Maximum Heart Rate Question!

keltoi93

So I never really considered this aspect of running until reading another thread but what should you aim for when exercising for your heartrate and what is too high?

I start my workout with a 30 minute 5k run on the treadmill and intermittently change the speeds to lower settings to catch my breath before increasing it again. In this slower pace I usually get a read off the treadmill of my heart beat of around 180-185.

Now using the formula of 220-age (Im 20) to get your max heart rate this means Im often pushing 90% when Im running. Is this dangerous at all or is it good to make gains?

Any advice would be appreciated!

gmthisfeller

You are actually doing a good thing, and you can be more intentional about it if you care to: interval training. Intervals are used to increase anaerobic threshold levels. By repeating sustained hard efforts at near anaerobic condition, the runner improves his ability to run hard without going into oxygen debt. Interval training also increases a runner's endurance. This means that the runner can continue at a certain pace for an extended period of time. Interval training builds muscle strength. Typical distance running exercises the leg muscles in a certain range of motion, with the focus on slow-twitch fibers. By running at faster speeds, the runner exercises all leg muscles and improves flexibility during running, both of which will mean improved muscle performance in races. This makes running at a race pace easier and improves top speed for sprint finishes. You are running at your top rate, and sustaining that over time will benefit you. Google is your friend so google interval training.

Cherimoose

what should you aim for when exercising for your heartrate and what is too high?

You do not need to aim for any particular heart rate unless you are training for an distance event requiring you to pace yourself, or you have a medical reason to limit your HR. HR is self-limiting.. meaning if it gets too high, your body knows to slow down.

By the way, if that's your warmup before lifting weights, i would swap it for 5 minutes on the elliptical, then do your run after the weights.

keltoi93

You are actually doing a good thing, and you can be more intentional about it if you care to: interval training. Intervals are used to increase anaerobic threshold levels. By repeating sustained hard efforts at near anaerobic condition, the runner improves his ability to run hard without going into oxygen debt. Interval training also increases a runner's endurance. This means that the runner can continue at a certain pace for an extended period of time. Interval training builds muscle strength. Typical distance running exercises the leg muscles in a certain range of motion, with the focus on slow-twitch fibers. By running at faster speeds, the runner exercises all leg muscles and improves flexibility during running, both of which will mean improved muscle performance in races. This makes running at a race pace easier and improves top speed for sprint finishes. You are running at your top rate, and sustaining that over time will benefit you. Google is your friend so google interval training.

Thanks for the info, I'll look it up! Ive only started running in the last 6 weeks or so 3-4 times a week so Im still new (and unfit!) and am trying to get 5k done in under 30 mins.

keltoi93

what should you aim for when exercising for your heartrate and what is too high?

You do not need to aim for any particular heart rate unless you are training for an distance event requiring you to pace yourself, or you have a medical reason to limit your HR. HR is self-limiting.. meaning if it gets too high, your body knows to slow down.

By the way, if that's your warmup before lifting weights, i would swap it for 5 minutes on the elliptical, then do your run after the weights.

Is there a reason why I should swap? I like it as it gets me sweaty and feeling into my workout routine. I usually follow this by 30 minutes weights and finish with 5 mins rowing machine and 10 mins on the bike.

WalkingAlong

The 220 minus age thing isn't real accurate for most people. HR varies between people a lot, not just by age. Look up 'perceived exertion scale' and see where your workout falls on that. Or try to figure out your actual max HR (or close) and apply the percentages to that.

Stoshew71

Question. Do you own a heart rate monitor (HRM)? Just curious how you are getting the reads for your HR. If you are getting the HR from the sensors on the treadmill, I am not sure if they are that accurate. I have a chest strap HRM that uses 5.3 Khz wireless and my treadmill picks it up. I kinda trust that more than the sensors on the treadmill itself.

keltoi93

Question. Do you own a heart rate monitor (HRM)? Just curious how you are getting the reads for your HR. If you are getting the HR from the sensors on the treadmill, I am not sure if they are that accurate. I have a chest strap HRM that uses 5.3 Khz wireless and my treadmill picks it up. I kinda trust that more than the sensors on the treadmill itself.

I get it off the treadmill when I slow it down for a minute of two of pace walking.

Cherimoose

By the way, if that's your warmup before lifting weights, i would swap it for 5 minutes on the elliptical, then do your run after the weights.

Is there a reason why I should swap? I like it as it gets me sweaty and feeling into my workout routine. I usually follow this by 30 minutes weights and finish with 5 mins rowing machine and 10 mins on the bike.

[/quote]

Doing vigorous cardio for 30 minutes drains energy, and lifting freeweights requires a high level of energy & concentration to do safely and with the proper effort level. Once you begin to break a sweat, your muscles are warm enough, since sweating is a response to overheating.

Running mainly works the legs, but the elliptical and especially rowing machine works your entire body, so it's a better choice before a full-body workout. Some people replace the pre-lifting cardio with light warm-up sets of the lifts they are going to do. This is probably the best option.

Danny_Boy13

what should you aim for when exercising for your heartrate and what is too high?

You do not need to aim for any particular heart rate unless you are training for an distance event requiring you to pace yourself, or you have a medical reason to limit your HR. HR is self-limiting.. meaning if it gets too high, your body knows to slow down.

By the way, if that's your warmup before lifting weights, i would swap it for 5 minutes on the elliptical, then do your run after the weights.

^ This... def this.

scorpio516

Now using the formula of 220-age (Im 20) to get your max heart rate this means Im often pushing 90% when Im running. Is this dangerous at all or is it good to make gains?

Worthless equation.

So I never really considered this aspect of running until reading another thread but what should you aim for when exercising for your heartrate and what is too high?

If you are really running at 90% of your max HR, yes that's too high. Not dangerous, unless your heart is bad, but too high.

If you want to work off a number, work off your LTHR. your Lactic Threshold HR is where you body can't process all the lactic acid you are producing. Once your making too much lactic acid, you can't continue exerting yourself. It's similar to anerobic but slightly different. So first things first, you've got to find your LTHR
http://www.trainingbible.com/bkp-all/documents/UsingHeartRate-Power-Pace.pdf
Once you've got that, you'd need to create a plan to use it.

Or, just not worry about your HR and go by RPE. You know the speed you can run if you want to run for 20 minutes. You know the speed to run if you want to run for an hour.