Heart Rate Zone

zookeepersuzy

did you do any tests to determine your max heart rate or did you just use the default zones? there are a few different ways to find your max heart rate.. I had testing done at my gym & my zones are way higher than the standard charts said they should be. My resting heart rate is around 60, but my zones that I use while exercising are as follows:

zone 1 166-176 (easy)
zone 2 176-184 (medium)
zone 3 184- 192 (hard)
zone 4 192 - 202 (very hard)
zone 5 202 - peak (extremely hard)

If you can talk a few words at a time and are mouth breathing, I would guess you are either in middle/high zone 3 or low 4. When I'm in 4, all I can think is "wanna stop wanna stop wanna stop". I've never made it to zone 5.

here is a link to a pdf chart that my gym uses. I did the "gold" measurement, but it was pretty much just the "silver" while hooked up to a computer. http://www.lifetimefitness.com/modules/heart_rate/heart_rate_training_chart.pdf

I hope that helps.

CyberEd312

Here is a basic break down of each zone:

TRAINING ZONES

Healthy Heart Zone (Warm up) --- 50 - 60% of maximum heart rate: The easiest zone and probably the best zone for people just starting a fitness program. It can also be used as a warm up for more serious walkers. This zone has been shown to help decrease body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also decreases the risk of degenerative diseases and has a low risk of injury. 85% of calories burned in this zone are fats!

Fitness Zone (Fat Burning) --- 60 - 70% of maximum heart rate: This zone provides the same benefits as the healthy heart zone, but is more intense and burns more total calories. The percent of fat calories is still 85%.

Aerobic Zone (Endurance Training) --- 70 - 80% of maximum heart rate: The aerobic zone will improve your cardiovascular and respiratory system AND increase the size and strength of your heart. This is the preferred zone if you are training for an endurance event. More calories are burned with 50% from fat.

Anaerobic Zone (Performance Training) --- 80 - 90% of maximum heart rate: Benefits of this zone include an improved VO2 maximum (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and thus an improved cardiorespiratory system, and a higher lactate tolerance ability which means your endurance will improve and you'll be able to fight fatigue better. This is a high intensity zone burning more calories, 15 % from fat.

Red Line (Maximum Effort) --- 90 - 100% of maximum heart rate: Although this zone burns the highest number of calories, it is very intense. Most people can only stay in this zone for short periods. You should only train in this zone if you are in very good shape and have been cleared by a physician to do so.

It really depends on what you are trying to accomplish. I am still losing weight but want to increase my endurance during my cardio so I train in the Fitness zone (burning fat) every other day and on the opposite day I train in the Anaerobic zone. I have a FT60 that figures my Vo2Max and if I go above 162 BPM I go out of zone which I tend to avoid. Even at 80-90% of my Max HR I am burning a crap load of Carbohydrates so I don't see a point to push above that zone.... I may enter the 90-100% of my Max HR for short burst (1 to 2 minutes) but then get back down around 155-160 BPM...

If you don't know (or have a good idea) of your maximum heart rate, then the "zones" are going to be off. The HRM doesn't know the difference.

I use an FT60 as well (although I never get around to using most of the features-I'm just a gadget dork). So I am not criticizing Polar per se, but their "% Fat" numbers are a lot of nonsense. The HRM has absolutely no clue what fuel substrate you are burning--and even if it did, it means nothing when it comes to fat loss.

That being said, you are correct in training at the different zones and your ratio is appropriate as well.

Well from my figures (whether they are correct or not) I have used the Londeree and Moeschberger method: MHR = 206.3 - (0.711 × Age) and compared that to the basic MHR = 220 - Age and also used Miller et al method: MHR = 217 - (0.85 x Age)

All these give me a Max Heart Rate of between 178-180 BPM.... So 80-90% of my max HR is 145-162..... So I am pretty sure I am close to these zones.......

WeeFirePlug

The information above is great stuff!

Something I read is that you rHR zones change depending on the type of exercise you engage in. In other words, your 50% - 60% zone while cycling is different than your 50% to 60% zone while running. Also, as for optimal fat burning, I read that while you burn a higher percentage of fat at the lower zone, because you burn more calories overall at the 'aerobic' zone, you will still burn more actual fat calories. And anything you do anaerobically will need glycogen from the muscles that needs to be replaced while you rest afterwards. And what does your body like to replace it with? Those carbs and fats floating around in your blood that, if unused, will turn to fat! That's why you get hot hours after a hard exercise session - you are rebuilding glycogen. Here's my disclaimer - this is information I picked up over the years from sources I can't remember so there is a chance I am incorrect! If anyone knows better, please chime in. I just put this out for discussion. I have no problem being wrong as my wife will attest to...

