Pulse reading

aliceguy

I have a question for the more enlightened out there....I have an exercise bike which I have been using and it has the ability to take a pulse reading when on it.
When I started it read on average 121 and now I am pushing myself harder it now is often at about 140.

My question is, what sort of pulse reading should I be aiming for? I know I am overweight but I have gone from 127kg to currently 115 and aim to go a lot further down.
Male, 41.

Cheers pals

cranberrycat

This is from Livestrong:

Subtract your age from 220 to determine your maximum heart rate for exercise. Multiply your maximum heart rate by 60 percent and 80 percent for your target heart rate range. Aim for 60 percent if you've been sedentary and then progress to 70 to 80 percent of your maximum heart rate, with your doctor's approval. The talk test provides a convenient alternative for tracking your exercise intensity. Moderate-intensity exercise, for example walking at 3.5 mph, allows you to talk but not sing. During vigorous aerobic exercise, such as step aerobics, you should be able to speak a few words but not carry on a conversation.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/433299-heart-rate-during-aerobic-exercise/#ixzz1rxZZ5Bbf

aliceguy

dam....that means I got to get to a reading of 179....holy hell, thats going to be a big ask...

Chipmaniac

I have a question for the more enlightened out there....I have an exercise bike which I have been using and it has the ability to take a pulse reading when on it.
When I started it read on average 121 and now I am pushing myself harder it now is often at about 140.

My question is, what sort of pulse reading should I be aiming for? I know I am overweight but I have gone from 127kg to currently 115 and aim to go a lot further down.
Male, 41.

Cheers pals

I'm also 41 so I can provide some additional insight.

The key is to find out what your max HR is. This will vary by person and age but the generic formula is 220 - age. For us, that means our max HR is 179. From this number, you can calculate various zones that have specific benefits. These are usually expressed as a percentage of your maximum heart rate. For instance, 80% of your max heart rate is considered a good 'aerobic' zone. This would be 143 for us. Training in this zone will increase your aerobic (oxygen burning) fitness over time. If you spent all your time in this zone, you couldn't go wrong as you would be burning a considerable amount of calories and you would see significant aerobic performance gains. As you get more fit, it will take more intense exercise for you to reach this zone and thus there's a built-in intensity increase.

There are several sites on the Web that give a good break down of the various zones and the advantages of each. Here's one I found with a quick Google search:

http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Calculate_your_training_heart_rate_zones.htm

aliceguy

I have a question for the more enlightened out there....I have an exercise bike which I have been using and it has the ability to take a pulse reading when on it.
When I started it read on average 121 and now I am pushing myself harder it now is often at about 140.

My question is, what sort of pulse reading should I be aiming for? I know I am overweight but I have gone from 127kg to currently 115 and aim to go a lot further down.
Male, 41.

Cheers pals

I'm also 41 so I can provide some additional insight.

The key is to find out what your max HR is. This will vary by person and age but the generic formula is 220 - age. For us, that means our max HR is 179. From this number, you can calculate various zones that have specific benefits. These are usually expressed as a percentage of your maximum heart rate. For instance, 80% of your max heart rate is considered a good 'aerobic' zone. This would be 143 for us. Training in this zone will increase your aerobic (oxygen burning) fitness over time. If you spent all your time in this zone, you couldn't go wrong as you would be burning a considerable amount of calories and you would see significant aerobic performance gains. As you get more fit, it will take more intense exercise for you to reach this zone and thus there's a built-in intensity increase.

There are several sites on the Web that give a good break down of the various zones and the advantages of each. Here's one I found with a quick Google search:

http://www.active.com/fitness/Articles/Calculate_your_training_heart_rate_zones.htm

Hey, that was really useful mate, thanks for that. I was thinking that 140 - 143 where I am now is not too bad considering how knackered I feel afterwards.
Wasn't seeing getting to 179...like...ever. But this has given me some hope....cheers!