Quick Answer Yes — Apple Watch can work with Pulses by using an iPhone bridge app (e.g., HeartCast, BlueHeart, NPE heartbeatz) that...

The Beep Test is a classic tool for evaluating an athlete’s aerobic fitness — but if you're only tracking how far someone runs or what stage they reach, you're missing half the story. By monitoring heart rate in real time and analyzing it afterward, you unlock powerful insights that go beyond surface-level performance.

Our team ran a controlled workout test to see how these two technologies respond to real changes in heart rate. We used two well-known brand devices—one ECG-based, the other PPG-based—worn simultaneously during intervals of physical activity.

Whether you're coaching a team, running fitness classes, or managing group training sessions, tracking heart rate in real time gives you powerful insights. But to get reliable data, you need the right sensor — and that starts with choosing between a chest strap and an armband. In this guide, we break down the differences between these two options and explain the underlying technologies — ECG (used in chest straps) and PPG (used in armbands) — so you can make the best choice f