Am I allowed to mention an author here if I have absolutely no gain from his book sales? If so, I recommend a writer called Covert Bailey for this type of discussion. It gets quite technical but really gets into the details.

heybales

Wow, lot of confusing ideas on here.

Should only work out at a percentage of resting heart rate (don't even know how that is possible).
Don't go over your max heart rate (how could you if max).

You need some stats for the calculation on the monitor to not only report correct calories, but to suggest correct zones.
Without more detailed info, it goes off general estimates, which are very off. it's a flat bell curve that is very wide.

The monitor hopefully had you enter age, weight, and gender. If you find a setting for max HR, it is probably pre-estimated with standard formula (220-age for men, 226-age for women).

If that MHR is off, and it likely is, than the zones it suggests for fat burning or fitness will be off (though I've noticed it changes that point as I add more workouts FT7.

So the training zones listed above are excellent start, but first you need a correct foundation to base that on.

So, first, find or estimate you max HR by actual test.
Then enter that info in the monitor.
If it has no setting for MHR, then adjust your age so that it reflects it correctly.
For example, at 43 yrs formula says my MHR would be 177. Tested it's actually 194. So I would lie and say my age is 26.

Here is a decent test for finding out max HR, without actually doing the maximal test I did.

The SubMax Step Test. Use an 8" step (almost any step in your home or in a club will do) and perform a 3-minute step test. After your warm-up, step up and down in a four-count sequence as follows: right foot up, left up, right down, left down. Each time you move a foot up or down, it counts as one step.

Count "up, up, down, down" for one set, with 20 sets to the minute. It is very important that you don't speed up the pace--keep it regular. After 2 minutes, you'll need to monitor your heart rate for the last minute. The SubMax Step Test now can be used to predict your Max HR. Add to your last minute's heart rate average one of the following numbers:

1. Poor Shape: +55 bpm
2. Average Shape: +65 bpm
3. Excellent Shape: +75 bpm

Your result should be pretty close to your Max HR.

Goosiesnougs

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athensguy

Here's a page of info on testing it professionally or estimating it yourself.

http://www.livestrong.com/article/338405-treadmill-maximum-heart-rate-test/

BuildABetterMe

The most important thing to take away from all the discussion is this:

Your heart is a muscle, and needs to be trained just like any other muscle.

Would you jump into lifting weights at 80-90% of your tolerated maximum and expect your arms and legs to function for long periods of time? NO! You increase the weight you lift slowly, as the muscles in your body strengthen.

I'm using Polar's Heart Rate based training with the "zones" and at first it was horrible. I couldn't walk a mile without having to stop or slow down in order to stay in Zone 2, which was the stamina building zone. This zone also strengthens the heart and builds cardio endurance.

After a few weeks, my heart has gotten stronger, and doesn't have to work as hard, so my heart rate stays lower. I know this because I now have to walk faster and with an incline in order to get my rate into the same target zone.

Polar has some great material at this link:
http://www.polarusa.com/us-en/training_with_polar/training_articles/get_active

All the articles under the "Getting Started" section shed a lot of light on this topic. Read the material and see if it makes sense to you. TRUST THE SYSTEM for a few weeks. You'll feel like it's not working, but it is - I'm proof!

Natihilator

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Erica002

Curious about this too. Mine says 164 and today I hit 192...

heybales

Curious about this too. Mine says 164 and today I hit 192...

And if you stayed there for anything longer than a second, than your MHR is even higher. If you hit that number and had to stop to get breath, that was it.

Change the MHR value then to get better estimate of calorie burn, and change the zones around.
if you can't change the MHR, then see my post above on how to do it.

Good job.

Pebble321

Thanks for all the great info, guys, I'll be back to read this later!

heybales

What my trainer told me is that if we are over our max heart rate, we are not as effective at burning calories and it is more for endurance training. For example:

That is the only way I can explain it, is if you keep your rate above the max zone, you are not AS effective as the Fat Burning Zone which is your Max Heart rate I believe. You are still using energy just not as much energy, it more for building the endurance in your body since you body will try to evolve at that rate and help so next time your run would be easier. Don't quote me on this, but by gathering information from people, this is what I have put together and it makes sense to me.

Good job on the run, and a great method to save the joints.

You need to talk to the trainer again, if what you said is really close to what they said, it is not true and can't make sense either.

