how do u know if ur truly working out?

chicainthesd

i dont know if this topic has been done before. But, how high does ur heart rate have to go to know if ur doing enough on cardio? or does it not matter?

gp79

Not sure of the threshold but 65% of max is a good low intensity workout which will use primarily fat as energy.

rileysowner

You should at least be breaking a sweat.

tigersword

Depends on your goal. I usually go between 70-80% of my max heart rate.

catwrangler

chicainthesd

i always always sweat like a pig in the gym lol so thats not a problem and my heart rate is usually from 147 to 170 sometimes higher... and im 239 so im pretty hefty sometimes i go over 170... but rarely

Hoppymom

Thanks so much for posting the great graph. I didn't even realize that different ages should workout at different rates. Awesome.

DawnOBRN

I suggest buying a heartrate monitor and staying between 70-80% of your max HR for your age.

DawnOBRN

i always always sweat like a pig in the gym lol so thats not a problem and my heart rate is usually from 147 to 170 sometimes higher... and im 239 so im pretty hefty sometimes i go over 170... but rarely

Looks like you are doing great!! :happy:

sleepytexan

I always wonder about that 220-age guideline . . . I consider myself to be very fit, but I always exceed (220-age) while teaching spin -- I can maintain a much higher heart rate while teaching (including speaking and singing while teaching) and I can recover from my perceived MHR in 15 - 30 seconds.

I'm not sure what that means . . .

tigersword

If I recall, 220-age is actually the formula for men, it's slightly different for women, but I don't recall what it is off the top of my head.

Either way, it's just a guesstimate formula, probably a pretty decent margin of error built in.

ninerbuff

show previous quotes

I always wonder about that 220-age guideline . . . I consider myself to be very fit, but I always exceed (220-age) while teaching spin -- I can maintain a much higher heart rate while teaching (including speaking and singing while teaching) and I can recover from my perceived MHR in 15 - 30 seconds.

I'm not sure what that means . . .

It means your heart and lungs and oxygen/CO2 exchange is very efficient. You probably have a low resting heart rate too. In life, the more faster you heart beats at rest, the faster you body deteriorates.

sleepytexan

yes, I have a low resting HR and low blood pressure -- any time a medical professional takes it, they look shocked and want to take it again. ha.

merenguera69

for your heart rate you should take your age minus 220 multiplied by 65 - 80 %. I normally x by 65% however I have a heart block so it pretty much depends on your health status, hope this is helpful

rileysowner

If I recall, 220-age is actually the formula for men, it's slightly different for women, but I don't recall what it is off the top of my head.

Either way, it's just a guesstimate formula, probably a pretty decent margin of error built in.

The 220-age is a number that has no real scientific basis in research. It is based on some educated guesstimates. It is a good enough baseline, but a person's actual max heart rate is likely to be different than that.

Also, heart rate is less helpful if you are one certain medications which effect your heart rate. When I was still on beta blockers, my heart rate was artificially slowed, so these numbers would not help. Perceived exertion is often a better gauge of how well you are exercising.