Confused

kaylou

My "target heart rate" to burn calories should be a MAX of 153...I am usually between 180-188. If I slow down any I feel like I am not even breaking a sweat.
Any thoughts or am I calculating it wrong.

kaylou

My "target heart rate" to burn calories should be a MAX of 153...I am usually between 180-188. If I slow down any I feel like I am not even breaking a sweat.
Any thoughts or am I calculating it wrong.

sembrede

From what I have heard from trainers... your target calorie burning heart rate is lower than the hard-core-sweaty-breathing-hard type of workout. At this lower heart rate your body will burn more fat calories than when you are at a higher, cardiovascular training type heart rate. At least I think that's how it works. There are other ways to kick your body into fat burning mode but it's more complicated. Personally... I just worry about burning calories and feeling "fit" so I try to challenge myself at least a couple times a week with some higher heart rate exercises.

shooting_star

Try these numbers and see if they help:

your heart rate should never rise above 220 - your chronological age (so if you're 30 your HR shouldn't rise about 190 beats per minute).

Stastistically you are burning most fat when your heart rate is between 70 and 80% of its maximum (again if you're 30 then that's between 133 and 152 bpm). If you are over this then your body is not focused on burning fat it's trying to get your heart rate down!

If your heart rate is ever above the 220 - age figure then you need to see a doctor and get an exercise ECG (also known as an EKG - I'm british, some doctors call this a cardiac stress test).

If you're not "feeling it" then you're not doing a heavy enough exercise, our bodies are trained to be efficient and will eventually learn to short cut through an exercise that you do often, either change what your doing or change how you're doing it for 6 weeks and then revert back. Changing about every 6-8 weeks will ensure that your body isn't cowboying you through your exercise regime.

osmium

You burn more calories when your heart rate is higher. Working hard is good. You may burn a higher percentage of fat at a slightly lower heart rate, however you will burn less calories in total and less fat in total.

shooting_star

You may burn more calories but you're screwing with your cardiac health, take it from the 22 year old pacemaker patient it's not a good idea.

osmium

You may burn more calories but you're screwing with your cardiac health, take it from the 22 year old pacemaker patient it's not a good idea.

Shooting_star, I've just re-read the OP and you are right, kaylou's heart rate is unusually high.

I've just checked the your profile kaylou and you are the same age as me. This means that your max HR based on the standard formula is 220 - age (38) =182. If you are averaging 180-188, this is very high and appears to exceed your max. This is a standardised formula though and some people can have higher maximum's, but I think you should perhaps see your doctor and check it out.

I don't think you need to keep below 153, but >180 does seem potentially risky. Can you hold a conversation when you exercise?

Azdak

Unless you have been tested in a lab, exercise training heart rates are all derived from a *estimated* maximum heart rate. All max heart rate estimating formulae have a standard deviation of + or - 10-12 beats/min. Based on the standard bell curve, that means that 2-3% of the population can have a true max heart rate of 30+ beats above the estimate.

You still need to rule out the presence of an asymptomatic but abnormal tachycardia during exercise, but your heart rate response is not unheard of and could be completely normal. The fact that your perceived exertion is low and you have no other symptoms is positive, but no one can tell you OK or NOT OK except your doctor.

I have seen this question/concern come up a lot when people first get heart rate monitors.

And in response to some other comments: there is no such thing as "fat burning" exercise. The fuel substrate utilized during exercise or any other activity has no direct effect on stored body fat. During the vast majority of exercise workouts, the body uses a combination of fuel (glycogen and triglycerides) already in muscle cells or circulating in the blood system. We do not tap into stored adipose tissue during exercise.

There are a lot of good reasons to do different workouts and workouts of varying intensity/duration, but you cannot structure a workout so that it "burns more fat".

kaylou

I am winded but I can talk during exersize.

kaylou

You may burn more calories but you're screwing with your cardiac health, take it from the 22 year old pacemaker patient it's not a good idea.

Shooting_star, I've just re-read the OP and you are right, kaylou's heart rate is unusually high.

I've just checked the your profile kaylou and you are the same age as me. This means that your max HR based on the standard formula is 220 - age (38) =182. If you are averaging 180-188, this is very high and appears to exceed your max. This is a standardised formula though and some people can have higher maximum's, but I think you should perhaps see your doctor and check it out.

