Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Other ways of measuring fitness

Weight isn't the only way.

Just bought a new dress shirt, old one was a 17½ new one 16½....
Old belt was a 46", with a couple of extra holes added, new one a 40"

I need to find a scale, I may not even belong here anymore:D

I have been stuck around 250 for a while now but I know I am getting fitter. My legs are stronger, they don't get tired, I am going faster, I have had to up the resistance on the elliptical trainer to get my HR up, my face is not as puffy, etc.

I would still like to lose quite a few pounds but I don't think I will ever fall out of the Clyde category. lol

Weight isn't the only way.

Just bought a new dress shirt, old one was a 17½ new one 16½....
Old belt was a 46", with a couple of extra holes added, new one a 40"

I need to find a scale, I may not even belong here anymore:D

You still will, but as an Emeritus ;) I'm looking forward to giving you that certificate, by the way :)

this is a good thread, could we get some other ideas?

I have a belt that I need to add another hole to, and a belt that I bought that didn't fit and now it fits and almost to the second hole.

I have been stuck around 250 for a while now but I know I am getting fitter. My legs are stronger, they don't get tired, I am going faster, I have had to up the resistance on the elliptical trainer to get my HR up, my face is not as puffy, etc.

I would still like to lose quite a few pounds but I don't think I will ever fall out of the Clyde category. lol

I know I won't. A body fat test with a trainer a few years back made it clear that to get below 200 lbs would mean a super-athlete bf% (sub 10%) or lean-mass loss. Oh well, I care less about the weight and more about the gut.

Recover heart rate

Heart-Rate Recovery Immediately after Exercise as a Predictor of Mortality
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/abstract/341/18/1351

from: http://www.azzitraining.com/calculators/RecoveryHeartRate.aspx


Recovery Heart Rate

"The Heart Rate Monitor Guidebook" (javascript:SetParentWindow('http://www.azzitraining.com/Shopping.aspx')) by Sally Edwards

Recovery heart rate is the reduction in heart rate right after exercise is stopped. The higher the fitness level the faster the drop in heart rate. Total recovery heart rate is the time between the cessation of exercise and the heart rate returning to its pre-exercise level. A common recovery heart rate measurement in 1 to 2 minutes, while total recovery heart rate may require as an hour. There are two types of recovery heart rate:

Interrecovery heart rate (between workouts), and
Intrarecovery heart rate (within a workout). With condition and the use of mindful recovery, students can learn to improve recovery heart rate. In fact, to some extent, they can learn to consciously regulate their heart rates.
Mindful recovery is also an excellent tool for managing stressful situations. Mindful recovery involves visualization, deep breathing body positioning, and similar relaxation techniques to purposefully lower the heart rate as rapidly as possible. With practice, students can develop their own relation strategies. There are two different methods of mindful recovery:

Active recovery, which involves continuing to move gently.
Passive recovery, which involves stopping all exercise. Your recovery heart rate is the number of beats per minute your heart drops when you stop moving. Generally, the faster it drops the more fit you are.
Step 1. Warm up adequately. Choose any activity that you can slowly increase speed until your heart rate is between the floor of Zone 3 and the ceiling of Zone 4 (60%-80% of your maximum heart rate).
Step 2. Stop exercising. Immediately look at your heart rate monitor and note your heart rate number. For two minutes, record your heart rate number for every 15 seconds.
Step 3. Calculate how quickly your heart rate drops by subtracting your exercising heart rate number improves or gets to be a bigger number for each 15 seconds.
Step 4. Compare your recovery heart rate by re-testing frequently. When your recovery heart rate number improves or gets to be bigger number, it means that you are getting more fit.
*If your rate dose not recovery 12 beats in the first 1 minute, please let us know right away. Normal recovery is a heart rate drop of 20-30 beats for the first 60 seconds.