HRM & rugby pre season training

[Tim Clarke]

Hi,

I am looking for some advice on heart rate monitors. I play rugby and have recently suffered a fib and tib fracture which has meant I will not be able to carry out a pre season training this year.

My thoughts are to use a heart rate monitor to measure my training and to motivate me. So I am really looking for some advice on the best heart rate monitors and those which are most suited to rugby training.

Thanks
Tim

[Kalen Meine]

It's not really clear to me, barring some cardiac condition, how a HRM is really going to be of utility outside of curiosity, since, ideally, your heart rate doing any given activity should be going down as your power output goes up. Rugby isn't played inside your chest-so why use a physiological marker when the tangible indicators of performance are both easier to access and progress in a consistent fashion? Go faster through a set distance or volume of work, or do more in a set amount of time-I'd wager the motivation would be greater and the results more meaningful.

[Steven Low]

I wouldn't bother with a HRM.

Just workout hard and listen to your body when you need a break. If you need to avoid injuries consider working on weaknesses like flexibility/mobility/stability as well as say upper body strength or something (rings).

[Dave Van Skike]

HRM can be a useful tool. Read up on how to use it. Joel Friel and some of the other cycling coaches on the web have good insights on how to use an HRM wihtout getting obsessed with the data.

Nike makes a cheap one with limited functions that I've used in the past. The low end Polar ones are similar, maybe made in the same factory for all I know.

[James Evans]

Heartrate monitors are useful tools for athletes like rowers, cyclists and distance runners. I think they have little application to rugby training.

Consider the requirements of your position and plan accordingly. Every player will benefit from working on their speed. There have been a few threads on the subject in the past. If you post some more details about yourself I'll happily offer some advice.

As an aside, I recently saw a promo for a crosstraining event - row 500m, do some step ups, lat pull downs, bench, run 1km etc. The press (something like 20kg for 40) was illustrated, I kid you not, by a picture of a guy stripped to the waist, seated, wearing a HRM and gloves.

Oddly, the legend 'Magnificent Bell-end' had been omitted.

What was he going to do? Overshoot his target heart rate and drop out of the competition?

[Dave Van Skike]

HRM's rule.
Sitting at my desk right now I've got three on...thinking of adding a blood pressure cuff for good measure.