I don't think you need to keep below 153, but >180 does seem potentially risky. Can you hold a conversation when you exercise?

I just purchased a HRM wrist watch....I have been taking my heart rate through my elliptical machine...maybe it is wrong...I am going to test it out tonight and see where the numbers come in. Thanks for all the helpful information!

gnicolecan

It was explained to me recently that the "fat burning zone" was kind of an old methodology. Now the new methodology is interval training to burn max calories. So instead of workign out for a long perod of time at 60 %, do bursts of high intensity exercise (up hills, jumping jacks, jumping rope, etc) durning your workout.

kaylou

Unless you have been tested in a lab, exercise training heart rates are all derived from a *estimated* maximum heart rate. All max heart rate estimating formulae have a standard deviation of + or - 10-12 beats/min. Based on the standard bell curve, that means that 2-3% of the population can have a true max heart rate of 30+ beats above the estimate.

You still need to rule out the presence of an asymptomatic but abnormal tachycardia during exercise, but your heart rate response is not unheard of and could be completely normal. The fact that your perceived exertion is low and you have no other symptoms is positive, but no one can tell you OK or NOT OK except your doctor.

I have seen this question/concern come up a lot when people first get heart rate monitors.

And in response to some other comments: there is no such thing as "fat burning" exercise. The fuel substrate utilized during exercise or any other activity has no direct effect on stored body fat. During the vast majority of exercise workouts, the body uses a combination of fuel (glycogen and triglycerides) already in muscle cells or circulating in the blood system. We do not tap into stored adipose tissue during exercise.

There are a lot of good reasons to do different workouts and workouts of varying intensity/duration, but you cannot structure a workout so that it "burns more fat".

My resting heart rate is 72...does this tell us anything?

shooting_star

70 is kind of high but can be normal, i really must stress that you see a doctor even if only to reassure you that you're not in any danger of an underlying cardiac condition creeping up on you. He/she might also be able to advise if it's just the machine you're using that's giving the freak heart rates.

I know when i use the heart monitors at the gym they're never what my actual heart rate is but then they're not calibrated to take into consideration battery powered customers.

mrsyac2

Formulas for HRmax

Fox and Haskell formula; widely used.Various formulas are used to estimate individual Maximum Heart Rates, based on age, but maximum heart rates vary significantly between individuals.[5] Even within a single elite sports team, such as Olympic rowers in their 20s, maximum heart rates can vary from 160 to 220.[5] This variation is as large as a 60 or 90 year age gap by the linear equations given below, and indicates the extreme variation about these average figures.

The most common formula encountered, with no indication of standard deviation, is:

HRmax = 220 − age
This is attributed to various sources, often "Fox and Haskell," and was devised in 1970 by Dr. William Haskell and Dr. Samuel Fox.[5] It gained widespread use through being used by Polar Electro in its heart rate monitors,[5] which Dr. Haskell has "laughed about",[5] as it "was never supposed to be an absolute guide to rule people's training."[5]

While the most common (and easy to remember and calculate), this particular formula is not considered by some to be a good predictor of HRmax.

A 2002 study[6] of 43 different formulae for HRmax (including the one above) concluded the following:

1) No "acceptable" formula currently existed, (they used the term "acceptable" to mean acceptable for both prediction of , and prescription of exercise training HR ranges)
2) The most decent formula of those examined was:
HRmax = 205.8 − (0.685 × age)
This was found to have a Standard Deviation that, although large (6.4 bpm), was still deemed to be acceptable for the use of prescribing exercise training HR ranges.
Other often cited formulas are:

HRmax = 206.3 − (0.711 × age)
(Often attributed to "Londeree and Moeschberger from the University of Missouri–Columbia")
HRmax = 217 − (0.85 × age)
(Often attributed to "Miller et al. from Indiana University")
These figures are very much averages, and depend greatly on individual physiology and fitness. For example an endurance runner's rates will typically be lower due to the increased size of the heart required to support the exercise, while a sprinter's rates will be higher due to the improved response time and short duration., etc. may each have predicted heart rates of 180 (= 220-Age), but these two males could have actual Max HR 20 beats apart (e.g. 170-190).

