Heartrate Monitors Blog

Folks, it has arrived. The Garmin Forerunner 10 GPS watch is now one of the hottest items on HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com and if you haven’t seen what this GPS watch can do yet, now is the perfect time.

Available in sleek black, pink, or green, the Forerunner 10 by Garmin keeps you up to speed with your workout from start to finish using just the push of a button. With personal records, virtual pacer, and tracking for how fast and how far you’ve gone, the Garmin Forerunner 10 is a great choice for any runner.

Get the Garmin Forerunner 10 today from Heart Rate Monitors USA.

How much do you really know about the calorie? Do you know how to determine your daily calorie intake? How many calories are in a gram of fat? Too many questions?! Have no fear, the latest infographic from our pals at The Greatist will help you out. Behold, The Complete Guide to Calories.

by greatist.Browse more data visualization.

If you’ve been keeping up with the latest from Fitbit, you’ve probably heard some buzzing about the Fitbit One. As the latest roll out in activity monitors, the Fitbit One promises to be sleek, stylish, and discreet – but that’s not what makes it a must-have for health and fitness. Its tracking abilities are pretty incredible, with logging for distance, steps taken, stairs climbed, and more.

There’s a new silent alarm feature that’s built in to wake you up with a gentle vibration when you wear it while you’re sleeping. The battery life is amazing. It can sync with iPhones via Bluetooth and offers wireless syncing. What more could you want from your activity tracker?

Plus, you still get the great benefits of a Fitbit web account, which includes integration with other popular apps, like Lose It! or MyFitnessPal.

For non-athletes, the Fitbit One is a sturdy, affordable, and sleek way to monitor your activity while motivating you to work toward healthy goals.

Stay tuned for updates! We’ll keep you posted once we get the Fitbit One up on the site.

GoPro has done it again. Their most recent roll out, the GoPro HERO3 promises to be the most advanced GoPro ever.

No expense was spared in its development, resulting in a GoPro camera that is 30% smaller, 25% lighter, and twice as powerful than previous action camera models. It’s a must for any serious athlete who wants to capture all of the action, and we’re honored to say that we now have the GoPro HERO3 available for pre-order.

The GoPro HERO 3 promises the same power that you’ve come to love about GoPro action cameras. This camera is wearable and gear mountable, is waterproof up to 60 meters, and is capable of capturing ultra-wide 1440p 48fps, 1080p 60 fps and 720p 120 fps video and 12MP photos at a rate of 30 photos per second. Plus, it now has built-in Wi-Fi and GoPro App compatibility for camera control for any user with iOS or Android smartphones or app-running tablets.

To get the full specs on the GoPro HERO3 or to preorder, visit HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com.

Running to music seems to make any distance seem shorter, any workout seem faster. If you’re looking to put together a new running playlist, then we’re here to help. We’ve searched through our own iPods and Pandora stations to find some of the best songs (and some of our favorite!) songs to work out to.

Here are our recommendations from our playlists:

• “Lose Yourself” – Eminem
• “My Life Would Suck Without You” – Kelly Clarkson
• “Hip Hop Hooray” – Naughty By Nature
• “The Distance” – Cake
• “Hey Ya!” – OutKast
• “Running With the Devil” – Van Halen
• “Eye of the Tiger” – Survivor
• “Run the World” – Beyonce
• “We are the Champions” – Queen
• “Good Feeling” – Flo Rida
• “The Edge of Glory” – Lady Gaga
• “Dancing with Myself” – Billy Idol
• “I Wanna Be Sedated” – The Ramones
• “Start Me Up” – The Rolling Stones
• “I’m A Believer” – The Monkees
• “Dance to the Music” – Sly & the Family Stone
• “A Little Less Conversation” – Elvis Presley
• “Where the Streets Have No Name” – U2
• “Are You Gonna Be My Girl” – Jet
• “Papa Was a Rolling Stone” – The Temptations
• “Marathon” – Rush
• “Clocks” – Coldplay
• “Push It” – SaltNPepa
• “Stronger” – Kanye West
• “No One Knows” – Queens of the Stone Age
• “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” – Beastie Boys
• “Take Me Out” – Franz Ferdinand
• “We Didn’t Start the Fire” – Billy Joel
• “Gimme Three Steps” – Lynyrd Skynrd
• “Sandstorm” – Darude
• “Bye Bye Bye” – NSync
• “Girlfriend” – Avril Lavigne
• “Under Pressure” – Queen & David Bowie
• “Iron Man” – Ozzy Ozborne
• “Danger Zone” – Kenny Logins

Want to add to the list? Leave a comment! In the future, we’ll put together themed playlists that include songs from our playlists and yours! Let us know what you listen to when you run. 

Preparations for any athletic event require attention to detail and an understanding of training effects. Triathlons are among the most rigorous of all events, and there are several triathlon training tips to keep in mind for top performance:

• Performance gains should be predictable and slow. Pushing yourself to run, cycle or swim more than about 10 percent longer or farther each week will have negative consequences.
• Athletes in training must listen to and respect their bodies. If you feel run-down one day or more fatigued than usual, it is a message from the body to slow down and allow recuperation.
• The right apparel makes a huge difference in performance. Heart rate monitors with GPS capability allow you to track progress and even get a strong feel for the triathlon route before the event.
•  Going a little further than the event course requires will help you build confidence. Psychological preparation for long-distance events is just as important as physical preparation.
•  The last two weeks before an event are best spent on maintenance and optimizing energy storage through diet. Further performance gains are not possible with this short time period.
• Seek out more triathlon training tips from experienced trainers and professional athletes.

These are just a few tips for training for a triathlon. Share your best tips with us in the comments!

What have you done to train for a triathlon?

