Heart Rate Zone, Polar FT4

nikki722
nikki722 Posts: 11 Member
edited September 2024 in Fitness and Exercise
I have the Polar FT4 heart rate monitor and have a couple of questions about the heart rate zone. I'm 5'1" and 115-117 lbs (enter 117 in when setting it up). It has my heart rate zone between 120-160, is that based off my weight/height? Is it bad to not stay in that zone? Today i went for a 40 min run and was only in that zone for 10 minutes. My average heart rate was 169 and max got up to 191. Just curious if it's bad to be that high out of the zone or if that zone is even where i should be? Thanks!

Replies

  • skinnyinnotime
    skinnyinnotime Posts: 4,078 Member
    When you go above your zone it means you're burning calories at a faster rate.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    Just ignore the zones, the harder you work the more calories you burn the more fit you become. Zones are a crock of S&%t, just go for it.
  • TomAJeffs
    TomAJeffs Posts: 22 Member
    There are two things I pay attention to. One, is the maximum heart rate on certain parts of my ride. When I started it was about 178bpm cycling up one particularly steep hill. Now, about two months later, it's about 165bpm. The second is your recovery rate (the speed at which your heart goes from full blast to rest). A heart that takes a long time to slow down isn't in the best of health.

    And yes, it is better to keep your heart rate lower, that way you'll burn more fat than you would if it was much higher.
  • T0M0
    T0M0 Posts: 250 Member
    I use a polar FT4 and my zone is exactly the same as yours yet i'm male 5'9 and weigh 158llbs. I don't really pay any attention to zones but i am under the impression that remaining in that zone will be my optimum fat burning heart rate. Not sure how true that is.
  • erickirb
    erickirb Posts: 12,294 Member
    And yes, it is better to keep your heart rate lower, that way you'll burn more fat than you would if it was much higher.

    This is not true, you will burn a higher % of calories from fat, but over the same period of time you will actual burn less calories from fat unless you workout longer at the lower HR level.

    As an example say you are in the zone and in 30 minutes you burn 250 calories at the lower zone with 60% calories from fat, that would give you 150 calories from fat, now say you workout at the higher HR and burn 360 calories in 30 minutes with 45% cals from fat, that would give you a burn of 162 calories from fat. So although the lower HR has more cals from fat, you actually burn more fat, and calories and improve fitness at the higher HR. This is the problem with zone training, just workout as hard as is comfortable for you and reap the benefits.
  • 512cheangela
    512cheangela Posts: 133
    This is a good article to describe everything - http://www.brianmac.co.uk/hrm1.htm - but quite frankly if nothing hurts, you're not feeling dizzy, and you're still moving just keep tracking your progress. Everyone tries to come up with cookie cutter advice for people and quite frankly it's a bunch of worrying for nothing. It is important to know your maximum heart rate (220-your age=maximum heart rate) because it's a good way to gauge if you're pushing too hard on your runs.
  • TomAJeffs
    TomAJeffs Posts: 22 Member
    And yes, it is better to keep your heart rate lower, that way you'll burn more fat than you would if it was much higher.

    This is not true, you will burn a higher % of calories from fat, but over the same period of time you will actual burn less calories from fat unless you workout longer at the lower HR level.

    As an example say you are in the zone and in 30 minutes you burn 250 calories at the lower zone with 60% calories from fat, that would give you 150 calories from fat, now say you workout at the higher HR and burn 360 calories in 30 minutes with 45% cals from fat, that would give you a burn of 162 calories from fat. So although the lower HR has more cals from fat, you actually burn more fat, and calories and improve fitness at the higher HR. This is the problem with zone training, just workout as hard as is comfortable for you and reap the benefits.

    A fair point well made, but when I'm cycling I pace myself so I can travel a certain distance. The slower I ride, the more calories I burn from fat, but more importantly, the further I can travel. Right now I'm doing 30-40 mile rides, with the odd 50-miler mixed in. If I were to work harder there's no way I could manage that distance, and time.
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