Exercise Intensity

The Best and Worst Ways to Measure a Workout

Sore muscles, target heart rate, calorie burn, and more. Our expert sounds off on the legitimate and not-so-legitimate ways we assess a workout well done
By Emily G. W. Chau fitbie
 

Bogus Benchmarks

The Best and Worst Ways to Measure a Workout // man pumping iron © Thinkstock

Image: Thinkstock
Slipping into a smaller pair of slacks or logging a new PR in the weight room is a surefire way to know your workout is doing its job. Problem is, it takes time for those results to show. In the meantime, we fall back on using heart rate monitors, calorie-burn estimates—even how sore we feel—to measure just how well a routine is working. But just how accurate are these markers of workout intensity, anyway? (Search: How often should we test our strength limits?)

We talked to Jessica Matthews, exercise physiologist for the American Council on Exercise and ACE-certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor to shoot us straight on the truth behind nine common ways to measure a sweat session. Here, she lays down the good, bad, and in-between ways to gauge an exercise regimen. (Hint: it’s not how much you sweat).

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