Placement during kettlebell workout

[kansas_cty_shfl]

I just got the Charge HR and I'm wondering if anyone has creative ideas for where to wear it to track my activity and heartrate, and keep it out of harms way at the same time.  Racking kettlebells would land directly on top of the fitbit, which I presume would demolish it in short order.  I tried taking it off for those particular exercises, but that just lead to wildly inconsistent heart rate monitoring.  Probably not a good solution out there, but I firgured it couldn't hurt to ask and see if someone else was able to conquer this same dilemma. 

[trainer]

I am also trying to figure this out. I would assume we could wear it on our ankles if there is some way to get it to fit tightly enough to read the HR. So far I'm putting it in my pocket and manually logging the activity, not ideal but at least I get calorie credit and it does pick up _some_ steps.

[TandemWalker · Accepted solution]

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@kansas_cty_shfl wrote:

I just got the Charge HR and I'm wondering if anyone has creative ideas for where to wear it to track my activity and heartrate, and keep it out of harms way at the same time.  Racking kettlebells would land directly on top of the fitbit, which I presume would demolish it in short order.  I tried taking it off for those particular exercises, but that just lead to wildly inconsistent heart rate monitoring.  Probably not a good solution out there, but I firgured it couldn't hurt to ask and see if someone else was able to conquer this same dilemma. 

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Whenever the tracker is at risk of damage, be it in contact sports or, like in your case, kettlebells, my best advice is to set the tracker aside and log the activity manually. There is a great web site that I refer to often to get a fairly good estimate of the caloric burn. Kettlebells is not listed, but 'Lifting weights' is under 'Exercise' which would be good enough for me. My take! Have a good day.

http://www.healthstatus.com/calculate/cbc

    TW     

If this tip solved the problem for you, please mark this post solved, as this will be helpful to other users experiencing similar issues.

[kansas_cty_shfl]

Nice. Thanks for the website, looks really useful.

Edit: obviously aimed at TandemWalker, apparently I don't know how to quote.

[WendyB]

@TandemWalker  Great site! Thanks!

[kansas_cty_shfl]

Just wanted to report back in case anyone else looks at this with a similar dilema.  I've been using coband to keep the fitbit secured to my ankle and it works reasonably well.  Seems to do a good job of tracking my steps, but the heartrate is kind of iffy.  Not sure if the suspect heartrate is due to the Charge HR inherintly not being the best getting consistent readings during high intensity workouts, or placement on my ankle.  At any rate, seems to be a decent compromise.   

[TandemWalker]

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@kansas_cty_shfl wrote:
Nice. Thanks for the website, looks really useful.

Edit: obviously aimed at TandemWalker, apparently I don't know how to quote.

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Hi @kansas_cty_shfl - You're very welcome. As for quoting, when looking at a particular post and clicking [Reply] at the top right of the compose screen is the word [Quote] - clicking on it will automatically insert the quote at the top of your compose screen, with your cursor right below it under a line to serate your post from the quote.

To get the attention of a particular poster, just use the at sign (@) and start keying the first few letters of the user-name. A list of names will start showing, and it will shrink as you continue keying in letters - when you see the one you want, you just click on it, resulting in the user name showing up in your message as an hyperlinkg. Subject to the user's notification settings, he or she will automatically receive an email or test message that his/her name was mentionned in the Community.

Have a nice day.

    TW     

(If this tip solved the problem for you, please mark this post solved, as this will be helpful to other users experiencing similar issues.)

[TandemWalker]

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@kansas_cty_shfl wrote:

Just wanted to report back in case anyone else looks at this with a similar dilema.  I've been using coband to keep the fitbit secured to my ankle and it works reasonably well.  Seems to do a good job of tracking my steps, but the heartrate is kind of iffy.  Not sure if the suspect heartrate is due to the Charge HR inherintly not being the best getting consistent readings during high intensity workouts, or placement on my ankle.  At any rate, seems to be a decent compromise.   

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I don't have an HR - but given what I've read about it and the technical specs, I think that it's competency for tracking your heart rate is probably not the best but OK; but wearing it on your ankle, I suspect, will throw a monkey wrench at it for sure.  

    TW     

(If this tip solved the problem for you, please mark this post solved, as this will be helpful to other users experiencing similar issues.)

[TandemWalker]

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@WendyB wrote:

@TandemWalker  Great site! Thanks!

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Yeah, I use it a lot, even more so since Fitbit performed its surgery on the activity database!

Take care.

    TW     

(If this tip solved the problem for you, please mark this post solved, as this will be helpful to other users experiencing similar issues.)

[slysam]

That is a tough one. With my HRM watch I use to wear it as low on the wrist as I could (away from the wrist and lower than where the bell would touch when racked) and I also wore a pair of padded wrist bands (that look like the 80's bands but about 4" long and 1/2" thick). I love kettlebells, but have girly hands and skin that I want to keep soft. (And I don't like the pain and bruises). That seemed to work okay for me. Since I got my Surge, I have really only done kettlebell Swings and Get-ups. I am not sure if my Fitbit would fit the ankle. I have another optical HRM that I could wear around my knee using the extender (Schoshe) and sometimes I would use that. So I do know the sensors can work to some extent in other areas where the skin is similar to the inner wrist like the back of the knees. But how you would fit your fitbit around your knees is another issue. Or you could just log it as circuit training, according to my HRM the estimate for that activity is pretty good for Kettlebell training (if done in circuits like most of the kettlebell workouts I have seen).

[SunsetRunner]

Try using a kettlebell wrist guard, like kettleguard.

[Clareio]

i found you rarely risk knocking the inside of your wrist with a kettlebell so just turn my ChargeHR round...

[Reydoog]

I have tried to wear the Blaze, the other way around - i.e. on the inside of my wrist during kettlebell workouts.  I know it says not to normally wear it like this but I do find it does a pretty good job at tracking the heatrate and I feel it is safe with the bell only making contact with the clasp of the strap during workouts.  I have found that the thing can sometimes pause its workouts when I am at the bottom of the swing (with the bell between my legs) sometimes presumably becuase the pause button makes contact with my inner thigh.  Apart from that it works pretty well.

[kpjd]

I simply turn the screen of my fitbit charge 2 to the inside of my wrist when using kettlebells. I haven't had any issues other than when working with the 12kg bell, it rests on the strap and is a little uncomfortable. Bigger bells seem to fit around the strap fine. I am using traditional cast iron bells not sport style bells.

For Karate or Judo I put a swet band over my device. This seems to protect it and my partners enough that I can still use the device and keep training with little issue. 

[TenleyT]

I turn my HR around as well, and it seems to work fine. 

[SunsetRunner]

I regularly participate in KB workouts. I simply turn the watch so the face is on the  medial (inside) aspect of my arm. My pulse rate is recorded with accuracy and my watch face is protected from direct contact with the bell. I’m not lifting a pood, however. If you are using really large KB 35# and up, consider using the chest monitor and place the receiver (watch or smart phone) within range of the chest monitor. 

[Palooke76]

I’m not sure if it keeps accurate readings, but I just turn mine to the inside of my wrist when I work out with kettlebells. I accidentally hit the face lightly before I did this and it did crack. But it’s still ticking and now I just turn my band in. I still get a heart rate reading. Just not sure how accurate it is. 

[IggyVee]

I loosen my Fitbit and slide it up my arm far enough from where the kettlebell lands. I also put an arm sleeve on it so it does not slide around during swings. It will show heart rate but it will record the motion as a workout.

[IggyVee]

Correction... I meant to say it will not show heart rate.