Track Activity = Weights, do you pause between sets?

[GabeAsCarl]

Hi everyone,

I just got a Charge 2 and brought it to the gym last night during a workout. I selected that I was lifting weights and it started to track my HR, time, calories burned, etc.

I figured the logical reason for the pause button was to pause your workout in between sets, but I noticed when I did this my displayed HR would decrease fairly dramatically, and when I unpaused it my heart rate would pick back up to an accurate number. This lead me to stop pausing my workout in between my ~20 second sets and just let it run during the entire time I was at the gym.

Does anyone know whether or not I should be pausing between short weight sets? I haven't found an accurate explanation online.

Thanks!

[WendyB · Accepted solution]

Welcome to the forums!

I do not pause it only because I dont stop for very long. I rest between sets but only like for a minute or 2 so it was not worth it

Hope to see you around more!

[GabeAsCarl]

Thanks Wendy!

So if your lifting sets take around 20 seconds to complete for example...

Set 1. 20 seconds, rest 2 minutes

Set 2. 20 seconds, rest 2 minutes

Set 3. 20 seconds, rest 2 minutes

Set 4. 20 seconds, rest 2 minutes
etc.
You still don't pause the workout even though your resting (naturally) more then your lifting?

[ACEJ]

I would leave it running the whole time as to track you HR accurately.  As I do a mix of cardiovascular and weights I just set mine to workout and leave it running the whole session. Hope this helps xx

[Dominique]

I also leave it running, even when I have pauses of 3 minutes (for the heaviest lifts).

[WavyDavey]

If you pause it, a 90 minute workout will be reduced to 10 minutes. I say leave it on when you lift, rest, re-rack the weights, etc. I turn it on entering the gym and turn it off walking out the door.

[A_Lurker]

I also let it run.  I'll add weights to the bar and/or dumbbells, pace a little, or some such thing.  I turn it on also before a short cardio warm-up.  I'll usually turn it off as soon as I remember when I'm done.

[emili]

I don't pause it either. I just let it record the entire session for me.

[lloyd_yoga]

I just got my fitbit but i don’t really pause between sets (up to 2 min rests).

I think that it gives you a more accurate HR reading as well as burned calories. 

I tried pausing it between sets once and it tells me I only burned 3 calories for lifting weights. haha

[WavyDavey]

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@lloyd_yoga wrote:

I just got my fitbit but i don’t really pause between sets (up to 2 min rests).

I think that it gives you a more accurate HR reading as well as burned calories. 

I tried pausing it between sets once and it tells me I only burned 3 calories for lifting weights. haha

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Wow, sounds like the toughest 3 calories. 🙂

Yes, that's been my experience also. I don't really get the pausing thing--you're burning a bunch of calories during rest also. For very heavy sets, I'll have 8 minutes of rest against maybe 10 seconds of lifting. If I paused during rest, it would be around a minute of tracked exercise overall. It's mind-boggling how high the rest-to-work ratio is in lifting.