Max HR, as the term implies, is your max, can't go above it. Not talking the zones or calculated, but true MHR. And anything near that level is no where near beneficial for endurance training, just the opposite.

You have just enough info to have pieces in there that almost makes sense, but it is not tied together well.

Several posts in this thread have already explained things enough, if you reread them, should help better.

heybales

If you really want to get some good heart rate zones for training at different levels, the best method will be finding your lactate threshold.

Your MHR is genetic and you can't improve that, unless you are just starting working out. And it will slowly decrease with age.
So zones based on that don't really take in to account your own level of fitness.

But lactate threshold is that point where you have stopped being aerobic and supplying enough oxygen for complete glycogen and fat burning, and moved to anaerobic and incomplete glycogen burning and lactic acid can no longer be used for fuel and starts to build up.

So when thinking intervals, that is the point you want to get above.

And you can improve that point to a certain extent. As it goes up, your other ranges go up.
Now, this will be a bigger factor when you are near goal weight, and enjoy exercising so much you want to do longer events, or just go faster, without it feeling like it so much.

And there are zones based on your LT, also called anaerobic threshold (AT), which will help train it higher.

Easy test. Well, easy to do, should feel like coughing up a lung when finished. So you MUST be in shape. Unless you want to test a working LT, which may be close enough for some better training until you feel like doing it again.
And this should follow a rest day, and a good night's sleep.

Pick your activity, treadmill and spin bike are easiest to use, because you can fine tune the speed and resistance.
For spin bike, confirm you are spinning 85-95 rpm, or you will be unfairly testing small part of the quads and being lower than you should be..
For treadmill, you'll use a combo of speed and grade.

The idea is to warm up for about 10 min very slow pace.
Then you need a partner to record data ever 3 min during a 15 min test. So 5 data points.
You'll go real slow again for 10 min to recover.
And do the 15 min again.

During the 15 min you should not be expected to talk, no drinking, no extra movements. You are looking for that fine line of just pushing a tad too much, and boom, over the line. Once you go over, you have to almost drop too much to recover.
Hence doing 2 tests.

So if you have ever paid attention during a workout to that level that just burns, or feels really hard, that's what you want to get up to. No real good way to estimate it to get close first.

So on spin bike, while keeping cadence the same, you increase the tension, and just watch the heart rate go up, try to get it up to that barely comfortable level before the 1st 3min data point. If it feels like you could not do this 20 seconds - too high.
If you could talk if you wanted to in complete sentences - too low. One or two words should be it, because you need all that oxygen.

On treadmill, use a combo of speed (which if too fast could be too pounding) and grade (helps go up quickly) to do the same thing. Breathing should be very heavy and fast.

Each data point should be about the same if you really nailed it. If you finished and seemed to have some strength, you go higher on the next test.
You should be able to go slow and recover now for 10 min, clearing that lactic acid out of legs, using it as fuel. Drink some water, wipe off sweat.

Now do the second test the same way. With better idea of how high to go, and how hard you could really push, do it better.
If there is a big difference in data points, just avg the last test 5 points, if pretty close across the board, avg them all.

Now you have your LT number, or as close without a lab test.
Now you can take it here and get some zones based on that number. And you can retest every 6 months if you feel the zone is changing because of getting in shape. Because you can change that LT number. Use the line for LT % of course.

http://www.3-fitness.com/tarticles/zones.htm

Zone 1: Recovery - Also known as: Overdistance - Intensity: Very Low
% Lactate Threshold: 65%-84%
% Max Heart Rate: 60%-70%

Used for: These are the easiest workouts, used to promote recovery after harder workouts. It is also generally the intensity level used during the recovery period of interval work and long slow distance (LSD) runs.

Zone 2: Endurance - Also known as: Extensive Endurance - Intensity: Moderate
% Lactate Threshold: 85%-91%
% Max Heart Rate: 71%-75%

Used for: Used for long, endurance workouts and easy speed workout; builds and maintains aerobic endurance.

Zone 3: Lactate Threshold - Also known as: Intensive Endurance - Intensity: Moderate Plus
% Lactate Threshold: 92%-95%
% Max Heart Rate: 76%-80%

Used for: Used for Tempo workouts, training in Zone 3 is usually done in the preparation and base phases. Generally, in the later phases you want to bump up to Zone 4.

