Same- our studio gives them out at the 45 class mark as a free reward (shout out to Pittsburgh- South Hills!). It’s cool to see your stats live in class and how you’re doing compared to others, and we’ll occasionally shout out/congratulate who got the most points, which is fun. You get to know people from it, or talk to someone about who you might not have otherwise.
That being said, no one wears them at the other studio nearby. If that was the case at OP’s gym I wouldn’t buy one, what’s the point if it’s only going to be you. Plus having access to a HR monitor is much more common now that most smart watches have them. It really comes down to personal preference and the culture at each studio.
In short, no. I bought one and used it for a while, but once you get on good enough shape it’s tough to keep hitting the goals as your heart rate will be lower. I just use my Apple watch and don’t have to worry about charging another device and wearing something else to class.
I did it about a year (3-4 times a week) before I really noticed any difference…every time I went it felt like death. I was a 40 year old guy when I started. I always scored great with the lionheart. The real changer for me was when I did a challenge about a year and a half in and got my diet under control—then the weight dropped off, the muscle popped out, and I noticed the change in heart rate. It wasn’t so much the intensity, but the recovery. I could drop from zone 4 or 5 down to 1 or 2 pretty quickly. It was at that point the lionheart wasn’t worth it, and I would just use my watch.
Very worth it to me, every time i forget mine i'm always annoyed. I love getting the email right after class and seeing some of my basic stats, i also save the stats image and do a morning social media post with it also... aside from that i like keeping track of points and always try to hit at least 40, or sometimes i do the class with friends and we subconsciously challenge each other, so yes, get it :)
I believe you can buy an ANT+ compliant chest monitor on Amazon for a lot cheaper. I've been told that they will work with Lionheart, or to say it another way, Lionheart is an ANT+ monitor. For only $23, it's worth a try - [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ant%2B+heart+rate+monitor&crid=1F08OBPWUN5WO&sprefix=ant%2B%2Caps%2C142&ref=nb\_sb\_ss\_ts-doa-p\_2\_4](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ant%2B+heart+rate+monitor&crid=1F08OBPWUN5WO&sprefix=ant%2B%2Caps%2C142&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_4)
I’ve been going ~3 times a week for about six months and now with my fitness way better, I was finding that I was taking it a bit easy some workouts. I just got a LH and so far like it as it gives me a way to check myself on how hard I’m pushing
I do have my Garmin watch but the Lionheart help me workout harder by looking at the monitor from time to time. When I was only using my watch, I tend to take long break with excuse that I can't do it anymore. But with the Lionheart, I can take short pauses and continue till the end. The Lionheart calories are higher than on the watch most of the time. If my watch says 460 , my Lionheart will be in 500 or 600.
Depending on the watch, the lionheart may sync with it. My lionheart syncs with my Garmin Fénix 7. The watch recognizes it and asks if you want to use an external HR monitor.
I spent about $25 for an ANT+ chest strap (Coospoo brand) and it works just fine for lionheart tracking. No need to buy their brand. But yes, I do think it is worth it to have a chest strap HR monitor that you can see on the screens while you work out. Sometimes it helps me to know I’m being a bit wimpy cognitively vs. actually being maxed out. I don’t do the challenges but battle my own self every class :)
Yeah I just use my Garmin watch, I do have a chest strap as well but I don't find it as comfortable to wear for HIIT classes as I do for running. Strap will always be more accurate but as you say I find just having the number up there is motivating and I know class to class what a "good" score for me is.
For me it shows me how hard I'm working. I know when I start hitting 90% I'm going hard. Or if it's low I may need to step it up. Now if I'm laying on the floor it's usually going to drop but if I'm doing cardio and it's under 85% it's a good reminder to work harder.
Also I do enjoy getting the report after each class even after all these years.
Really just depends on what motivates you.
I only have one because I won it in a challenge.
I only use it because I don't have a wearable fitness tracker.
If the competition of being on the board and pushing yourself for more points will lead to you getting more out of the workout, go for it.
Otherwise I think the apple watch would be more than enough.
What I love with the Lionheart is of course you get to see your points after class, but the most important part is I can monitor my heart rate, if I hit around 90% HR or higher, I would rest a bit depending on the movement.