Whenever you spot runners or cyclists, many of them are sporting tight, form fitting garments. This type of apparel is called compression clothing, and it is worn by the finest athletes everywhere. While they may look basic, compression clothing is highly recommended within the fitness industry and offers several benefits to athletes.

Compression garments consist of tights, shorts, arm sleeves, calf guards or leg sleeves. Made from a spandex or power-weight flex material, compression garments can serve multiple purposes and are preferred by most avid athletes. They are geared to offer superb power, flexibility, and a 360 degree stretch. Even though cycling, field hockey, and running are different types of sports, these athletes share the same benefits from wearing compression clothing.

The main benefits of compression clothing are that they reduce the risk of sports injuries. They keep the muscles warm to prevent strain and fatigue, and they also keep sweat off your body to prevent chafing and rashes. Research has shown that compression garments help athletes recover faster, too. They can help reduce muscle soreness, minimize the duration for muscles trying to repair themselves, and reduce swelling.

Compression garments have also been shown to increase athletic performance, enabling athletes to increase the duration or intensity of their workouts. The elasticity of the garments enables easier movement of the body, resulting in easier hip movement to obtain more strides.

Whatever fitness activities, sports, or fitness training you are involved in, compression clothing can help you to perform at your peak. Heart Rate Monitors USA offers a variety of compression garments to suit your own needs. Be sure to choose a size that will firmly fit your body without cutting in to the body. Once you begin wearing compression clothes, you should start feeling the difference immediately!

Cardiovascular conditioning prevents disease and common illnesses, and research proves its effectiveness during the treatment of many diseases like cancer and osteoporosis. Motivation and safety are key ingredients in any exercise program. Goal setting and biofeedback are important ways of ensuring motivation and safety. The Polar FT80 heart rate monitor aids in an optimum workout by providing real-time statistics and tracking progress.

With a monitor, you can easily monitor baseline heart rate, establish a heart rate training zone, and set goals for future sessions. Polar provides the ability to upload data into specialized software for graphing, comparisons, and sharing with medical or training professionals. Take a closer look at some of the basic features:

• Training safety is easy to establish by inputting the heart rate limits. Alarms let you know when your rate reaches the minimum limit, goes below the minimum, or exceeds the maximum.
• Another important measure in many workout routines is caloric expenditure. Polar OwnCal tracks calories and the percentage of fat burned in a workout.
•  Training guidance further enhances the workout by suggesting optimum rest periods during anaerobic routines.

Those who prefer outdoor exercise will enjoy the GPS functionality of Polar monitors. The Polar FT80 is GPS compatible and is a favorite among those who enjoy both indoor and outdoor exercise.

But beyond this, the Polar FT80 offers superior tracking and coaching for those who want to push themselves to the next level. This heart rate monitor includes the Polar Fitness Test for testing fitness levels, strength training guidance features, and the Polar STAR training program, which gives you weekly training targets, adapts to your training habits to guide you without being too strict and allows you flexibility during the week.

Coach yourself to your fitness goals with the Polar FT80 – one of our most popular monitors at HeartRateMonitorsUSA.com.

It happens to all of us – You get into an intense and great workout groove, and suddenly you stop seeing results and drop your fitness regime all together. Overcoming a fitness plateau can be difficult, but it is important to start by understanding what caused this rut in the first place. Are you bored or experiencing fatigue with your workouts? Have you stopped seeing results? The following tips can help you overcome your exercise plateau and get you back to reaching your goals:

• Buy Proper Workout Attire. Buying proper exercise clothing will encourage you to get up and start moving. Be sure to buy a good pair of sneakers as well, as the wrong type of shoe can cause injury.
• Switch Up Your Routine. If you normally walk on your treadmill, head outside for a jog or hike instead. If you usually stick to your fitness DVDs, join a gym and participate in group exercise classes. A change of scenery can be very motivating for your workout plan. Similarly, you can always inspire each other when working out with other people.
• Change Your Diet. Healthy eating habits are important for fueling your body. Make sure you are getting enough protein from your meals, as protein will help build muscle and increase your metabolism.
• Take A Break. Your body needs rest after workouts. Stick to a workout plan of no more than 1 hour or so a day, for 3-5 days each week.
• Sleep. Be sure to get 7-8 hours of sleep each night so your body can perform at its max.
• Have Fun. Most importantly, exercising should be fun. Whether it’s running on the beach or playing football with friends, you are still exercising even though it may not seem like it.

Above all, always remain positive and determined. You will find yourself having a better mindset and being closer to your goals.

Polar RC3

Finally – a comprehensive GPS training watch that can track route, speed, distance, and so much more.

The latest training watch to roll out from Polar, the Polar RC3, is the fitness companion all recreational runners and cyclists have been waiting for. The Polar RC3 showcases integrated GPS with smart guidance, not to mention, plenty of training features to keep you on top and track, including:

• Training Benefit gives you instant feedback after your session
• Running Index to score your performance
• 5 fixed sport profiles
• Automatic lap recording
• Graphical target zone indicator
• Accurate GPS tracking for distance, route, speed, etc.

Plus, smart coaching features like the Polar Fitness Test, Smart Calories, Training Benefit & Load, ZoneLock, and ZonePointer.

All of this is packed into a slim and lightweight design with rechargeable battery. Water resistance up to 30 meters with support for multiple language displays, dual time zone, KeyLock, date and weekday indicator, and backlight round out this amazing GPS fitness training watch from Polar.

Upload data to PC or Mac with included USB cable, and then analyze or share data on www.polarpersonaltrainer.com to make the most of your training. The Polar RC3 makes it easy.

The Polar RC3 is set to ship next month, but you can grab it now on pre-order from Heart Rate Monitors USA.

Pre-order yours today now.