Every time we exercise there is a bunch of chemical reactions occurring inside your body. The heart rate monitor helps us to identify the zone we are training, i.e. aerobic or anaerobic. Each of these zones brings different benefits to the body and workout.

ALL endurance based athletes in their training season stay 85% of their time in the aerobic zone. When they train they have a coach that insures them the workout has a beginning, middle and end, not only for the day but also for the week, month, year, season.

There is a reason for this. You have to teach your body how to burn fat. The only way to do it is to stay on your aerobic zone. Simple thinking.

There is another factor that we have to add when training. Let me ask a quick question: how many nights you can stay awake before you need to sleep? (Without sleep during the day!! No cheating). The same principle applies to your body while you train.

You have to know when to recover and when to push hard. Enters the saivor Heart Rate monitor. It can actually tell you if you’re on your aerobic zone or not with precision. No guessing is necessary. The only thing you have to do is look at it!!! If you’re below 80% guess which zone you’re in? That’s right Aerobic!!!

Good question!!! How do you know the number? Very simple just use the formula (220-age) that will give you your maximum heart rate (that you NEVER should be able to reach) from that number multiply by 0.8 and you’ll have 80%, 0.75 = 75%, 0.7 = you guess it 70%.

If you are pushing to hard every time you run or cycle you are not allowing your body to recover instead of getting better you will actually get worst at it. That’s called Overtraining we don’t want that!!! Bellow there is a table on a few of the different Symptoms from Overtraining:

Symptoms and signs that could show Overtraining:
Physical Symptoms:

  • Reduction in muscular strength
  • Less coordination
  • Less coordination

Biological Functions:

  • Increase (or decrease) in Resting Heart Rate (RHR) or blood pressure when compared to the true RHR.
  • Increase on the oxygen intake, on heart rate and on blood lactate during a padronized sub maximal exercise.
  • Reduction or no alteration in body fat
  • Muscular hypersensitivity
  • Higher risk of infection

Overall Feelings:

  • Easily fatigued
  • Easily fatigued
  • Possible sleep disorders.

One might argue: “Its my body I’ve been training for X amount of years, I know how to train, when to push and when slowdown. Therefore I do not need a Heart Rate Monitor.”

When you wear a heart rate monitor you actually avoid these symptoms (listed above) and you’ll improve on your training, allowing better results and overall conditioning. And who knows, there may be some days you can work harder than you had ever thought possible!!! Unless you’re built with a digital LCD that can actually indicate the precise moment when certain chemical reaction are occurring you need a Heart Rate Monitor. If that means better results in a shorter period of time Athletes use them, why shouldn’t you?

What brand and model to buy?

There are several types of heart rate monitors to buy Nike, Polar, Timex, Oregon, Acumen, and Garmin. What I recommend is Polar, just because they were the company to invented the hear rate monitors and they are still in the forefront of technology when it comes to precision in heart rate. On some watches they have the fit test witch they claim 98% accurate towards a VO2max test.

Now the models depend on your needs. So you need to ask your self a question is it going to be for running, biking or multisport? Once you’ve decided then you look at the price range (remember the higher the price the more functions it has). Sounds more complex than it really is. Here is what I think is a good entry level monitor for running (S120 can be used for cycling):