Target Heart Rate Question

turtlez23

I looked online and based on my age (25) and this Target Heart Rate Calculator..

http://exercise.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Target-Heart-Rate

It states that I should stay between 117-136 and my max heart rate is 195.

So to get optimal results in my workout I should stay in between 117-136?

What if I go beyond those numbers? What happens then?

What happens if I go beyond my max heart rate of 195?

Thanks!

cwolfman13

Optimal results for what? There are any number of ideal training zones depending on what you're after.

I would also add that those calculators are good enough starting points, but without doing an actual fitness test you're not going to know definitively what your max is.

Beyond that, don't over-think it and don't over-complicate it...just put in the work.

tedm1969

You cannot exceed your maximum heart rate.

999tigger

Here you go.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/378483-cardio-heart-rate-zones/

The jump between zons though is pretty disputed. In particular the difference between fat zone and the next one up. In he fat zone you burn a higher % of fat, but if you go to the next oen up about 70% + of heart rate, then you will burn a smaller % of fat but more calories overall, which may in turn mean greater fat loss once you have looked at the figures. Get a HRM if you are that bothered. Polar love to push the zones as a weight loss tool.

turtlez23

Thanks all!

getalife9353

turtlez23 wrote: »

I looked online and based on my age (25) and this Target Heart Rate Calculator..

http://exercise.bizcalcs.com/Calculator.asp?Calc=Target-Heart-Rate

It states that I should stay between 117-136 and my max heart rate is 195.

So to get optimal results in my workout I should stay in between 117-136?

What if I go beyond those numbers? What happens then?

What happens if I go beyond my max heart rate of 195?

Thanks!

First thing to keep in mind is that any HR calculator may or may not be accurate for you. For example using the link that you provided, my calculated max HR would be 164. However my measured max HR is 182. Most of the calculators put me at 164 to 168. One does put me right at my measured max. If you go past your calculated max HR, nothing will happen other then you know it's not accurate. You can train at your max HR, though you wont be able to sustain it for long. (Usually only done purposely if you are doing HIIT)You might want to do some research on "perceived effort" . You can then correlate between your perceived effort and your actual HR if you want to use HR for training purposes. Bottom line... as the poster above said, these calculators are generally good enough for most people to get started, don't over think it, just get started.

bwogilvie

Unless you're a serious athlete, target heart rates aren't that useful.

The talk test is better.

Can you sing when you're exercising? Then you're going too slow; you're doing low intensity exercise. It's OK for recovery, but don't think you're doing very much.

Can you talk in complete sentences, but not necessarily complex ones, and you can't sing? Then you're exercising at moderate intensity. For general fitness, do 60-70% of your exercising in that zone.

Can you still talk, but not in complete sentences? Then your exercise is getting intense. Do 25-35% of your exercise at that intensity.

Is talking difficult or impossible? Then you're above your lactate threshold. Don't do much at that intensity—under 10% unless you know what you're doing or you're working with a trustworthy coach.

You can learn how heart rate zones correlate with those subjective impressions, but there's a surprising amount of research suggesting that your subjective impressions of effort are actually more reliable, and that something is wrong (e.g., overtraining) if your judgment doesn't match the HRM.

ETA: If you want to read more, start with these books: Gretchen Reynolds, The First 20 Minutes; Alex Hutchinson, Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights; and Owen Anderson, Running Science. All were published in the last few years, and draw on peer-reviewed research. Reynolds doesn't cite the studies that she summarizes, but the others do.

Sued0nim

^^that makes sense to me - thank you

My HR (based on the 220 minus my age then percentage zones) when I work out doesn't have the same relevance to me as whether I can continue to hold a conversation

eg at a HR of 150 on steady-state cardio = 87% and I'm still able to hold a conversation (must check if I can sing .. that'll go down well in the gym)

I can stay at 160 =92% and still have a broken conversation

I think I'll use the subjective talk test and continue to use my HRM as a guideline

TimothyFish

I've never had much success trying to hold my heart rate down to some suggested number. I'm usually at 140 before I've cycled a mile and from that point on it climbs until it reaches 160 or above. I know of one guy who says he exercises with a heart rate above 200. It seems like the ideal heart rate is the highest one that you can sustain.

bwogilvie

rabbitjb wrote: »

My HR (based on the 220 minus my age then percentage zones) when I work out doesn't have the same relevance to me as whether I can continue to hold a conversation

That old formula for maximum HR (HRmax) has been thoroughly debunked. There are a couple of other slightly more accurate formulas, but even they leave a lot of variance unaccounted for.

The only accurate way to determine your maximum heart rate is a stress test; however, that's pretty unpleasant.

WickedPineapple

I have an HRM and quickly discovered those calculated heart rates don't apply to me, and apparently many other people. My calculated max HR (220-age) definitely isn't accurate, at least for me. It puts my max at 190. When I sprint, I've gotten as high as 205 (and I'm not like going to pass out or anything at this point). When I run (slowly), I'm usually in the 170s. So I tend to judge by breathing/talking as suggested above rather than HR.

streamgirl

I tried looking at this years ago. My "target heart rate" didn't even make me break a sweat. For me to get a good workout, I was basically dead on that scale. However, since I've lost weight and gotten more fit, my heart rate across the board has decreased about 20 bpm. So I agree that there's lots more to it. My advice is to not worry too much about it--I watch my breathing instead, unless you are getting really fit and doing some targeted training. It depends on the person, but sometimes I think Nike is right and you need to just go do it and not worry about all the supposedly important details.

segacs

I can sing at any exercise intensity. Even if I can't talk. I'm constantly singing/humming.

Of course, some people might argue that I can't sing at any exercise intensity. Those would be people who are overly concerned with minutiae like, say, being on key.

(No, seriously, that makes a lot of sense. Just LOLing a bit.)

lmr0528

When I run, I like to watch my heart rate and not let it get over 170. Anything much over that takes me out of the fat burning zone according to my HRM.