Zone 4: VO2 Max Intervals - Also known as: Anaerobic Threshold, Race/Pace - Intensity: Race/Pace
% Lactate Threshold: 96%-100%
% Max Heart Rate: 81%-90%

Used for: Intervals, hill work, and tempo work. Intervals in this zone generally have work-to-rest ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. Training at or slightly below your Lactate Threshold (a.k.a. Anaerobic Threshold) helps your body lean to "recycle" the lactic acid during high intensity work.

Zone 5a: Threshold Endurance - Also known as: Superthreshold
% Lactate Threshold: 100%-102%
% Max Heart Rate: 91%-93%

Used for: Intervals, hill work, and tempo work; typically used after some Zone 4 time has already been done. Zone 5 workouts are very short because it is difficult to maintain this level for any length of time.

Zone 5b: Anaerobic Endurance - Also known as: Speed Endurance
% Lactate Threshold: 103%-105%
% Max Heart Rate: 94%-98%

Used for: Intervals and hill work to improve anaerobic endurance. Intervals in this zone generally have work-to-rest ratio of 1:1, for example, a 20 second sprint followed by 20 seconds of easy recovery (Zone 1).

Zone 5c: Anaerobic Capacity - Also known as: Power
% Lactate Threshold: 106%+
% Max Heart Rate: 98%-100%

Used for: Short-term Sprinting. Intervals in this zone have a work to rest ratio of 1:2 or more.

sixisCHANGEDjk

Well those figures put me at MHR - 180 -186. When I run which is about all I do I'm consistently at 160-170 bpm based on the treadmill pulse monitor. I guess I should train in other zones at times?

[/quote]

Well from my figures (whether they are correct or not) I have used the Londeree and Moeschberger method: MHR = 206.3 - (0.711 × Age) and compared that to the basic MHR = 220 - Age and also used Miller et al method: MHR = 217 - (0.85 x Age)

All these give me a Max Heart Rate of between 178-180 BPM.... So 80-90% of my max HR is 145-162..... So I am pretty sure I am close to these zones.......
[/quote]

2fit4fat

Bump

jbinga

Ha! Love that "wanna stop wanna stop wanna stop". Don't we all know that feeling occasionally?

jbinga

did you do any tests to determine your max heart rate or did you just use the default zones? there are a few different ways to find your max heart rate.. I had testing done at my gym & my zones are way higher than the standard charts said they should be. My resting heart rate is around 60, but my zones that I use while exercising are as follows:

zone 1 166-176 (easy)
zone 2 176-184 (medium)
zone 3 184- 192 (hard)
zone 4 192 - 202 (very hard)
zone 5 202 - peak (extremely hard)

If you can talk a few words at a time and are mouth breathing, I would guess you are either in middle/high zone 3 or low 4. When I'm in 4, all I can think is "wanna stop wanna stop wanna stop". I've never made it to zone 5.

here is a link to a pdf chart that my gym uses. I did the "gold" measurement, but it was pretty much just the "silver" while hooked up to a computer. http://www.lifetimefitness.com/modules/heart_rate/heart_rate_training_chart.pdf

I hope that helps.

That was supposed to be a quote. May bad!

Ha! Love that "wanna stop wanna stop wanna stop". Don't we all know that feeling occasionally?

jbinga

Wow...so much info here. And now I'm definitely overwhelmed. I did plug all of the info into my HRM correctly but what I've gotten from all of this is that it could be wrong. I'm going to try and use some of these resources to find out what my true MHR is and go from there. I guess I brought this complication on myself when I decided I wanted a new gadget.

Thanks so much for all of the great responses! It's so appreciated!

jsjlandy

bump

Azdak

If you really want to get some good heart rate zones for training at different levels, the best method will be finding your lactate threshold.

Your MHR is genetic and you can't improve that, unless you are just starting working out. And it will slowly decrease with age.
So zones based on that don't really take in to account your own level of fitness.

But lactate threshold is that point where you have stopped being aerobic and supplying enough oxygen for complete glycogen and fat burning, and moved to anaerobic and incomplete glycogen burning and lactic acid can no longer be used for fuel and starts to build up.

So when thinking intervals, that is the point you want to get above.

And you can improve that point to a certain extent. As it goes up, your other ranges go up.
Now, this will be a bigger factor when you are near goal weight, and enjoy exercising so much you want to do longer events, or just go faster, without it feeling like it so much.

And there are zones based on your LT, also called anaerobic threshold (AT), which will help train it higher.

Easy test. Well, easy to do, should feel like coughing up a lung when finished. So you MUST be in shape. Unless you want to test a working LT, which may be close enough for some better training until you feel like doing it again.
And this should follow a rest day, and a good night's sleep.

