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Max HR

lik_11
lik_11 Posts: 433 Member
edited December 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I've been using my HRM for about 8 months, now- solely to track calories burned and time spent exercising. Usually- at some point when I'm working out, it beeps to tell me that my HR is too fast. Now, when I'm on the elliptical or doing a lot of jumping, I can take it down a notch and chill out my heart a bit. But- when I'm in a zumba class- I don't want to take it easy, so I'll keep pushing myself (and drive everyone around me crazy with the beeping). If I'm struggling- I'll lower my level of difficulty, but I don't stop just because my HRM is beeping at me.

SO, today I decided to look through the history on my HRM and really pay attention to my heart rate. The thing that I discovered is that I spend almost all of my cardio time above my recommended heart rate. I push myself that keeping up with a conversation is not feasible, but I don't feel that my heart is about to beat out of my chest.

My resting heart rate is 65-70. Am I exercising too hard- doing damage? Should I pay more attention to my HRM, or is listening to my body enough?

Replies

  • vendygirl
    vendygirl Posts: 718 Member
    I wonder this as well but my HRM doesn't beep at me. There have been a few times I needed to take a break and I look at my HRM and it seems to be going through the roof! I almost wonder if this is a question better answered by a dr.
  • recoiljpr
    recoiljpr Posts: 292
    It depends on the person. If you have had medical checkups and the Dr. said your fine, then as long as it's not too much for you, go for it.

    I know my resting heart rate runs around 55 or so. When running, elliptical, etc I run steady around the mid 130's. When doing martial arts, or HIIT, I go up to the mid to high 150's.

    I have yearly checkups with my doctor and he is okay with it, so am I.
  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    A HRM does not know if your heart rate is "too high". It knows that the heart rate is high compared to a number preprogrammed into the device, but it has no idea whether or not that heart rate is "too high" for you. Same with the "zones".

    Lot of people have max HRs that are significantly higher than the preprogrammed number that came with your HRM. You can:

    1. Do a max exercise test and try to determine your true max HR and program that into the HRM.

    2. You can "guesstimate" based on the numbers you see and your perceived exertion (e.g. you feel like you are working at an 85% effort and the HR is 170, you can assume the true max HR is around 190-195.

    3. You can just turn the alarms off and ignore it (I'd turn the alarms off anyway) and just use monitor HR and perceived effort.
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