Heart Rate Monitoring For Kettlebell or High Intensity Training

You can either take a radial pulse or use a heart monitor, which is more accurate. For the heart rate to be able to rise quickly and fall quickly to resting levels or below is an indicator of a healthy heart. If after a period of heavy exertion, we like to see the heart rate drop at least 10 below the peak heart rate within 1 minute. On a 1-10 scale or the ability to speak, tell your instructor where you are after a vigorous segment during the workout. It will not only help her challenge you, but also keep you from over exertion, especially for a newby......

1 resting

2 very light/ not out of breath or muscle strain

3 light/ no exertion, lightweight, no burn

4 Moderate/ slightly breathless, slight muscle discomfort

5 aware/ talk without difficulty, notice muscle strain

6 Uncomfortable/ difficult to talk, weight difficult to lift, slight burn

7 Difficult/ No longer want to talk, muscle burn, weight heavy

8 Intense/ Can't talk, barely completes lift, intense burn

9 Very intense/ Near max effort, severe burning, max weight

10 Max effort/ Can't continue exercise, another rep or second (duration) is not possible.


On Fitness Sept 07