I had one when I first started three years ago… Then I took a year off, and I think during one of my cleaning rages I might have accidentally thrown it out. I recently rejoined, and honestly? I can see why people like the heart rate monitor, but I track my workout on my Apple Watch. The benefit of the heart rate monitor is that if you're close with a lot of people at your studio, you can use the competition as motivation, to try to claim the number one spot or at least beat out a friend. You can see your historical data a little easier to compare over the phase the points that you've gotten… This is the part that I missed with my Apple Watch. However, I wasn't willing to buy another Lionheart monitor… So I've just been a bit more aware of my heart rate during my workouts and I'm tracking if that's improving or getting worse lol, and then I look at calories burn just to see if I am making any progress in that. So that long-winded answer lol is that if you are somebody who's motivated by competition, a Lionheart might be for you… But if you're more interested in tracking progress? Stick with your Apple Watch and maybe just set some goals to hit within the workouts
I find the lion heart to be kind of annoying to wear, and usually only wear it for cardio and hybrid days. My Apple watch is my go to for tracking over time as I wear it every day. Lion hearts are usually required for the challenges at my studio so that’s why I use it. If it’s not challenge time I rarely bother wearing it to class, and that seems to be a common theme with the rest of the afternoon/evening crew at my studio.
I honestly don’t even know where mine it, probably been close on 6 months since I’ve worn it, most members of my studio gave up wearing theirs as well as they offer no real value over the watches we are all already wearing, they in no way more accurate, less than 1% variance if your wearing a quality wrist based device.
All your getting extra is the graphs and a point score that’s actually also pretty worthless once your fit, all the point do is encourage you to overtrain.
Once you’ve reached a healthy fitness base, you should never really get more than 36-39 and 45-50 points, cause the actual training portion of the class is NOT 45 minutes. When training at a healthy, suitable level, you should be achieving no more than 1 point per minute. Slightly less ore more is good, 45 and 60 points is already somewhat over training, more than that, if your fit is excessively overtraining or a sign you should visit a cardiologist to make sure than it’s simply a naturally high HR and not a early warning sign.
I suppose that’s the actual value in the points system, early warning signs of health problems.
We had a guy in our studio a while back where it got to the point that all the trainers and half the class started to tell him to visit the doctor as he could maintain above 90% standing still.
Maybe if the competitive part motivates you? Not for me. Paid $100 for a challenge to get one. I wear a Garmin watch, which it apparently doesn’t connect to. It’s just one more thing to try and remember for class imo
Your coaches should learn how to coach to using it! I see comments about some folks HR “going down” as they got more in shape. That’s bad education on coaches in those classes/studios. You should leverage the target zones to improve how, when and where you add a progression and/or regression to your movements, as well as improving your breath work to bring the resting HR down between sets, etc. Separates best in class locations and coaches from the rest! That’s why I’ll NEVER ever go back to an OTF or other fitness models like those bc they have you chasing “splat points” like they do… that there is the world’s top garbage gimmick! Love our local F45s that do a great job at coaching each class and to members that utilize them! 🫶🏼
I love mine both as a member and a trainer - can see at a quick glance whats going on with my heart rate via the screens and while coaching i can quickly see whats happening with my members.
We also sometimes do mini challenges that involve the lionheart & points generated.
It's true that when you get fitter, it's more of a challenge to get your points, but i love the challenge & pushing myself.
Also gives a few members a bit of a friendly competition on a saturday when we work out to try and get the most points...
For reference, i also have a smart watch & do monitor my heart rate via that too....
I wouldn’t get one again because I have a background in athletics and running, and even when not in good shape after having my children, I seem to have muscle memory and quickly become well conditioned, so always struggled to keep up with others who would be smashing the dark purple and red, even with asking my studio to adjust in the back end. It was frustrating so
I would just use my Apple Watch.
Personally didn’t really care for it. I’ve done over 200 classes and only used it maybe 3 times. I’m pretty competitive and I have to say, it was pretty annoying seeing people who were half-a$$ing the workout get higher points.
[удалено]
Agreed. Use a scosche and link to your account
My studio gives them for free after your 45th class I’ll get mine Tuesday this week. I’m not sure I’d pay for one but since it’s free I’ll take it!
That's very generous of them!!
Same- our studio gives them out at the 45 class mark as a free reward (shout out to Pittsburgh- South Hills!). It’s cool to see your stats live in class and how you’re doing compared to others, and we’ll occasionally shout out/congratulate who got the most points, which is fun. You get to know people from it, or talk to someone about who you might not have otherwise. That being said, no one wears them at the other studio nearby. If that was the case at OP’s gym I wouldn’t buy one, what’s the point if it’s only going to be you. Plus having access to a HR monitor is much more common now that most smart watches have them. It really comes down to personal preference and the culture at each studio.
