Find the right heart rate?

ElizaGeorge

I've read there's a heart rates for each individual the burns the maximum amount of calories during a workout... How do I figure out what mine is? TIA!

morticia16

That would depend on your age and fitness level overall, it is different for everyone. You can google around for some more info on what is the best training heart rate zone for you. Or, if you have any health issues, ask your doctor. Normally, however is the subtraction of your age from 220. But that is really a very basic overall estimate.

hmoffatt

Well the highest heart rate you can manage burns the most calories. BUT it's not that simple. You can't sustain the higher heart rate zones for long because you are relying on the glycogen in your muscles and once that's gone you're out of energy. At lower heart rates you can burn fat and you can pretty much do that indefinitely.

This is pretty rough but may be of some use: http://www.heart.com/heart-rate-chart.html

toutmonpossible

Normally, however is the subtraction of your age from 220. But that is really a very basic overall estimate.

Correct. When I attempted to stay in my proper zone per the charts I couldn't break a sweat. Women's hearts tend to be smaller and as a result they have a faster heartbeat. I did get stress test to check, however.

toutmonpossible

I've read there's a heart rates for each individual the burns the maximum amount of calories during a workout... How do I figure out what mine is? TIA!

Whatever you do, wear a heart rate monitor or use the heart rate sensors that most machines seem to have nowadays. I could never check my rate using the old method of finding one's pulse.

SOCOLOCO87

Their are heart rate zones that very based on gender, age, height, and weight, and that is where you burn the most calories. for example: I'm Male - 26- 5'9- 220 lbs and my ideal zone is 126 to 165. You can do research to find you own. The easiest way is to get a Heart Rate Monitor. I have the Polar FT4. It ask for all the info and keeps track of calories burned during the workout based on my heart rate.

Athena53

I'm 60 and female and for me the straightforward formula works pretty well according to my FT-7 heart rate monitor. I'm not sure if I ever hit 160. It hit a max of 158 (not sure how long) in a 50-meter swim race and I typically max out around 150 when bike riding on uphill sections. Most of the time I try to keep it above 120 if I'm trying to get in a serious workout. During a sprint triathlon I averaged 135 and maxed at 153, The HRM is a great motivator to actually see how hard you're working.

zornig

That would depend on your age and fitness level overall, it is different for everyone. You can google around for some more info on what is the best training heart rate zone for you. Or, if you have any health issues, ask your doctor. Normally, however is the subtraction of your age from 220. But that is really a very basic overall estimate.

This is actually how you calculate your "max heart rate," not how you determine the best training zone. Which heart rate zone you exercise in depends on what you're trying to accomplish: burn fat; aerobic conditioning; endurance; anaerobic/lactic threshold training. If you are just beginning to exercise, you probably want to spend the bulk of your time in Zone 1 (fat burn) and increase your intensity for short periods of time into Zone 2 (aerobic conditioning). As you get stronger and fitter, spend more time in Zone 2, spend a longer time exercising altogether, start doing intervals into Zone 3, etc.

Here is a good heart rate calculator that will break out the different zone levels for you: http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/bike/heart_rate/heart_rate_zone_calculator_abcc_bcf.html

Although be advised that it uses a generalized calculation for the baseline and some people don't fit the mold.