Pick your activity, treadmill and spin bike are easiest to use, because you can fine tune the speed and resistance.
For spin bike, confirm you are spinning 85-95 rpm, or you will be unfairly testing small part of the quads and being lower than you should be..
For treadmill, you'll use a combo of speed and grade.

The idea is to warm up for about 10 min very slow pace.
Then you need a partner to record data ever 3 min during a 15 min test. So 5 data points.
You'll go real slow again for 10 min to recover.
And do the 15 min again.

During the 15 min you should not be expected to talk, no drinking, no extra movements. You are looking for that fine line of just pushing a tad too much, and boom, over the line. Once you go over, you have to almost drop too much to recover.
Hence doing 2 tests.

So if you have ever paid attention during a workout to that level that just burns, or feels really hard, that's what you want to get up to. No real good way to estimate it to get close first.

So on spin bike, while keeping cadence the same, you increase the tension, and just watch the heart rate go up, try to get it up to that barely comfortable level before the 1st 3min data point. If it feels like you could not do this 20 seconds - too high.
If you could talk if you wanted to in complete sentences - too low. One or two words should be it, because you need all that oxygen.

On treadmill, use a combo of speed (which if too fast could be too pounding) and grade (helps go up quickly) to do the same thing. Breathing should be very heavy and fast.

Each data point should be about the same if you really nailed it. If you finished and seemed to have some strength, you go higher on the next test.
You should be able to go slow and recover now for 10 min, clearing that lactic acid out of legs, using it as fuel. Drink some water, wipe off sweat.

Now do the second test the same way. With better idea of how high to go, and how hard you could really push, do it better.
If there is a big difference in data points, just avg the last test 5 points, if pretty close across the board, avg them all.

Now you have your LT number, or as close without a lab test.
Now you can take it here and get some zones based on that number. And you can retest every 6 months if you feel the zone is changing because of getting in shape. Because you can change that LT number. Use the line for LT % of course.

http://www.3-fitness.com/tarticles/zones.htm

Zone 1: Recovery - Also known as: Overdistance - Intensity: Very Low
% Lactate Threshold: 65%-84%
% Max Heart Rate: 60%-70%

Used for: These are the easiest workouts, used to promote recovery after harder workouts. It is also generally the intensity level used during the recovery period of interval work and long slow distance (LSD) runs.

Zone 2: Endurance - Also known as: Extensive Endurance - Intensity: Moderate
% Lactate Threshold: 85%-91%
% Max Heart Rate: 71%-75%

Used for: Used for long, endurance workouts and easy speed workout; builds and maintains aerobic endurance.

Zone 3: Lactate Threshold - Also known as: Intensive Endurance - Intensity: Moderate Plus
% Lactate Threshold: 92%-95%
% Max Heart Rate: 76%-80%

Used for: Used for Tempo workouts, training in Zone 3 is usually done in the preparation and base phases. Generally, in the later phases you want to bump up to Zone 4.

Zone 4: VO2 Max Intervals - Also known as: Anaerobic Threshold, Race/Pace - Intensity: Race/Pace
% Lactate Threshold: 96%-100%
% Max Heart Rate: 81%-90%

Used for: Intervals, hill work, and tempo work. Intervals in this zone generally have work-to-rest ratio of 3:1 or 4:1. Training at or slightly below your Lactate Threshold (a.k.a. Anaerobic Threshold) helps your body lean to "recycle" the lactic acid during high intensity work.

Zone 5a: Threshold Endurance - Also known as: Superthreshold
% Lactate Threshold: 100%-102%
% Max Heart Rate: 91%-93%

Used for: Intervals, hill work, and tempo work; typically used after some Zone 4 time has already been done. Zone 5 workouts are very short because it is difficult to maintain this level for any length of time.

Zone 5b: Anaerobic Endurance - Also known as: Speed Endurance
% Lactate Threshold: 103%-105%
% Max Heart Rate: 94%-98%

Used for: Intervals and hill work to improve anaerobic endurance. Intervals in this zone generally have work-to-rest ratio of 1:1, for example, a 20 second sprint followed by 20 seconds of easy recovery (Zone 1).

Zone 5c: Anaerobic Capacity - Also known as: Power
% Lactate Threshold: 106%+
% Max Heart Rate: 98%-100%

Used for: Short-term Sprinting. Intervals in this zone have a work to rest ratio of 1:2 or more.

After I figured all that out, I didn't have any time left to work out.