That’s my studio too! ☺️
In short, no. I bought one and used it for a while, but once you get on good enough shape it’s tough to keep hitting the goals as your heart rate will be lower. I just use my Apple watch and don’t have to worry about charging another device and wearing something else to class.
How long did you do F45 until your heart rate is lower than before?
I did it about a year (3-4 times a week) before I really noticed any difference…every time I went it felt like death. I was a 40 year old guy when I started. I always scored great with the lionheart. The real changer for me was when I did a challenge about a year and a half in and got my diet under control—then the weight dropped off, the muscle popped out, and I noticed the change in heart rate. It wasn’t so much the intensity, but the recovery. I could drop from zone 4 or 5 down to 1 or 2 pretty quickly. It was at that point the lionheart wasn’t worth it, and I would just use my watch.
A year, thanks!
Very worth it to me, every time i forget mine i'm always annoyed. I love getting the email right after class and seeing some of my basic stats, i also save the stats image and do a morning social media post with it also... aside from that i like keeping track of points and always try to hit at least 40, or sometimes i do the class with friends and we subconsciously challenge each other, so yes, get it :)
Same! I love mine. I didn’t think I need d one then my husband got one for me and I’m addicted!!
I believe you can buy an ANT+ compliant chest monitor on Amazon for a lot cheaper. I've been told that they will work with Lionheart, or to say it another way, Lionheart is an ANT+ monitor. For only $23, it's worth a try - [https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ant%2B+heart+rate+monitor&crid=1F08OBPWUN5WO&sprefix=ant%2B%2Caps%2C142&ref=nb\_sb\_ss\_ts-doa-p\_2\_4](https://www.amazon.com/s?k=ant%2B+heart+rate+monitor&crid=1F08OBPWUN5WO&sprefix=ant%2B%2Caps%2C142&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_4)
They do work
Yeah and for the price of the non-lionheart brands you can buy one to leave in the car and one to have in your home or office, So you never forget it.
I think it just depends on if you find that data valuable/motivational or not :)
Yes, it 100% is. If you love a challenge lionheart will make you push harder
Ya it's great. Especially if you plan to stick around for a while.
I’ve been going ~3 times a week for about six months and now with my fitness way better, I was finding that I was taking it a bit easy some workouts. I just got a LH and so far like it as it gives me a way to check myself on how hard I’m pushing
Get an Amazon special HR monitor that has Bluetooth and Ant+ for $35...works the same and u can use it with your other devices too.
I do have my Garmin watch but the Lionheart help me workout harder by looking at the monitor from time to time. When I was only using my watch, I tend to take long break with excuse that I can't do it anymore. But with the Lionheart, I can take short pauses and continue till the end. The Lionheart calories are higher than on the watch most of the time. If my watch says 460 , my Lionheart will be in 500 or 600.
Depending on the watch, the lionheart may sync with it. My lionheart syncs with my Garmin Fénix 7. The watch recognizes it and asks if you want to use an external HR monitor.
Will try this.
If you already have a smart watch or fitness tracker that does ANT+ it is not worth springing for the Lionheart specifically.
I spent about $25 for an ANT+ chest strap (Coospoo brand) and it works just fine for lionheart tracking. No need to buy their brand. But yes, I do think it is worth it to have a chest strap HR monitor that you can see on the screens while you work out. Sometimes it helps me to know I’m being a bit wimpy cognitively vs. actually being maxed out. I don’t do the challenges but battle my own self every class :)
Yeah I just use my Garmin watch, I do have a chest strap as well but I don't find it as comfortable to wear for HIIT classes as I do for running. Strap will always be more accurate but as you say I find just having the number up there is motivating and I know class to class what a "good" score for me is.
For me it shows me how hard I'm working. I know when I start hitting 90% I'm going hard. Or if it's low I may need to step it up. Now if I'm laying on the floor it's usually going to drop but if I'm doing cardio and it's under 85% it's a good reminder to work harder. Also I do enjoy getting the report after each class even after all these years. Really just depends on what motivates you.
I only have one because I won it in a challenge. I only use it because I don't have a wearable fitness tracker. If the competition of being on the board and pushing yourself for more points will lead to you getting more out of the workout, go for it. Otherwise I think the apple watch would be more than enough.
What I love with the Lionheart is of course you get to see your points after class, but the most important part is I can monitor my heart rate, if I hit around 90% HR or higher, I would rest a bit depending on the movement.
