The Timex Full-Size T5K541 Personal Trainer Heart Rate Monitor and Watch is a great device for keeping an eye on your heart rate during a workout. This watch delivers essential heart rate information effortlessly and without unnecessary complications using a “keep it simple” philosophy —-and the Personal Trainer does just that.

Exercise is one of the best ways we can sustain a good level of fitness, along with watching what we eat. However, lots of people exercise for overall health and for weight control. No matter what your motivation, to maximize your exercise results, a heart rate monitor can be an essential tool. Timex has been producing watches since 1854. Since then, they went on to create one of the very first sports watches in the mid-1980s, called the Ironman. Later, this series of sports watches later began to offer a series of watches with a heart rate monitor function.

Timex Monitor Set Up is a Snap

The Timex Personal Trainer is very straightforward device, with set up taking just a few minutes. However, it provides you with the information you need while you are working out without having to consult your phone or having to wait until you download the info onto your computer. It’s easy to read, has a large enough screen and the display is well lit. If you need more light, it also has a back light. It is available in Grey/Blue, the watch band is comfortable and fits well.

To set it up, just provide the information requested, like age, weight, height, etc, then connect it to the chest strap and start your workout. A chest strap offers the best accuracy for heart rate monitoring. Your pulse and calories burned are displayed on the watch within seconds and you’ll know exactly how effective your workout is. That’s all there is to it.

Exceptional Battery Life

Most sports watches require a regular charge to stay in operation by using a USB cord or plugging into charger. Not the with Personal Trainer. There are no cords and no chargers. Like most watches, this sports watch and the chest strap both run on the same size battery, which can last for months or longer. When you need replacement batteries, you can buy them anywhere that sells watch batteries– and you are back in business. In addition, this means you don’t need to plan down time. You don’t need to find the cords, hook up to a computer or to plug into energy source. No more waiting around for each to be fully recharged. And no more down time every few days!

Monitors Your Heart Rate Zone

The Trainer not only provides feedback to the screen. It also uses a simple alarm beep to let you know when you are over doing it, or if you need to kick it up a notch, depending on your particular fitness level. The alarm function serves as both a safety feature as well as gives you a nudge when you slack off. To make the most of your workouts, you need to maintain the correct heart rate for your level of fitness. This effective device helps keep you within your optimum range.

Working out at the gym is often about more than just lifting weights. If your workouts involve using machines, the Personal Trainer is ready to go. The device also communicates with the gym equipment, transmits your heart rate information and can report the number of calories burned right on most machine displays.

Heart Rate Monitor Chest Strap

For anyone who has done the research, a chest strap is the most consistently accurate way to measure heart rate, bar none. That being said, the is some ramp up adjustment for those who are unfamiliar with them. Chest straps are to be worn as instructed, snugly against the skin to work. Initially, it takes time to get used to wearing the chest strap during workouts for some people.

Transmission between the strap and watch can be tricky. Communication between the components is easily enhanced by using a bit of water or electrode gel on the skin next to the sensor as needed. Obviously, connectivity challenges that prevent smooth communication between the strap and the watch will render them less than satisfactory.

The provided chest straps are made for an average size person, and are adjustable. The straps are adjustable, however, some body builders report the use of a chest strap is an adjustment but this is just part of using a chest strap. The accuracy of the data makes a chest strap well worth the adjustment.

Why Monitor Your Heart Rate

To maximize your workouts, use of a heart rate monitor will keep your heart within the correct range. A heart rate monitor provides you with information, telling you how hard your body is working out. You will know if you are in the right zone, burning fat or just burning calories. In other words, you are able to do what serious athletes do, depend on a heart rate monitor to continue to work toward your goals.

To calculate your recommended maximum heart rate during physical activity as prescribed by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) follow this simple formula. Just take 220 and subtract your age. As an example, for a 30-year-old woman, the max heart rate should be roughly 190 bpm. (220 – 30 = 190). The CDC suggests staying within 60 to 75 percent of that number to maintain a healthy active heart rate.

To learn more about how to train using a heart rate monitor, see How to use a heart rate monitor for measuring resting heart rate and for workouts (May 2019 update).

Review Conclusion

The Timex Full-Size T5K541 Personal Trainer and Heart Rate Monitor is a very simple to use, combination watch and heart rate monitoring device. It has some strong basic features that make it the perfect choice for someone who wants to keep things simple. They want to track their heart rate and workout within the correct range for their needs. The Timex Trainer is simple to set up, has a long battery life and is easy to read during your workouts. The alarm lets you know if you are exercising efficiently, over doing it or under performing.

The chest strap is reliable, reports accurately and is easy to maintain. It uses the same battery as the watch and has a long battery life. This device is not the most cosmic combination of bells and whistles out there and it doesn’t aim to be. If you need an easy to use device that delivers what it promises, this is the device I recommend. If you are looking for a device with more sports modes the Suunto 3 Fitness may be a better fit.

Hope you enjoyed our review of the best Timex heart rate monitor for beginners. If you don’t think this chest strap model is right for you, check out, the Top 3 Cheap Fitness Trackers .