Heart Rate Monitor & Weightlifting

[Nathan King]

I'm having an issue where the heart rate monitor reads around 56 BPM, which happens to be a common resting heart rate for me, when lifting weights. Once I stop the next reading jumps to around 150, which is correct. I've tried wearing the watch tighter or looser and higher or lower on my wrist without success. This is not an issue when doing lower body exercises, HIIT or cardio, so I'm assuming this has to do with my wrists and/or arms being tensed for a prolonged period.

Has anybody else experienced this and found a solution? It's a bit irritating since that really skews my average heart rate number for the workout lower.

 

[oeagleo]

I'm having an issue where the heart rate monitor reads around 56 BPM, which happens to be a common resting heart rate for me, when lifting weights. Once I stop the next reading jumps to around 150, which is correct. I've tried wearing the watch tighter or looser and higher or lower on my wrist without success. This is not an issue when doing lower body exercises, HIIT or cardio, so I'm assuming this has to do with my wrists and/or arms being tensed for a prolonged period.

Has anybody else experienced this and found a solution? It's a bit irritating since that really skews my average heart rate number for the workout lower.

I would invest in a chest strap to wear when you're doing weightlifting. You'll never get an accurate Heart rate with the wrist heart rate when your wrist flexes so much as with weightlifting. You could also use it for other activities if you want truly accurate heart rates also.

 

[BlueMoon63]

I'm having an issue where the heart rate monitor reads around 56 BPM, which happens to be a common resting heart rate for me, when lifting weights. Once I stop the next reading jumps to around 150, which is correct. I've tried wearing the watch tighter or looser and higher or lower on my wrist without success. This is not an issue when doing lower body exercises, HIIT or cardio, so I'm assuming this has to do with my wrists and/or arms being tensed for a prolonged period.

Has anybody else experienced this and found a solution? It's a bit irritating since that really skews my average heart rate number for the workout lower.

Definitely can happen with exercises that really bend your wrist. Bench press comes to mind, same for dips and military presses... there are several.

This has never bothered me as it isn’t much in the overall workout. I did a chest and triceps today and had a few drops that didn’t seem to show. Sometimes I get a few drops down that look out of place.

I use a Watch app called SmartGyn. When I use that instead of Apple’s Workout App, it only gives the Active Calories.

 

[millerj123]

I don’t think this is limited to weight training. I run regularly tracking my runs with my watch, and frequently have periods where heart rate can’t be correct. Overall, it’s good enough that I’m not going to bother with a chest strap.

 

[risenphoenixkai]

The optical sensor the Watch uses won't return an accurate reading any time blood flow to the extremities is restricted... like it is during weight training. To get an accurate HR reading while weight training, you'll need a chest strap sensor synced to the Watch via Bluetooth.

 

[Pseudo-Fed]

Wrist based OHR are widely known to be unreliable for weight training activities-especially involving the hand/wrist/arms. But you don't need a chest strap. I get consistent readings with the phenomenal Scosche Rhythm Plus.

 

[seatton]

I lift weights 4 times a week and I do not use that weight lifting feature on my watch (only when I do my cardio workouts). I do not believe I burn that many calories anyway while lifting weights. Just my two cents.

 

[Julien]

I lift weights 4 times a week and I do not use that weight lifting feature on my watch (only when I do my cardio workouts). I do not believe I burn that many calories anyway while lifting weights. Just my two cents.

You can burn a decent amount of calories weight training BUT...weight training is anaerobic (unless you are doing HIIT or Cross Fit) so your HR is NOT an indicator or measuring tool for calories burned and there is not good method to calculate. You really only need to monitor your HR while lifting if you have a medical condition or just curiosity. Overall though you are correct and you need to do cardio workouts also in order to burn fat effectively.

I run my Workout app on Other when weight training but just for 'fun' and to record the lift and don't worry about the inaccuracy of the optical HRM due to tissue constriction.

 

[Nathan King]

Thank you all for the information. I agree, I don’t burn that many calories anyway since my caloric intake does not need to be raised that much for maintenance. For me, it’s more of a curiosity unless I’m jogging.