Target Heart Rate and Estimated Maximum Heart Rate

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Stacy_of_Oregon
Stacy_of_Oregon Posts: 28 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Exercise and I have never been close friends, so I know little about "target heart rate" and "maximum heart rate." I've perused several Web sites and remain confused.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, your target heart rate varies depending on whether you are engaging in moderate-intensity or vigorous-intensity physical activity. (News to me...besides, I'm so out of shape that everything at this point seems vigorous!).

I did the math using their formula of subtracting my age (43) from 220. This leaves 177, with 50% of that being 89 BPM and 70% being 124 BPM. How in the heck do you know if you're exercising at 50% or 70% capacity? Do you just use your HR as a guide? What happens if you venture into the 80% range? And is 50-70% the goal? Besides, 124 BPM seems so low to me.

Maybe I'm making a mountain out of a mole-hill, but I want to exercise at my optimum cardiovascular potential, without needing supplemental oxygen and a paramedic on stand-by.

Here's the CDC page I'm referencing:

http://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/everyone/measuring/heartrate.html

Thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this subject. :smile:

Replies

  • ksolksol
    ksolksol Posts: 194 Member
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    I'm no expert, but I found that the recommended heart rate ranges really didn't match what I was feeling. This one seemed to match better how I was feeling:

    http://lifehacker.com/determine-your-maximum-heart-rate-more-accurately-with-1519994980

    I'm 46, and I think 125 was supposedly "vigorous" range for me, but it never felt like it.

    Heart rate is a good thing to monitor, but I'd suggest not getting too freaked out about it. I've gone over 80% plenty of times and no paramedics or supplemental oxygen were involved. :)
  • NancyN795
    NancyN795 Posts: 1,134 Member
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    As one who was never close friends with exercise until the last 18 months (and even now, I'm not sure we're "close friends" - maybe "frenemies" would fit), I would say that to start, just set a very attainable and measurable goal. You don't want to start too hard and end up giving up. I started with a goal of 10 minutes every day of using the Wii Fit to get my heart rate up, but just went by how I felt - I didn't measure my heart rate. There are guides to perceived exertion level around. I gradually increased the time and the level of exertion I was comfortable with. Now I do at least an hour of Wii Zumba every day.

    Eventually I got a FitBit - which doesn't measure heart rate but does a darn good job of encouraging activity for me. (When it started dying this last week, I discovered that it drove me nuts to not have it. I have a replacement for it now and feel much happier.)

    I also ended up getting a Heart Rate Monitor. I like being able to keep tabs on my heart rate while I'm exercising so I can step it up a notch if it seems too low, or drop it down if it is higher than I want - but really my perceived exertion is usually not too far off. I still just let the FitBit estimate the calories I burn for use in MFP, however.
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    Thanks to anyone who can shed some light on this subject. :smile:

    Let the subject remain dark, as there's essentially nothing of use for you in it and can only serve to confuse you for no reason at all. Just go work out
  • geebusuk
    geebusuk Posts: 3,348 Member
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    Your maximum heart rate is YOUR maximum heart rate.

    I'd say the figures are only really useful when you understand how YOUR body works.

    If you can run at 140bpm for two hours, but only 30 minutes at 160 bpm you can use that as a good guide to decide on the intensity you are putting in and the sort of workout you will be completing.

    Figures taken as an average for the whole population I wouldn't take as being massively useful personally.
  • lhippen
    lhippen Posts: 16 Member
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    It can all be a bit confusing, but working out at 70% of Maximum Heart Rate (MHR) is not calculated based only on your MHR. You also need to know your minimum heart rate, or resting HR. I think about it this way: when you have been laying down, completely relaxed for several minutes your heart rate will not be zero--it will probably be somewhere between 50 and 70--but that is what you can think of as zero percent effort for exercise purposes. If you then stand up, walk over to the sofa, sit down and watch TV for several minutes, your HR will rise several beats per minute; which probably equates to about ten percent effort for exercise purposes even though you haven't really exercised at all.

    So, if your MHR is 177 and your resting HR is 60, a 70% effort will mean a heart rate of approximately 142. (((177 - 60) x 0.7) + 60) = 142.

    Remember too that the 220 minus your age formula is a general approximation. Your actual MHR could be much higher or somewhat lower than 177.

    I hope this helps.
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    I'd recommend not worrying about zones and just use perceived exertion for now. If it feels like your heart is about to beat out of your chest, you get dizzy, chest pains .... ease up. If you feel like you're not challenged ... step it up.
  • ksolksol
    ksolksol Posts: 194 Member
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    you get dizzy, chest pains .... ease up.

    If you get dizzy and have chest pains, I vote you stop and make an appointment with your doctor.
  • Stacy_of_Oregon
    Stacy_of_Oregon Posts: 28 Member
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    Thank you all for your fantastic input.

    I meet with a trainer Thursday and I will ask her if I should worry about the whole HR thing or if my perceived effort would suffice. Her concern the last time we met is that I'm on a medication that I take 3-4 times a day that has a side effect of lowering my heart rate, and that therefore I might not be getting the cardiac benefit of someone who meets their target range when they exercise. I guess it would have helped if I mentioned that in my original question.

    Essentially, I want to exercise with as little hindrance as possible, and I think stressing out over whether or not I'm in the target range would be an easy excuse for me to write off the whole exercise gig.

    Thanks again, everyone. You rock.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    I meet with a trainer Thursday and I will ask her if I should worry about the whole HR thing or if my perceived effort would suffice. Her concern the last time we met is that I'm on a medication that I take 3-4 times a day that has a side effect of lowering my heart rate, and that therefore I might not be getting the cardiac benefit of someone who meets their target range when they exercise. I guess it would have helped if I mentioned that in my original question..

    Unless you really want to spend some very painful time in a lab working out your actual maximum heart rate it's all pretty arbitrary. Zone training is pretty meaningless for most, particularly novies, so stick with rate of perceived exertion and learn to enjoy your activities rather than getting worked up about what range you're in.

    fwiw if you're on medication that reduces your HR then that skews everything anyway, so the whole thing becomes even less meaningful than it was already.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    you get dizzy, chest pains .... ease up.

    If you get dizzy and have chest pains, I vote you stop and make an appointment with your doctor.

    Perhaps a little excessive, unless it's sustained.
  • Stacy_of_Oregon
    Stacy_of_Oregon Posts: 28 Member
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    So I met with the trainer this past Thursday, who did the whole "take the number 220 and subtract your age" formula. Then multiple it by a percentage, say 50% and 85% and you get your target range.

    She said if you exercise above 85% of your target heart range, then you're actually burning muscle and not fat. She also doesn't recommend monitoring your HR during the entire workout, just glance at your HR every now and then (a lot of the cardio machines at the gym have HR monitors.)

    I don't realistically see myself exercising above 85% of my target heart rate, especially since I'm a novice. Also, I have some shoulder and back injuries, and as a result, I just can't amp up my exercise intensity like some folks can.

    I like the idea of going with the flow that many of you have suggested: If it feels too intense, back down.

    Thanks, again! :smile:
  • DavPul
    DavPul Posts: 61,406 Member
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    So I met with the trainer this past Thursday, who did the whole "take the number 220 and subtract your age" formula. Then multiple it by a percentage, say 50% and 85% and you get your target range.

    She said if you exercise above 85% of your target heart range, then you're actually burning muscle and not fat. She also doesn't recommend monitoring your HR during the entire workout, just glance at your HR every now and then (a lot of the cardio machines at the gym have HR monitors.)

    I don't realistically see myself exercising above 85% of my target heart rate, especially since I'm a novice. Also, I have some shoulder and back injuries, and as a result, I just can't amp up my exercise intensity like some folks can.

    I like the idea of going with the flow that many of you have suggested: If it feels too intense, back down.

    Thanks, again! :smile:

    *head explodes*

    NO NO NO NO NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooooooo

    do NOT try to use your heart rate as a way to make sure that you're burning fat and not glycogen/muscle. because that's NOT the way that weight loss and fat loss works. as i said before at the top of this thread, DON"T WORRY ABOUT ANY OF THIS HR BS. unless you're training for some intermediate and above endurance events, it's not something that concerns you right now.

    just go work out.



    *head explodes again*
  • SkepticalOwl
    SkepticalOwl Posts: 223 Member
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    you get dizzy, chest pains .... ease up.

    If you get dizzy and have chest pains, I vote you stop and make an appointment with your doctor.

    Perhaps a little excessive, unless it's sustained.

    Um, if you're a 55 year old guy with bad cholesterol and a family history of heart disease, you should go to the ER. If you're a 25 year old woman with no medical problems, you should just slow down. So it all kind of depends on context...
  • brianpperkins
    brianpperkins Posts: 6,124 Member
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    So I met with the trainer this past Thursday, who did the whole "take the number 220 and subtract your age" formula. Then multiple it by a percentage, say 50% and 85% and you get your target range.

    She said if you exercise above 85% of your target heart range, then you're actually burning muscle and not fat. She also doesn't recommend monitoring your HR during the entire workout, just glance at your HR every now and then (a lot of the cardio machines at the gym have HR monitors.)

    I don't realistically see myself exercising above 85% of my target heart rate, especially since I'm a novice. Also, I have some shoulder and back injuries, and as a result, I just can't amp up my exercise intensity like some folks can.

    I like the idea of going with the flow that many of you have suggested: If it feels too intense, back down.

    Thanks, again! :smile:

    Even if you do exercise above 85% of your THR, you won't magically burn muscle from it. The 220-age formula is general and inaccurate for many ... there are better ways to figure it if you are going to worry about HR training.

    Stick with perceived exertion and don't take this trainer too seriously when it comes to heart rate topics. She has a lot to learn.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
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    So I met with the trainer this past Thursday, who did the whole "take the number 220 and subtract your age" formula. Then multiple it by a percentage, say 50% and 85% and you get your target range.

    So I'd hope that she talked about just how much of a gross estimation that is... OR am I expecting too much?
    She said if you exercise above 85% of your target heart range, then you're actually burning muscle and not fat.

    And sure enough...

    I do hope you haven't actually paid for this advice, it's pretty clear that her knowledge of this area is weak, to say the least. My first thought was that it might be worth checking which brand of cereal she got her quals out of a box of, because she's dangerously ill informed.

    I'd move onto someone more knowledgeable to be honest.

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