MHR

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Akaratel
Akaratel Posts: 137 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Ok, I have always been pretty active and today is the first time in my life, I have ever really paid attention to my heart rate during elliptical exercise. I do 30 minutes at a fairly decent pace burning average of 345 calories. Well I wanted to know what was a good heart rate for me to workout at so I did some research. MyTarget heart rate shows 160.65 at the 85% of MHR. I seem to stay at a heart rate of about 171. Unless I am not calculating this right. I have never had heart or blood pressure problems, is this bad to exercise over 85% of the MHR? Should I slow down to the 160 or less? I don't feel strained and I just like to get a good workout....Thanks for your help.

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  • Natalie0506
    Natalie0506 Posts: 163
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    I think that as long as you're healthy, the harder you work out, the higher your heart rate is going to be. When I'm doing intervals, mine can get up into the 99% range, then I go back down. I'm usually around 177 or 85% when I'm working out.
  • Akaratel
    Akaratel Posts: 137 Member
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    I think that as long as you're healthy, the harder you work out, the higher your heart rate is going to be. When I'm doing intervals, mine can get up into the 99% range, then I go back down. I'm usually around 177 or 85% when I'm working out.

    Even though some things say you should stay betwee 50-85%?
  • 3kidsin3years
    3kidsin3years Posts: 116 Member
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    I've been looking at this a bit, too, so will be curious to see the answers, thanks for posting!
  • Akaratel
    Akaratel Posts: 137 Member
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    Ok, I have always been pretty active and today is the first time in my life, I have ever really paid attention to my heart rate during elliptical exercise. I do 30 minutes at a fairly decent pace burning average of 345 calories. Well I wanted to know what was a good heart rate for me to workout at so I did some research. MyTarget heart rate shows 160.65 at the 85% of MHR. I seem to stay at a heart rate of about 171. Unless I am not calculating this right. I have never had heart or blood pressure problems, is this bad to exercise over 85% of the MHR? Should I slow down to the 160 or less? I don't feel strained and I just like to get a good workout....Thanks for your help.


    bump
  • pftjill
    pftjill Posts: 488
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    If you are working over 85% you are working in your anaerobic zone and you usually cannot last as long in this zone. Your body also relies more on carbs at this point. However you do still burn more fat than you would at a lower percentage, unless you are at 100% your max, but even then you wouldn't last very long at all at that rate. You are fine going over 85%.
  • Akaratel
    Akaratel Posts: 137 Member
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    If you are working over 85% you are working in your anaerobic zone and you usually cannot last as long in this zone. Your body also relies more on carbs at this point. However you do still burn more fat than you would at a lower percentage, unless you are at 100% your max, but even then you wouldn't last very long at all at that rate. You are fine going over 85%.

    Ok thank you! I wasn't sure what the "target rate" was actually for, i didn't want to kill myself lol
  • SHBoss1673
    SHBoss1673 Posts: 7,161 Member
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    you have to remember, those formulas are just estimates. They aren't your true HR MAX. To know that you'd have to go to a lab and have it tested. It's quite possible your actual HR Max is 10% higher than the estimate. It makes sense if you think about it. As all but the most elite athletes can maintain a heart rate in the 90's of percent for more than a few minutes. It's more likely that your actual HR Max is something higher than the estimates for what ever reason (genetic lottery, life conditions...etc.). Please note, there's nothing wrong with this situation, it's perfectly fine, it's just outside the realm of averages.
  • JoyousRen
    JoyousRen Posts: 3,823 Member
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    Here is a great article about it:
    http://www.sportsdoctor.com/articles/heart_rate.html
  • Akaratel
    Akaratel Posts: 137 Member
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    you have to remember, those formulas are just estimates. They aren't your true HR MAX. To know that you'd have to go to a lab and have it tested. It's quite possible your actual HR Max is 10% higher than the estimate. It makes sense if you think about it. As all but the most elite athletes can maintain a heart rate in the 90's of percent for more than a few minutes. It's more likely that your actual HR Max is something higher than the estimates for what ever reason (genetic lottery, life conditions...etc.). Please note, there's nothing wrong with this situation, it's perfectly fine, it's just outside the realm of averages.

    thanks again for all the answers, was just a bit confusing, never really paid attention. Figured as long as my BP is always perfect at the dr's that it is ok lol.
  • coahdan
    coahdan Posts: 19
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    I monitor HR with my clients, but really only for point of reference for them. We do almost all interval training, both cardio & strength intervals, and our goal is 100% effort during work and 50% effort during recovery. This doesn't relate to HR as 100% effort may get them up to 85, 90, or 95% of their estimated HR max and during their 50% effort recovery phase they may only come back down to 70 or 75% of est. HR max. The benefit of the HR monitor is to show them how their HR recovers faster as they get into better shape.

