automatically when the rest period ends.

So, I guess from what you say the PM3 / 4 can't achieve this.

My point therefore is why on earth would Concept promote a very specific training method that cannot be supported by their own product!

Discuss

J

[iain]

If you just set the intervals one at a time, then you can select "rerow" or set up again as your HR approaches the required level and shouldn't be nore than a few seconds off which shouldn't make much difference (given that measuring RHR is not exact anyway). If you don't wear a HRM, you may have to set up with the interval and a long rest period (you won't be able to use "REROW" as this will then be truncated to the length of the last time and recoveries will tend to get longer) so that you can watch your HR during the rest before cancelling and resetting when the correct HR approaches. If you set up variable intervals the PM records the HR at the end of a rest priod, so if you estimate the time, afterwards you will know whether you were out.

- Iain

[jrgibb]

Yep, guess that's going to be the way to go.

However seems crazy that Concept can't add this as a function on the PM4 when it's something they promote in their training programme.

Plus it's nice to see an interval training session grouped in the data log.

Rant over

[iain]

..seems crazy that Concept can't add this as a function on the PM4 when it's something they promote in their training programme.

HR appears an afterthought, it is amazing that it only stores terminal HR values, particularly as the monitors often have a blip so it may have been 165-180 for 99% of the workout, but only records the 85 it showed as you went through the line. The blips might be an excuse for not restarting when it falls below a particular value, it would be annoying if it suddenly started when the reading arbitarily dropped when nowhere near the required value! Most HR monitors have an alarm when you fall out of a set zone. If this was set between 2xRHR and HRmax, it would allow you to sit ready and start when it bleeped.

- Iain

[SirWired]

I thought the "terminal HR-only" bit was a bit odd too, but over many one-hour workouts (with 5-minute splits), there has only been one (caused by a glitch) where the average HR reported by the C2 was more than one beat off of my watch.

The way I look at it, if the monitor used average beats over the workout, a glitch would HAVE to throw off your average. But since the monitor just samples, it will only throw off your average if it happens to sample during a glitch.

In any case, the reason I was suggesting you use RowPro or set very short splits is that it should be very obvious after your workout, when reading the logs, which parts of the workout were rest and which were work. You can just set the monitor for a few minutes (or meters) beyond what you anticipate the workout taking and then set the splits as low as the PM will let you. (With RowPro, you won't have to bother with splits, since it records every stroke, I think.)

SirWired