How To Use Your HR-Monitor for Better Results in Crossfit.
Do You Follow Your Heart Rate?
In endurance sports, such as cycling and running it is very common practice to strap a Heart Rate Monitor on to observe how smooth things are running on the inside. But not many people know how to apply what they read to what is going on in their High Intensity Workout or Crossfit Workout.
With more & more people are getting into the trend of wearing sports trackers that offer HR Monitoring during workouts. I want to cover how you can use the readings for your benefits and to guide you regarding appropriate intensity in your workouts.
It has been proven that learning how to pace a workout based of your Heart Rate and the duration of the workout can help a lot with performance. So this one is for you, if you are looking for ways to improve your workout performance, continue reading & figure out how you can use a Heart Rate Monitor to tune in with your body and get better results from your training.
HR Monitoring in CrossFit
Measuring the rate of your heart during your workouts can help you determine when you're pushing your body way too hard or when you need to push a little harder. With CrossFit being a constantly varied sport, this can be very useful as the workout intensity is vital to measure. HR Monitoring can tell you whether you are training too hard or not pushing hard enough to achieve the level of fitness you’re aiming for.
You see, there’s a risk with not finding the perfect balance in your workout. Do too much, you risk having an injury or getting a burnout. Do too little, you risk losing out on the benefits of your work.
So, what is the right intensity?
The RIGHT intensity will always depend on what ENERGY SYSTEM your workout intends on improving. Short workouts have one goal, medium workouts another and long duration workouts the third.
There are three energy systems we use when creating energy. Let me briefly explain these to you.
The First. Anaerobic Alactic (ATP-CP) Energy System (High Intensity – Short Duration/Bursts)
This is for those whose workouts require high amounts of short duration intensity. This doesn’t use oxygen, but the body’s creatine phosphate to create energy for a short duration. Mostly, the weight lifters, football players, gymnasts utilize this energy system.
The Second. Anaerobic Lactic (Glycolytic) Energy System (High to Medium Intensity – Uptempo)
This one provides energy for the medium to high-intensity bursts of activity that lasts from 10 seconds to a max of 90 seconds. This is most commonly viewed as an important athletic attribute in team sports such as basketball, hockey, ringette, and soccer, those sports wherein shifts & transitions are all part of the game.
The Third. Aerobic Energy System (Low Intensity – Long Duration – Endurance)
This aerobic system provides energy for low to medium-intensity activities that last from two minutes to a few hours. This is mostly utilized in sports that have repeated shifts, rallies, events, or sustained exercise, such as long distance swimming, crew rowing and kayaking. Also, unlike the other two systems, the aerobic system requires oxygen and takes longer to overload and fatigue.
Furthermore, each of these systems contribute ATP for exercise energy. It’s just a matter of intensity & duration of activity.
Determining the right intensity for the workout duration.
We have all gone too hard out in a workout - regretting it about 7 min into a 20 min workout, realizing we messed up.
Using a HR monitor can help you finding the more suitable pace you need to move at and guide you on the intensity.
But that doesn’t go without some challenges. The numbers you should be using on your HR monitor depend on your age and genetics so it’s hard to give a clear cut direction. If we are aiming for Hard - Very Hard effort for me that might be 160 Beat Per Min and for someone else it might be 180 because genetically that person has a higher Max Hr.
A tool that you can start use right away, without the painful process of testing your max HR. Is the Borg scale, it is used to determine the HR Zone related to the energy system you are utilising. The BORG Scale, also commonly known as the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) is one way of measuring physical activity intensity level. It is a method used to rate perceived exertion or subjective feeling of the workout and below you will find a guide on how to use that to calculate your corresponding HR-zones.
If you would like to not look at the numbers, and learn how to go by feel - Here Is some more info on how your can maximise your gains in Strength Training or Endurance Training
It is mostly used by everyone doing any type of physical exercise and is much helpful for therapists, coaches & personal trainers. It ensures they are working with their clients safely & effectively.
This determines the relation between the energy system used & one’s HR. Energy systems shift upon the increase of HR. As you’ll see in an RPE Scale, the harder you run, the higher your heart rate becomes. The higher your heart rate, the more you tap into the anaerobic energy system.
Here is a comprehensive scale to view your RPE, based on the feeling and the estimate of how long you can stay within a particular zone.
Borg Scale With HR zone Reference adapted for Crossfit or High Intensity Workouts
Device to Use
It is highly recommended to use the Whoop Strap. Basically, it is a fitness tracker that measures one’s sleep, workout intensity and how one’s body recovers from workouts, relying solely on HRV, heart rate by using LEDs and photoplethysmography to get those measurements.
The best part is its battery life. Unlike the fitness trackers such as Apple Watch, Whoop can last for five days on a single charge.
Another good thing about the Whoop is when you use the App and tap “Start Activity”, you can watch your HR live, as you go through your session or workout.
Disclaimer:
When using a HR-Monitor, the type and brand of your monitor plays a big part. Most Wrist based measurements are not the most precise. As runners go faster, the wrist monitors become less accurate.
In addition to sensor reliability, CrossFit’s specific issues include any movements that are heavily reliant on grip and require you to keep your arms above your head for a long duration. Examples are gymnastics movements & barbell work; they may give inaccurate results.
If this bothers you, you can look at fitness trackers that are compatible with chest straps or look into getting a Bluetooth chest strap that can be used with an application on your phone.
Conclusion
Overall, I just really hope this helps you towards a more deliberate effort with your workout intensity. Let me leave you with questions you can assess & ask yourself.
What stimulus is expected in my workout by looking at its duration, is it short or is it long?
How can I adjust my efforts on each movement? Do I need to break up the reps or not break up the reps?
What pace am I going after on the run/row/bike to be inside the zone?
If you are not hitting the HR zones in your workouts due to muscular fatigue, low technical levels, aches and pains, feel free to book for a 20 minute session with me so we can look at how you can improve your movement patterns & start pushing hard!
