My heart rate too high all the time??

fitnessmind2

Hey All,

I am female, 205 lbs, 5'5", 23 years old, and 45% body fat. (Not very fit)

When I workout, during the stretches warm ups I am usually about 130bmp, and when it gets to the actual cardio workout during the light moves I am about 150-160bmp, and during the serious movies I am always around 180-185 bmp.

I am doing Slim in 6 right now, phase 3 Burn it Up, so my heart beat is always around 175 to 185 bmp for the majority of the hour until it's resistance workouts, then it goes back down to 150ish until stretches.

According to http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/target-heart-rate/SM00083

My target heart rate is 138 to 167 beats per minute.
My maximum heart rate is 197 (according to the 220-your age formula)

Since my heart rate is typically around 185 ... is it too high all the time? I read that if your heart is working too hard it doesn't have much affect on your body and the exercise is "worthless" ...

What are your thoughts?

tigersgirl

i would like to know the answer also

llyndon

No effort to get fit is worthless, I applaud you for you efforts but I believe you should speak with your family physician about this. He or she may or may not refer you to a cadiologist, if they do then please make sure you go. A lot of people have gone from no activity to too much activity without a gradual buildup phase and have damaged their hearts in the process. I'm not saying this is what you have done, it may be your heart rate is completely normal just "normal high" but talk to your doctor. That's key.

blondeheat

My heart rate is much higher when exercising than the charts show it should be - I have gotten above 200 bpm which the hrm don't even read! However, I have been almost continuously active my whole life so I know this is normal for me.

Some things to consider - Do you get dizzy? Do you see spots? Does it feel like your heart is pounding out of your chest? All of these are certainly things to talk to your dr about.

lizpell

Don't worry about it (unless you've got heart problems). My heart rate goes up to 99% of mhr. I spoke to my doctor and he said that all the websites and books are generalising and it's not the same for everyone. The only true test of max is a full fitness medical and that costs alot.

If you can work at those high intensities then carry on cos it burns more fat and you know you are working to the best of your ability.

XFitMojoMom

My max HR should be around 182 - I often get up around 196! I had a MIBI scan done on my heart - turns out everything is fine with my heart - I just rev a little higher than the norm. My HR also drops to normal quite quickly, which would also indicate that heart function is good.

mooz

If Im doing Tabatas or my HIIT workouts my heartrate goes way above my max rate. Im not too concerned about it. The bigger picture is....what's my resting heart rate and is THAT always high?? Mine's coming down so I know Im doing something right.

lydaugherty

Age 23 Female

Recovery Zone: 111 to 131
Temperate Zone: 131 to 152
Aerobic Zone: 152 to 172
Threshold Zone: 172 to 192
Redline Zone: 192 to 203


our specific heart rate will depend on your workout intensity and your current level of fitness. For maximum weight-loss benefits, Beachbody recommends exercising at a high level of intensity.
This calculator requires a JavaScript-enabled browser.
To monitor your heart rate while you exercise, use a Heart Rate Monitor by Reebok, now available from Team Beachbody. You can also get a general idea of your beats per minute without any equipment by taking your pulse for 15 seconds and multiplying by 4.

Learn about Target Heart Rate
What is the target heart rate?
Your target heart rate is a range of beats per minute that helps you determine if you're exercising at the right intensity.

Why is monitoring your heart rate important?
Many Team Beachbody workout programs are meant to take you through the correct heart-rate ranges automatically, from Recovery (for warming up and cooling down) through Aerobic (for extended cardio) through Threshold (for "extreme" workouts).

But it still helps to know your personal target ranges—especially if you're doing a continual cardio exercise where it's easy to alter the intensity. It's also important to know for interval training, in which you work out at a high intensity for a short time, then have a low-intensity recovery period.

A target heart-rate zone is a certain percentage of your maximum heart rate (Max HR), the highest number of times your heart can beat in one minute. Because the zones vary quite a bit from person to person, you can also decide what zone you're in by the "perceived exertion" of an exercise. If you're breathing a little hard but can talk easily, you're probably in the Healthy Heart Zone. If you're breathing very hard and can't talk well, you're probably in the Aerobic Zone. And if you can only gasp one word at a time, you're probably in the Threshold Zone.

Heart Zones
Zone Name Percentage of Max HR Perceived Exertion Difficulty
Z1 Healthy Heart Zone 50%-60% 2-5 (perceived exertion)
Z2 Temperate Zone 60%-70% 4-5 (perceived exertion)
Z3 Aerobic Zone 70%-80% 5-7 (perceived exertion)
Z4 Threshold Zone 80%-90% 7-9 (perceived exertion)
Z5 Redline Zone 90%-100% 9-10 (perceived exertion)


In the lower zones, you can train for longer periods of time. But, as you move up to higher-intensity zones, you need to decrease the amount of time that you spend at those levels, particularly in the top two (the Threshold and Redline Zones). Overdoing it increases the likelihood of injuries or burnout.