Deleted member 5559
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I've been using a heart rate monitor (HRM) for the last few years and have used it as an indicator of my fatigue level. If a training session feels ok but is producing higher heart rate levels, it forces me to make the session even easier than it feels. I've found numerous times that my body is lying to me and sometimes I feel good but perform crappy and other times I feel terrible but perform very well.
I've heard arguments for both following heart rate and ignoring it. The following argument is that it indicates exactly what your body is doing and highlights fatigue that may not be evident by feel. The ignoring argument is that the body needs the work to be at a certain level for adaptation and the heart rate will simply fluctuate to accommodate the variables such as temperature, altitude, fatigue, etc.
Since I've been using a HRM, I very rarely over reach; however, perhaps I'm leaving progress on the table if I were to prioritize feel. If you use or have used a HRM, do you prioritize the heart rate or how you feel?
Edit: This is oriented for steady state endurance training.
I've heard arguments for both following heart rate and ignoring it. The following argument is that it indicates exactly what your body is doing and highlights fatigue that may not be evident by feel. The ignoring argument is that the body needs the work to be at a certain level for adaptation and the heart rate will simply fluctuate to accommodate the variables such as temperature, altitude, fatigue, etc.
Since I've been using a HRM, I very rarely over reach; however, perhaps I'm leaving progress on the table if I were to prioritize feel. If you use or have used a HRM, do you prioritize the heart rate or how you feel?
Edit: This is oriented for steady state endurance training.
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