    In fact, I've had a few clients as well as myself go above 100% of our estimated HR max. Not often and it wasn't very fun, but we were really pushing ourselves on those days.

    So, as much as I love my HR monitor I'm not a fan of working to a specific % of HR. Instead we work at %'s of intensity and simply track what our HR does at those intensity levels.

    Does that make sense? Sometimes it's clear in my head and a big confusing mess when I type it out ;-)

    Rock On!
    Dan
  • Akaratel
    Akaratel Posts: 137 Member
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    I monitor HR with my clients, but really only for point of reference for them. We do almost all interval training, both cardio & strength intervals, and our goal is 100% effort during work and 50% effort during recovery. This doesn't relate to HR as 100% effort may get them up to 85, 90, or 95% of their estimated HR max and during their 50% effort recovery phase they may only come back down to 70 or 75% of est. HR max. The benefit of the HR monitor is to show them how their HR recovers faster as they get into better shape.

    In fact, I've had a few clients as well as myself go above 100% of our estimated HR max. Not often and it wasn't very fun, but we were really pushing ourselves on those days.

    So, as much as I love my HR monitor I'm not a fan of working to a specific % of HR. Instead we work at %'s of intensity and simply track what our HR does at those intensity levels.

    Does that make sense? Sometimes it's clear in my head and a big confusing mess when I type it out ;-)

    Rock On!
    Dan

    Ok, I think I understand. I am not a fan of really watching the HR either, I just like to push myself and sweat to get the most out of my daily 1/2 hour. Just wanted to make sure I wasn't damaging my heart or anything... Since I am 31 and this is the first time i ever paid attention to it lol.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    you have to remember, those formulas are just estimates. They aren't your true HR MAX. To know that you'd have to go to a lab and have it tested. It's quite possible your actual HR Max is 10% higher than the estimate. It makes sense if you think about it. As all but the most elite athletes can maintain a heart rate in the 90's of percent for more than a few minutes. It's more likely that your actual HR Max is something higher than the estimates for what ever reason (genetic lottery, life conditions...etc.). Please note, there's nothing wrong with this situation, it's perfectly fine, it's just outside the realm of averages.

    yup, what he said. Every time I hit the treadmill I am in the high 80% to mid 90% the whole time, sometimes going OVER 100%....all this tells me is that my Max HR is different than what the monitor thinks it is, because there is no way I am running at 102% of Max without collapsing....
  • pftjill
    pftjill Posts: 488
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    Sorry, but commenting on the guy who said people go over 100%. That is not at all possible. If you have then you don't know your true HRM. You HRM is the one thing that never changes. It is always a constant. While you can change your RHR and your-crap I am too tire to think about it. However, your HRM never changes it is always the same-not saying yours is the same as mine, but yours itself is constant. I just wanted to get the correct info out there--you cannot go over your HRM-if you know your true HRM.
  • robin52077
    robin52077 Posts: 4,383 Member
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    In fact, I've had a few clients as well as myself go above 100% of our estimated HR max.

    Notice he said ESTIMATED HR Max. Yes, obviously your MAX refers to the MAXIMUM bpm your heart can handle before failure, anything over 100% should have someone lying on the ground gasping for air and clutching your chest. I, however, DO see 102% on my HRM (Heart Rate MONITOR) when I sprint, therefore telling me that my HRM has computed my MHR (MAXIMUM Heart Rate) incorrectly, and that is the point of this ENTIRE thread, to show the OP that she doesn't need to take stock in the "zones" and not to worry if she is above zone as long as she is breathing comfortably, because they are only rough estimates...

    (and you should replace HRM with MHR in your post each time it occurs because you just said you can't be above a heart rate monitor and heart rate monitors never change and are constant. You meant Max Heart Rate.
  • darrenham
    darrenham Posts: 110 Member
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    I think that as long as you're healthy, the harder you work out, the higher your heart rate is going to be. When I'm doing intervals, mine can get up into the 99% range, then I go back down. I'm usually around 177 or 85% when I'm working out.

    Even though some things say you should stay betwee 50-85%?

    Anything that says that is wrong. Ignore it. The harder you work, the more calories burn.

    As long as you're healthy enough to do it and you feel no pain, work as hard as you can.
  • Akaratel
    Akaratel Posts: 137 Member
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    Thanks again everyone, I do not have a monitor, i dont really keep track. The elliptical i use at the gym has the metal things you can put your hands on and it tells you, just saying i am always at 90% or higher... I get that it is ok though. I am comfortable when i work out.

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