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Heart Rate Monitor Fun And Games
Did an SSLP session with a Heart Rate chest strap today. At age 52, my (supposed) max HR is 168.
Squats: 3 sets of 5 @ 310 (Personal Record)
Presses: 3 sets of 5 @ 145 (failed, got 5,2,3)
Deadlifts: 1 set of 5 @ 295 (didn't even attempt, was smoked after DL warmup sets. Too much volume, not nearly enough food prior.)
Session Duration: 52 minutes and change (didn't wear the strap for squat warmup sets ~10 minutes)
Max Heart Rate: 144
Avg Heart Rate: 115
Calorie Burn*: 496
Compare and contrast this with a HIIT (sorta high intensity) session on the Prowler on Tuesday:
Protocol: 20 seconds sprint @~85% pace/1+40 rest, 8 rounds;
Session Duration: 20 minutes
Max Heart Rate: 151
Avg Heart Rate: 125
Calorie Burn*: 226
* my gut tells me not to put too much stock in the calorie burn guesstimate, but my old kettlebell instructor tested his $19 Timex HR monitor's results against a MetCart at Vanderbilt and it was within 10%. Luckily, I don't really care about calorie monitoring, I just like to compare things.
So the Prowler has a higher average intensity for a shorter period of time. However, I note that the strength session looks identical to a longer, slightly less intense HIIT session. I would assume the strain evident in the results of the strength training session would surprise the average person who "does cardio".
As a side note, my intraset rests had gotten a little excessive I thought (8-10 minute range) and additionally, my ability to cram 2 sessions into the 3-4 days I have off between Real Airline Pilot! trips had vanished. I'm actually shocked at how persistently I have been able to continue adding 5 pounds to the bar as it's usually 6,7, or sometimes even 8 days between sessions. I decided to test the theory that modest Prowler intervals can improve recovery, and even with my limited experience of only 4 sessions so far, I'd have to call this a raging success. My intraset recovery seemed immediately improved. Intra-session will be tested soon.
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Bill, That is fascinating and has piqued my interest. I know that Sully uses or used such a devise. Are they still priced around $19. I may get one. You mentioned that you had thought you had too many warm up reps on deads. Do you start at 135lbs? If you start at 55 you may well have too many warm up reps. I haven't done prowler though in the new studio I may have access to it.
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Hey, Carson. Good to hear from you. Unfortunately, my $19 comment is probably obsolete as this technology has gotten needlessly complex because the Adultolescents want everything to connect to everything else and to do 500 things they don't need and won't use but won't stop fiddling with. All that to say I bought a Polar H6 model strap on close out from Target for $49 and I'm running Polar's free app that hooks it up to an iPhone or iPad. For us Geezbeasts who aren't particularly interested in learning the intricacies of making two bits of tech talk to each other, it's been pretty easy.
And as for my very sudden "I'm done" realization at the end, it wasn't deadlift warm up volume it was total session volume. I'm about to revise my squat warmup toward heavier and fewer reps. May have to cut a warmup set out of presses. Heck, I may even try to skip press warmup sets altogether. Just the bar and go. Well maybe the bar, 95 for 2 then go. Anyhow, my deadlift is always 135 x 5, 225 x 5, work set. I threw in the towel after the 225.
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Hey Bill,Originally Posted by Bill Been
what did you do for Squat warmups? I'm noticing as I get to advanced novice that warmups can be a ball buster too. I've been warming up squats according to the SS app -- so for like 250, I'll do 45x5x2, 95x5, 135x3, 185x2, 205x1. Oddly for 255, the app suggest 45x5x2, 135x5, 185x3, 205x2, 225x1. That 5 pounds makes all the difference!
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I missing something what is this app you speak of for SS?
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Depending on our interpretation of the admittedly subjective term, I'd nevertheless suggest this should never be the case. When warming up for deadlifts, my earlier sets (5s and 3s) feel really really light and are pretty much all that's needed for the physical warm up. Then comes a few warm up singles that help mentally prepare me for the worksets (the good old "boiling a frog"). My last single usually feels heavy-ish at the most, it requires some effort, but is definitely comfortable and gives me the mental confidence for my actual worksets.
I'd suggest tweaking things a bit (fewer sets and/or reps) to ensure you're fully fresh for work sets and balls remain unbusted.
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Look on Home Page under the Books & More button, and scroll down. There is an app on both Android and iphone that gives you the warmup weights for all the main lifts. Pretty handy.
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You can't take that theoretical max heart rate too seriously. I'm 68, for example, and my measured max is 178, according to both my Apple Watch and the treadmill monitor.
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My squat warmup is currently 45 x 5; 135 x 5; 205 x 3; 245 x 2; work sets. I'm very seriously considering trying the following: 45 x 5; 185 x 3; 245 x 2; work sets. I've gotta cut some volume out of this deal plus I've got to get back to pairing press day with cleans day instead of this session's press+deadlift pairing. Presses take way more out of me than bench, so I'd rather pair them with cleans which I seem to be able to pound through much more reliably than deadlifts when I'm smoked.
So to bring this back to the heart rate discussion, my squat warmups would've been "more of the same" - most likely with a max HR up around 125 or so falling to around 90 during plate changes.
To be clear, there was also a food issue here as I hadn't eaten very well all morning and was sorta trying to make it up with Gatorade.
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I need to barrow my wife's HR monitor and do some messing around.
Every since I started seriously training for strength about 1 year ago, I lost my strap.
The prowler is interesting . . . what I did a couple of times, I would do my prowler balls-to-the-wall at gym . . .then I cooled down . . .got on the eliptical at globo gym . . . and I could tell my heart rate was staying high fir a long time after the prowler work. I would like program the eliptical 'cruise control' for like 130 BPM=machine adjusts resistance to maintain that rate. The machine would go so slow it was ridiculous. i.e. my heart rate was staying real elevated for even 20-30 after done with prowler.
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