Further, note that individuals of the same age, the same training, in the same sport, on the same team, can have actual Max HR 60 bpm apart (160 to 220):[5] the range is extremely broad

MisoSoup79

Unless you have been tested in a lab, exercise training heart rates are all derived from a *estimated* maximum heart rate. All max heart rate estimating formulae have a standard deviation of + or - 10-12 beats/min. Based on the standard bell curve, that means that 2-3% of the population can have a true max heart rate of 30+ beats above the estimate.

You still need to rule out the presence of an asymptomatic but abnormal tachycardia during exercise, but your heart rate response is not unheard of and could be completely normal. The fact that your perceived exertion is low and you have no other symptoms is positive, but no one can tell you OK or NOT OK except your doctor.

I have seen this question/concern come up a lot when people first get heart rate monitors.

And in response to some other comments: there is no such thing as "fat burning" exercise. The fuel substrate utilized during exercise or any other activity has no direct effect on stored body fat. During the vast majority of exercise workouts, the body uses a combination of fuel (glycogen and triglycerides) already in muscle cells or circulating in the blood system. We do not tap into stored adipose tissue during exercise.

There are a lot of good reasons to do different workouts and workouts of varying intensity/duration, but you cannot structure a workout so that it "burns more fat".

My resting heart rate is 72...does this tell us anything?

How long have you been working out on a regular basis?

mrsyac2

resting heartrates for an average male is 70 and for an average female its 75- but other factors go into this as well-

But, to understand more about heart rate and what factors can affect your beats per minute, let's look at how the heart works.

Whether you're Lance Armstrong or Larry Buttbig, your heart is constantly pumping blood, oxygen, and nutrients throughout your entire body.

Theoretically, the higher your resting heart rate, or the more times it beats per minute, the harder and more often your heart has to work to do its job.

Conversely, a lower heart rate implies that it's more efficient and doesn't need to pump as often. Lance Armstrong's is said to be about 30-35 beats per minute!

There are several other variables that affect your heart rate, so don't feel bad if you're ticker is working two or more times harder than Lance's. Physical fitness, exercise intensity, training frequency, and of course — the uncontrollable —

mrsyac2

the lower your resting heart rate is (checked in the morning before getting up after a good nights sleep) the fitter you and your heart are getting-

Lance Armstrongs resting heart rate is in the 30's


The elliptical isnt a good tool to measure your heart rate at all- Nor is any other gym machine- You need a Heart Rate Monitor and not all Heart Rate Monitors are good just remember you get what you pay for with those things- I got mine for 89.99 it has a chest strap I love it- Its a polar f4-

the 220 minus age is just a guide but isn't 100% accurate-
Athletes don't even focus on their heart rate when pushing themselves like that-- I know in a good serious hardcore game of basketball I can get up in the 188- 190's yeah I get winded but feel fine-

If your worried about your heart-rate being too high go to a doctor and request a cardiac stress test they will strap you to a treadmill and give you the workout of your life for 20 minutes basically pushing you to brink of a heart attack (im serious)- they push your heart to see what it can take plus to check for problems they will also be able to tell you your max heart rate as well.

mrsyac2

got this from womens fitness

What is a good, healthy resting heart rate

Your resting heart rate is how many times your heart beats per minute. The measurement should be taken when you are laying down and breathing normally and most health professionals say it is best to check it in the morning after a good nights sleep.

The heart rate is often used as a measure of a persons physically fitness and as such it is good to measure it now and again.

A resting heart rate for women is considered “normal” if it is between about 70-80 beats per minute. However, I would advise that those reading Real Women’s Fitness should have a much better resting heart rate than that! After all, we are hardcore athletes!

My resting heart rate is about 47-50 beats per minute.



What affects your resting heart rate?
The resting heart rate is affected by:

age
sex (men are lower usually)
physical fitness
some drugs/medication
genetics
anxiety
Some people simply have a higher/lower resting heart rate that cannot be attributed to any specific cause. Many scientific studies have shown that a resting heart rate really isn’t an effective way of measuring the health of a person although they say anything above about 84 beats per minute is erring on dangerous.