Measuring your heart rate is a simple, effective way of gauging your workout intensity. But stopping to check your pulse in the middle of a workout is frustrating. Several types of heart rate monitors are available for use in the gym. But don't mistake them for medical equipment; gym heart rate monitors are strictly for fitness use.
Handgrip Heart Rate Monitors
Most gym cardio equipment, and many midrange and high end home gym machines, have built-in handgrip heart rate monitors. Grasp both silvery handgrips, making sure your hand contacts the silver surface all the way around the grip. Users frequently complain that handgrip heart rate monitors don't give a very accurate reading, so treat this number as a good estimate and double-check by manually taking your pulse if you get erratic readings.
Heart Rate Monitor Watches
Wrist mounted heart rate monitors measure your fingertip pulse in just a few seconds, saving you the trouble of a longer pause to count your own pulse. The downside of this type of heart rate monitor is that you must place two fingers on the watch sensors. With some watch models you can keep exercising as you do this, but keeping your fingers in contact with the watch sensors as you exercise at a high intensity can be awkward. Calculating your pulse on the go also usually requires a few more seconds of contact than if you were to pause briefly.
Chest Strap Heart Rate Monitors
Chest strap heart rate monitors are the most convenient type of monitoring equipment for use in the gym. They offer unrestricted freedom of movement and give accurate results. Moisten the electrodes and center the monitor as high as possible underneath your chest muscles. For women, this corresponds with the location of your bra band. The chest strap transmits your heart rate information to a wrist mounted readout or, if your exercise machine is compatible with wireless telemetry, to the console readout.
Most gym cardio machines and many high end home cardio machines have this capability. Some even feature heart rate control programs, which continuously monitor your heart rate information, through wireless telemetry with the chest strap, and adjust the speed or resistance to keep you within a target heart rate zone.
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