Heart rate

fefe0201
fefe0201 Posts: 49 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey just a quick question,
I'm doing insanity and wear my HRM every time I do it,
It beeps when I go above 170bpm
Should I take a rest when it beeps or am I safe to carry on??
Today my min HR during was 149 and max was 173,
So basically am I safe to push past 170??
Thanks in advance x

Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
    The best thing to do is to either reset your zones so the upper one is higher or change settings to silence all alarms.

    Worst thing would be to stop working out.
  • ze_hombre
    ze_hombre Posts: 377 Member
    The best thing to do is to either reset your zones so the upper one is higher or change settings to silence all alarms.

    Worst thing would be to stop working out.

    It depends on how the zones were set. If OP set the zones based on her resting heart rate, age, fitness level, etc. then she shouldn't ignore the warnings. Personally I do not like it when my HR goes above 165. I would rather maintain 150 +/- for an hour than 170 for 30 minutes.
  • rassha01
    rassha01 Posts: 534 Member
    This is just my opinion when it comes to cardio so take it how you like. Best thing to do is determine your heart rate zones and go from there. 170 is a decent clip for most but it may be at your aerobic or anaerobic zone. The standard max heart rate equation 220-your age, this would be the maximum your heart can possibly beat. This equation was made up in the 70s and may not be accurate for everyone. You could run yourself through some exercises and push as hard as you possibly can to get a better estimate of your true max and go from there.

    The equation I use for my training zones are my Max HR-190 (would be 185 with the 1970s equation) minus resting heart rate (RHR)-55 which gives me a heart rate reserve (HRR) of 135 (190-55=135)

    Training Zones=
    Easy= 50-75% of HRR + RHR = 122-157 bpm
    Aerobic= 75-85% of HRR + RHR = 157-170 bpm
    Anerobic Threshold = 85-90% of HRR + RHR = 170-177 bpm
    Aneoribic = 90-100% of HRR + RHR = 177-190 bpm

    Anerobic threshold is the training zone where your body is creating as much lactic acid that the blood stream can take away. Once you pass this threshold is where your muscles start burning and eventually you have to stop. Theoretically in the aerobic zone your body will be using oxygen for its main source of energy and you should be able to go for long sessions, while once you get into the anerobic zone the lactic acid will build up and force you to slow down.

    Your heart rate will also vary with your conditioning. Say for example if you are just starting, your heart rate for the same routine may drop 10 bpm in one month.

    All in all I don't think 170 is out of line for insanity because I am pretty sure the routine is meant to push you to your max. The one piece of advice I would highly recommend though is to listen to your body!! If it tells you to slow down, by all means slow down. Good luck!!
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,249 Member
    How do you feel when it goes above 170? Are you short of breath and gasping for air?

    Many HRMs use 220-your age as MaxHR and then apply percentages to arbitrarily set your 'zones". If you feel fine at that level of exertion I'm with Azdak, there's no reason to stop just because an electronic device beeps at you.

    ze_hombre I agree with you inasmuch as I'd rather go for a run and keep my heart rate in zones 3 & 4 (depending on the run that day) but insanity is a form of HIIT, it's perfectly normal to be hitting your LT occasionally during a workout.
  • fefe0201
    fefe0201 Posts: 49 Member
    I feel like I could continue no problem but didn't know if I'd be doing more harm than good going above it!
    Thanks for all your advice, been helpful :):) x
  • getting_fit86
    getting_fit86 Posts: 128 Member
    I tend to go for the general rule: 200 - your age. I'm 18, so I aim for a heart rate of 182
  • greatwestescape
    greatwestescape Posts: 49
    For a 5k outdoor run my hr stays around 177 for the last 10 min and i still have energy after.

    When i do 1 minute sprints i hit 194-200 all the time. After 3-4 of those im toast.

    Im 27, i asked my doctor and he said some people naturally have higher heart rates, especially those who are tall with a large frame. He said if i hit 200 on long distance runs to come back otherwise in the high 170s is fine for me.

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