So I'm a few days into using the watch for my gym workouts (weights not cardio) and I've noticed sometimes that the heart rate seems off. For example I was doing squats and expected it to be around 120-130 bpm and it was 112. I quickly swipped to calories and total time and back to heart rate and then it has jumped to 123. So is it actually accurately measuring it in the background but not always refreshing the data on the screen? BTW I'm in the default watch fitness app and using 'other' as there is no resistance training option.
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Is heart rate updating in background but not on screen?
- Thread starter justjax
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I believe you can get a more accurate picture of what is going on with heart rate data from the watch if you check the health app on your iPhone and look under heart rate. I believe all of the heart rate data from the watch is transferred there and broken down into time intervals. I think you go to the health app, then pick vitals, then pick heart rate, then show all data. Hope that helps in some way.
And by the way, I use the workout app with my stationary recumbent bike workout. The bike has a built in heart rate monitor and so I can compare the numbers with my watch while I am working out and the watch seems to almost always match the heart rate monitor on the bike almost exactly or maybe a couple beats difference so it seems to me that the heart rate monitor is fairly accurate.
Optical HR readers are not accurate in weight training because of vascular constriction.
SO . . . . When they are done the watch will still record your HR. I suspect the AW would track HR while doing squats.
You should direct this at the OP and not me. I was answering the OP question as to why the HR reading was not accurate during weight training exercises.
NO, I am directing my response to your: Optical HR readers are not accurate in weight training because of vascular constriction" statement, Sir.
Thanks all, health app really isn't great not that clear where to find things but finally found the data. I think for tomorrow's work out I'm going to wear my polar strap and watch and see how it differs overall. I don't mind if it doesn't appear to be as accurate as long as deep down its show how figures it all out and the overall result is within a few calories a proper HRM.
While you will get more accurate HR readings using a strap based HR monitor it will still not provide you with the info you are expecting. Calculating calories burned for an anaerobic exercise like wight training is not based on HR or cardiovascular effort. HR is really only applicable for calculating caloric burn in cardio (hence the word cardio) type exercises. However just put your
Watch in Other and accept this as a baseline for your weight training session (that is what I and most do).For reference Other is equal in a caloric burn rate to a "brisk walk" relative to your metrics. Just for reference here is a good generic caloric burn calculator that covers about every activity.
http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc