what heartrate is too high?

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lindseyelyzabeth
lindseyelyzabeth Posts: 33 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
so, i've been trying to push myself a little harder at the gym. i usually use an elliptical trainer because it's gentle on my back. i'm trying to train my breathing to be able to eventually run on a treadmill/outside. so, i've been doing a lot of interval trainer, which i enjoy. when i get into the tough part of my interval training, my heartrate can go between 165-175, which the elliptical says is past cardio range. once the interval comes down, so does my heartrate, naturally. i don't feel overwhelmed or bad when my heartrate goes up, but i was just curious if there is a true "too much" range and if i'm doing the right thing while trying to push myself to running status. any advice is appreciated. thanks!

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  • megsta21
    megsta21 Posts: 506 Member
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    Your max heart rate = 220 - your age

    in my case, I am 26 so my max heart rate is 220 - 26 = 194.

    I try not to exceed this but its ok to as long as your careful and slow up if you feel faint (im no doc, just what ive found)
  • bethvandenberg
    bethvandenberg Posts: 1,496 Member
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    the american heart association has a great article on this. Just goole heart rates and exercise. I had the same question so. You're supposed to stay in the target area for your heart. :)
  • Shawnalee0703
    Shawnalee0703 Posts: 1,093
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    Your max heart rate is not only based on your age and gender it is also based on your resting. Do some online research as well as ask a trainer at your gym. He/she can help you calculate your personal max more accurately. You can use the calculation using age and gender, it is somewhat accurate.
  • MsLisaB
    MsLisaB Posts: 256
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    As Megs said, so long as you don't feel faint or otherwise ill you can push your HR higher.

    I've been using a HRM for a while now and I know I'm not working hard until my HR gets to at least 175. Unfortunately my PT knows this too lol. I regularly have my HR up above 175 and generally get to about 180 - 182, particularly doing interval training.

    There are some schools of thought that sustained, low intensity (low HR) cardio is best for weight loss, however, there are also studies suggesting that interval training using higher-intensity aerobic intervals increase exercise and resting energy expenditure (i.e you burn more during the workout and after) (Tremblay, et al; (Metabolism (1994) Volume 43, pp.814-818))

    In the end, do what feels right for you.
  • BoresEasily
    BoresEasily Posts: 582
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    I've spoken with several people that have had their MAX tested. Many of them, more fit individuals have a max that's well higher than the basic formula. I was doing a HIIT session a little while ago where I was sprinting what I felt was full out and my HRM was telling me I was only at 80-85% and I was like ARE YOU SERIOUS???? I stopped every sprint when I felt my body give and slow down but it was telling me that I only hit 85%. Although with such a low resting I find it hard to get past 85% Max. I'd say the best way is to use an RPE(Rated Perceived Exertion) scale from 1-10. Here's an example of what each level means that I got from another site.

    "* Level 1: I'm watching TV and eating bon bons
    * Level 2: I'm comfortable and could maintain this pace all day long
    * Level 3: I'm still comfortable, but am breathing a bit harder
    * Level 4: I'm sweating a little, but feel good and can carry on a conversation effortlessly
    * Level 5: I'm just above comfortable, am sweating more and can still talk easily
    * Level 6: I can still talk, but am slightly breathless
    * Level 7: I can still talk, but I don't really want to. I'm sweating like a pig
    * Level 8: I can grunt in response to your questions and can only keep this pace for a short time period
    * Level 9: I am probably going to die
    * Level 10: I am dead

    I would consider 2,3, & 4 light, 5 & 6 moderate, and 7 & 8 intense."

    As for weight loss/fat burning by exercise, anything to do with steady state has been disproven time and time again. You can get better results by just reducing your calorie intake.

    It's great that you're doing intervals. Keep it up it's much more effective than steady state due to the EPOC(afterburn) effect.

    As for the machine. Ignore what it says about the cardio/fat burning zone as it's a myth. The harder you work the more calories you burn and the more over-all fat you burn, just that the % is less.
  • cogito78
    cogito78 Posts: 4
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    I asked my friend, a family physician, the same question when i started doing crossfit high intensity circuit training. During these workouts you spend a lot of time "flirting" with max heart rate - I take breaks to let my heart rate down below 160 but average around 170. I am a 32 year old man, looking to lose 40 lbs, with no health conditions besides mild asthma that only hinders and dosen't manifest with "attacks."

    When i asked my doctor friend his response was "At your age and without health conditions - if you can do it - you are not endangering yourself." Echoing what MsLisaB said.

    In the past year i have become a believer in high intensity circuit training for my overall health PROVIDED you warm up 15 minutes at a moderate pace. If you do not warm up and you are not an athlete, like me no longer sadly, bad things happen - exertion head aches that can last for a day, blood sugar "bonk" and horrific and somewhat hilarious for other people to see cramps. In my late 20's i settled into comfy "fat burning workouts" - hours of moderately paced bike rides after being a mountain biker and wrestling when i was younger. I found that my asthma effects worsened because i was lowering my cardio threshold. With the addition of these high intensity workouts i noticed a change in my "circulation" in a month and regained the athletic spring in my step as well as reduced asthma effects.

    My personal feeling - there is a tremendous benefit to adding high heart rate training along with moderate aerobic workouts. Easy way to do that for me - "Burpees" - start standing, go down and touch chest on ground and then back up and jump in the air. 10 of those and im at 180 bpm - thats where the excess lbs come in....
  • ATT949
    ATT949 Posts: 1,245 Member
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    so, i've been trying to push myself a little harder at the gym. i usually use an elliptical trainer because it's gentle on my back. i'm trying to train my breathing to be able to eventually run on a treadmill/outside. so, i've been doing a lot of interval trainer, which i enjoy. when i get into the tough part of my interval training, my heartrate can go between 165-175, which the elliptical says is past cardio range. once the interval comes down, so does my heartrate, naturally. i don't feel overwhelmed or bad when my heartrate goes up, but i was just curious if there is a true "too much" range and if i'm doing the right thing while trying to push myself to running status. any advice is appreciated. thanks!
    Other folks are giving you good guidelines on calculating max heart rate but you'll want to develop a "training range" - the min and max beats per minute during which you're getting a good cardio workout.
    You can "crank it up" and, if you go too high, you'll know it 'cause you'll wake up on the floor. :-)
    At your (apparent) age, 175 shouldn't be a problem. When I was in my late 40's I decided to "rev it up" to 200 and nothing broke.
    If you push too hard, you'll go "anerobic" and that's not doing you much good. I have a tendency to do that so that's where a heart rate monitor comes in handy - it beeps at you if you're above or below a certain number of beats per minute.
  • eillamarie
    eillamarie Posts: 862 Member
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    Honestly, everybody is different. If my HR isn't 170-190 I don't feel like I'm actually working out. But that comes from years as a high level athlete. I've been known to have a HR in that range for over 30 minutes @ a time even being all out of shape & stuff. To each their own. However, going too much over 190 generally isn't safe for anybody around my age (I'm 21).
  • BoresEasily
    BoresEasily Posts: 582
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    If you push too hard, you'll go "anerobic" and that's not doing you much good.

    Anaerobic is actually where you improve upon your lactic threshold/V02 Max. But by doing so you will decrease your calorie burn during the activity itself but the EPOC is much higher.
  • Shawnalee0703
    Shawnalee0703 Posts: 1,093
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    If you push too hard, you'll go "anerobic" and that's not doing you much good.

    Anaerobic is actually where you improve upon your lactic threshold/V02 Max. But by doing so you will decrease your calorie burn during the activity itself but the EPOC is much higher.
    Agreed. The focus on aerobic and anaerobic is only important when working on building up your distance and endurance, say training for a long run. Otherwise your workout is actually more beneficial coming in and out as you push yourself in your calorie focused workout.

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