Ideal HR for exercise - Whats too much?

trinitrate

So I just setup a HRM in the past 2 weeks or so. I went out for a couple bike rides and came back to look at the results. I'm averaging ~155 for a 60 minute duration with peaks into the 160s - low 170's. When I look at a lot of estimators for ideal HR, they all seem to suggest that I'm working out on the upper limit of where I should be. I don't feel overly out of breath or dizzy or anything like that, and the fact that I can hold that pace for an hour plus would make me think I'm in an OK range.

I guess my question is, should I be concerned? Will I get better fat loss if I drop down a bit in effort? I don't really have time to extend much past an hour per session if your advice is to go longer / slower

For reference, I'm 37 M, 260lbs, resting HR is around 58-63 and I dont have any other medical concerns (other than weight)

Here's an example of a recent ride.. (Ignore the 200+ blip, I think the HRM lost connection for a second)



Example calculators:
Max training 158 - http://www.healthchecksystems.com/heart.asp
Max training 156 - http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/target-heart-rate/SM00083

meshashesha2012

if you're generally healthy and have no heart issues and your doctor OK's you for exercise, then you know you've gone too far when you pass out.

i dont pay attention to those heart rate charts mainly because the ideal range they have for me is a really really ridiculously boring work out. for the most part i push myself as much as i can even if that means going into my anaerobic zone. after almost 5 months of working out like this, i've increased my V02 max and decreased my resting heart rate

Pebble321

I wouldn't be too concerned - I think those standard calculation seem to be out for those of us who aren't 20 any more!

My HR is regularly up in the 180/190's (over 200 now and again) if I'm working hard, add on a slow, gentle run today was showing average about 160 - which should be near my maximum according to some calculations.

I've decided to just use it to track and compare my own data and not worry about those estimated max heart rate numbers.
So, if you're healthy and feeling good, then go for it. If you have any doubts or concerns, getting a medical check up would be a good idea just to make sure there are no contraindications in your particular case.

mustgetmuscles1

The most common formula for finding out your "maximum" heart rate is 220-age.

Of course this only gives a healthy person a basic idea of what is a safe upper end. Many people can handle a higher number and some would drop dead before even getting there but this is probably what those charts on the machines use as a base.

Pebble321

Yeah, that 220-age is pretty common but if you want a range of other numbers - this page shows you seven different results based on 7 different formulas.
http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm

My max HR should be anywhere between 166 - 179 according to these formulas but I think even 179 is too low - my estimate (based on what my HRM has recorded and ignoring the really high readings like 204 or 112 as anomalies) would be 190+.

I tend to use "perceived level of exertion" as a guide, then look at my HRM to see if I'm staying steady at that level or going up or down.

Edited to add... either that or I'm so fit now that I have a body age of about 25!! I'd love to think this is true but I suspect not.

trinitrate

Thanks for the input, this backs up what I was thinking but didn't want to mess up my progress if I was doing something counter-productive. I've generally been managing my effort based on perceived exertion ... when I do that, 180 is about where Im not comfortable pushing any longer.

Now to work on the speed... drop 60 lbs and that level of effort should get me going a lot faster!

wombat94

As others have said, the max HR formulas are all over the place, and all of them i've seen consistently underestimate where an individual's Max HR may be.

For me, my MaxHR is somewhere north of 200 BPM - my guess is in the 205-210 BPM range.

I know this because I've had my HR over 200 a bit from time to time... but more importantly, I can run for over an hour with my HR sitting in the 160 - 165 range... if you took the common 220-age formula, my max HR should be something like 177. You can't run with your HR over 90% of your max for that long... the body couldn't get enough oxygen to the muscles.

I've arrived at my approximate Max HR based on how I feel after running different workouts over the last several months since I got my HRM and how my experience lines up with the descriptions of the effort in each of the HR zones.

I think if you are not feeling overly taxed by the workouts, you are fine.

Ted

kennie2

mine is usually pretty high
usually around 185
few times it got up to 200

Anonymou5

If your resting heart rate is in fact 58, then you are in great shape which effects your HR zones so the intensity you are describing will be threshhold/sub threshhold.

vo2 max: 174 - 187
threshhold: 161 - 174
sub thresh probably : 148 -161
endurance: 135 - 148
fat burning: 123 - 135

dougii

Before buying a HRM I talked with my doctor about it last week and he told me not to waste my time and money. Instead I am to concentrate on breathing and sweat. If I can hold a regular conversation while working out I am not working hard enough, not able to talk at all and I am working too hard. Sweat = pounds being lost. Oddly enough when I compare the HR numbers I get off of the elliptical with this breathing/sweating theory it seems to ring true for me. Ellipting at a constant 45 to 55 steps/minute my heart rate stays consistenly between 138 - 144, I sweat a lot, and the pounds are dropping off at a nice rate.

Azdak

Before buying a HRM I talked with my doctor about it last week and he told me not to waste my time and money. Instead I am to concentrate on breathing and sweat. If I can hold a regular conversation while working out I am not working hard enough, not able to talk at all and I am working too hard. Sweat = pounds being lost. Oddly enough when I compare the HR numbers I get off of the elliptical with this breathing/sweating theory it seems to ring true for me. Ellipting at a constant 45 to 55 steps/minute my heart rate stays consistenly between 138 - 144, I sweat a lot, and the pounds are dropping off at a nice rate.

Increased breathing = pounds being lost. Not sweat. You can sit in a hot room and sweat all over the place and not lose an ounce of fat.

I only bring that up because if you focus too much on sweat, you can be misguided into signficantly overestimating your effort.

xNJAx

I'm so glad you asked this question - I worked out my max HR before using my HRM and the HRM on the treadmill etc and I was a good way above what my max should have been. I thought I must be about to drop dead, but I wasn't woking as hard as I usually do as I had an injury at the time. This has completely put my mind at rest!