What does Maximum HR mean?

frosty73

It is fairly easy for me to reach my Maximum HR (100%) as determined by my HRM. I just spent 4 and 1/2 minutes exercising in this "zone" out of a 5 minute Warm-up period! Usually unless I modify the exercises to be much easier, any DVD or fitness class will end up with me spending most of my time in the Max HR zone. No wonder I had trouble doing the hour-long classes at the gym!

So my question is, is this a bad thing? Other than making me exhausted---- it isn't like my heart's going to explode, right? :huh:

LouisAA1978

my max heart rate is 187 and i reach 195 all the time my trainer said as long i dont feel light headed and can hold a conversation im ok

coyoteo

If you are reaching your perceived max heart rate without feeling like you are about to collapse or puke or keel over....chances are, that is not your actual max heart rate.

lucentabella

One's Maximum Heart Rate or MHR is the highest heart rate an individual can safely achieve through exercise stress, and depends on age. During your warm-up, you want your HR to be about 50% of your MHR. For example, I'm 32. My MHR is 188. 50% of 188 is 94. I want my heart rate to be at 94 bpm during my warm up. To reach aerobic levels of exercise, I would want my heart rate to be 70-80% of my MHR. That means, I want my HR average/stay between 131 and 150 bpm during my exertion period of exercise. You can calculate your MHR by subtracting your age from 220 (this is the simplest method).

50-60% of your MHR = moderate activity (warm-up or maintaining weight)
60-70% = fat burning level of activity/fitness (you can hold a bit of a conversation with some effort)
70-80% = aerobic (cardio, you may or may not be able to hold a conversation at this level)
80-90% = anaerobic (hardcore physical effort - typically you can't hold a conversation at this level)
90-100% = Maximum effort of exertion

Azdak

It is fairly easy for me to reach my Maximum HR (100%) as determined by my HRM. I just spent 4 and 1/2 minutes exercising in this "zone" out of a 5 minute Warm-up period! Usually unless I modify the exercises to be much easier, any DVD or fitness class will end up with me spending most of my time in the Max HR zone. No wonder I had trouble doing the hour-long classes at the gym!

So my question is, is this a bad thing? Other than making me exhausted---- it isn't like my heart's going to explode, right? :huh:

Your HRM is using a standard formula. In the "real" population, that "estimated" max heart rate can vary by up to 20-30 beats/min. As someone else said, if you are routinely reaching 90% of the estimated "max HR" or going over it during a workout, then YOUR actual HRmax is significantly higher that what the HRM estimated.

scottb81

If you reach your max heartrate that easily it means your body is aerobically unfit. Your heart has to work very hard. Once you get aerobically fit it is extremely difficult to reach your max HR because the cardiovascular system becomes very adept at supplying what the working muscles need and your heart doesn't have to work very hard anymore unless you push your body to the point of pain, puking, and passing out.

frosty73

Thanks for the replies, everyone!