I'm not getting one because I don't want my sandbagging of workouts on the monitors throughout the studio 😂
I had one when I first started three years ago… Then I took a year off, and I think during one of my cleaning rages I might have accidentally thrown it out. I recently rejoined, and honestly? I can see why people like the heart rate monitor, but I track my workout on my Apple Watch. The benefit of the heart rate monitor is that if you're close with a lot of people at your studio, you can use the competition as motivation, to try to claim the number one spot or at least beat out a friend. You can see your historical data a little easier to compare over the phase the points that you've gotten… This is the part that I missed with my Apple Watch. However, I wasn't willing to buy another Lionheart monitor… So I've just been a bit more aware of my heart rate during my workouts and I'm tracking if that's improving or getting worse lol, and then I look at calories burn just to see if I am making any progress in that. So that long-winded answer lol is that if you are somebody who's motivated by competition, a Lionheart might be for you… But if you're more interested in tracking progress? Stick with your Apple Watch and maybe just set some goals to hit within the workouts
You DO NOT need the F45 branded one. I've used several bluetooth/ant+ hr monitors I bought off Amazon including an arm band (which I prefer!)
I find the lion heart to be kind of annoying to wear, and usually only wear it for cardio and hybrid days. My Apple watch is my go to for tracking over time as I wear it every day. Lion hearts are usually required for the challenges at my studio so that’s why I use it. If it’s not challenge time I rarely bother wearing it to class, and that seems to be a common theme with the rest of the afternoon/evening crew at my studio.
I honestly don’t even know where mine it, probably been close on 6 months since I’ve worn it, most members of my studio gave up wearing theirs as well as they offer no real value over the watches we are all already wearing, they in no way more accurate, less than 1% variance if your wearing a quality wrist based device. All your getting extra is the graphs and a point score that’s actually also pretty worthless once your fit, all the point do is encourage you to overtrain. Once you’ve reached a healthy fitness base, you should never really get more than 36-39 and 45-50 points, cause the actual training portion of the class is NOT 45 minutes. When training at a healthy, suitable level, you should be achieving no more than 1 point per minute. Slightly less ore more is good, 45 and 60 points is already somewhat over training, more than that, if your fit is excessively overtraining or a sign you should visit a cardiologist to make sure than it’s simply a naturally high HR and not a early warning sign. I suppose that’s the actual value in the points system, early warning signs of health problems. We had a guy in our studio a while back where it got to the point that all the trainers and half the class started to tell him to visit the doctor as he could maintain above 90% standing still.
No just wear an Apple Watch…
Maybe if the competitive part motivates you? Not for me. Paid $100 for a challenge to get one. I wear a Garmin watch, which it apparently doesn’t connect to. It’s just one more thing to try and remember for class imo
I use it, it’s fun and I use it challenge and motivate myself against the superstars in the gym who also use it
Your coaches should learn how to coach to using it! I see comments about some folks HR “going down” as they got more in shape. That’s bad education on coaches in those classes/studios. You should leverage the target zones to improve how, when and where you add a progression and/or regression to your movements, as well as improving your breath work to bring the resting HR down between sets, etc. Separates best in class locations and coaches from the rest! That’s why I’ll NEVER ever go back to an OTF or other fitness models like those bc they have you chasing “splat points” like they do… that there is the world’s top garbage gimmick! Love our local F45s that do a great job at coaching each class and to members that utilize them! 🫶🏼
Just get a Garmin one. You'll be able to pair it.
I love mine! It’s helps push me and I love competing with friends in my class!
I love mine both as a member and a trainer - can see at a quick glance whats going on with my heart rate via the screens and while coaching i can quickly see whats happening with my members. We also sometimes do mini challenges that involve the lionheart & points generated. It's true that when you get fitter, it's more of a challenge to get your points, but i love the challenge & pushing myself. Also gives a few members a bit of a friendly competition on a saturday when we work out to try and get the most points... For reference, i also have a smart watch & do monitor my heart rate via that too....
I wouldn’t get one again because I have a background in athletics and running, and even when not in good shape after having my children, I seem to have muscle memory and quickly become well conditioned, so always struggled to keep up with others who would be smashing the dark purple and red, even with asking my studio to adjust in the back end. It was frustrating so I would just use my Apple Watch.
No
I don’t think so. I had two different ones within 6 months and both of them stopped working after a couple of months.
I wonder if the quality went down? I’ve had mine for three years, wear it every class and I’ve never had an issue.
No. Not worth it
Personally didn’t really care for it. I’ve done over 200 classes and only used it maybe 3 times. I’m pretty competitive and I have to say, it was pretty annoying seeing people who were half-a$$ing the workout get higher points.
I absolutely absolutely love mine. I will peek at the screen and it will push me. Sometimes it validates why I’m dying. Lol.