I’ve been seeing more guys wearing Apple Watches, Garmins, chest straps, etc. during cardio and even lifting. I get the whole heart rate zone thing, but I’m wondering how useful it actually is for bodybuilding. Do you guys pay attention to your HR during workouts or is it mostly just another number on the screen?
I use mine mostly for cardio. Helps me keep an eye on intensity without guessing the whole time.
I’ve got an Apple Watch, but during lifting I pretty much forget it’s there.blakegr45 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2026 8:16 pm I’ve been seeing more guys wearing Apple Watches, Garmins, chest straps, etc. during cardio and even lifting. I get the whole heart rate zone thing, but I’m wondering how useful it actually is for bodybuilding. Do you guys pay attention to your HR during workouts or is it mostly just another number on the screen?
For incline walking and longer cardio sessions, I actually like having the HR data. It keeps me from turning every “easy” session into a damn sufferfest.blakegr45 wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2026 8:16 pm I’ve been seeing more guys wearing Apple Watches, Garmins, chest straps, etc. during cardio and even lifting. I get the whole heart rate zone thing, but I’m wondering how useful it actually is for bodybuilding. Do you guys pay attention to your HR during workouts or is it mostly just another number on the screen?
I’m kinda in the middle. The numbers are useful, but I don’t think you need to obsess over them. If you’re getting fitter, recovering better and your cardio is improving, that’s what matters to me.
Chest strap is the move if you actually care about accuracy. Wrist watches can get pretty funky when you’re gripping weights, especially during a hard lifting session.
That’s what I was wondering. I can see the value for cardio, but I wasn’t sure if guys were actually using the data during lifting. Sounds like most people treat it more as a cardio/recovery tool.
I mostly use mine to compare sessions over time. Seeing my heart rate come down faster after hard intervals is pretty cool. I wouldn’t stop a workout just because my watch says some number looks weird though. 
Yeah, I think that’s probably the approach I’d take too. Use it for trends and cardio, but don’t let the damn watch become the boss of the workout.