Garmin Forerunner 50 and Heart Rate Monitor
A Simple and Cheap Training Tool for All Forms of Excercise
Mar 11, 2009
Garmin are world leaders in mobile navigation technology, and offer products ranging from in-car satellite navigation units to sports watches.
The Garmin Forerunner 50 is one of the cheapest sports watches on the market, and comes ready to be paired with several other Garmin products. These include a 'footpod' (to measure distances), a cycling unit (to measure wheel speed), and a heart rate monitor. The watch is fairly basic in design, but offers everything expected from a simple sports watch. It has a large, clear display, and an easy-to-use interface.
The Garmin Heart Rate Monitor
The heart rate monitor that can be bought with the Forerunner 50 fits around the chest, and wirelessly transmits the user's heart rate to the watch. The heart rate is displayed on screen, and the data is saved (along with the time).
The Forerunner 50 also comes with a USB module and associated software, which allows a PC to 'listen' for new data. After an exercise session, when the watch is brought to within 10 meters of the PC, the training data is automatically wirelessly transferred and displayed on screen. This data can then be used to view peak heart rate, average heart rate, etc.
The watch is capable of storing up to 7 hours of data, giving measurements for even the most epic exercise sessions.
The software comes with various other tools, such as the ability to build different workouts based upon heart rate. Online tools are also available, which offer more features beyond the PC based software.
Training Zones with the Forerunner 50
A training zone is a range of, for example, heart rate, for which the user should aim. This zone is based upon maximum heart rate, and different zones correspond to different levels of exercise. The Forerunner 50 manual explains how to calculate these zones in detail. Once a zone is chosen, the watch beeps when the heart rate drops below or exceeds the set levels.
These training zones can be mixed to give a workout session different levels of intensity. For example, for the first 10 minutes, the training zone can be set to between 10 and 20% above resting heart rate, representing, for example, a leisurely walk. This can build to a fast walk in zone 2, then several repeats of jogging and sprinting, and finally to a warm-down period.
Value for Money of the Forerunner 50
A sports watch, heart rate monitor, and software usually costs over £100. The Garmin Forerunner 50 can be bought for as little as £30, and is an excellent introduction to the measurement of heart rates for those who enjoy regular exercise.
The one feature lacking in the Forerunner 50 is GPS - typically seen in more expensive models. However, if used in situations where GPS is not required (such as in the gym), or if used when running on known routes, this feature probably won't be missed.
When used correctly, devices such as the Forerunner 50 can increase motivation, increase awareness of fitness levels, improve training efficiency, and decrease the risk of injury and over-training.
Further Reading
Official Forerunner 50 Website
 |
