Heart rate is important but listening to your body also has a lot of advantages. There are more variables
involved in how hard you should workout than just heart rate. Your stress level, physical health, emotional
health, temperature, humidity, the time of day, the last time you ate and what you ate, all contribute to the
intensity at which you should workout. If you listen to your body, it will tell you all of these things.
The rate of perceived exertion (RPE), also know as the Borg scale, was developed by Swedish physiologist
G.A.V. Borg. This scale rates exercise intensity from 6 to 20 depending upon how you feel or the perception of
your effort.
You can get an approximate heart rate level for each rating by simply adding a zero to each rating. For
example a rating of 12 will result in an approximate heart rate of 120 beats per minute. Your RPE will vary
depending up the factors discussed earlier. That is the major benefit of this type of training. If your body is
strong and rested, you will feel strong and your pace will feel easier. When your body is in this condition, you
are able to train harder and the RPE will support this. If you are feeling tired and sluggish, it is because your
body needs a break. In this condition, your pace will feel harder. Again, this will show up in your RPE and you
will train at the proper level for that day.
Using a Heart Rate Transmitter
How to wear your wireless chest strap transmitter:
1. Attach the transmitter to the elastic strap using the locking parts.
2. Adjust the strap as tightly as possible as long as the strap is not too tight to remain comfortable.
3. Position the transmitter with the logo centered in the middle of your body facing away from your chest
(some people must position the transmitter slightly left of center). Attach the final end of the elastic strap by
inserting the round end and, using the locking parts, secure the transmitter and strap around your chest.
4. Position the transmitter immediately below the pectoral muscles.
5. Sweat is the best conductor to measure very minute heart beat electrical signals. However, plain water can
also be used to pre-wet the electrodes (2 black square areas on the reverse side of the belt and either side of
transmitter). It’s also recommended that you wear the transmitter strap a few minutes before your work out.
Some users, because of body chemistry, have a more difficult time in achieving a strong, steady signal at the
beginning. After “warming up”, this problem lessens. As noted, wearing clothing over the transmitter/strap
doesn’t affect performance.
6. Your workout must be within range - distance between transmitter/receiver – to achieve a strong steady
signal. The length of range may vary somewhat but generally stay close enough to the console to maintain
good, strong, reliable readings. Wearing the transmitter immediately against bare skin assures you of proper
operation. If you wish, you may wear the transmitter over a shirt. To do so, moisten the areas of the shirt that
the electrodes will rest upon.
