HRM

j_g4ever
j_g4ever Posts: 1,925 Member
edited September 19 in Fitness and Exercise
Ok when I first got my HRM I had to do this test to see what my max. heart rate is. How often should I be doing this test?? Or should I have to do it again?? I always change my weight on my HRM but it just seems sometimes that Im reading a lot higher than a lot of other people on here.
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Replies

  • j_g4ever
    j_g4ever Posts: 1,925 Member
    Ok when I first got my HRM I had to do this test to see what my max. heart rate is. How often should I be doing this test?? Or should I have to do it again?? I always change my weight on my HRM but it just seems sometimes that Im reading a lot higher than a lot of other people on here.
  • j_g4ever
    j_g4ever Posts: 1,925 Member
    Ok so since I haven't gotten any response to my question do I take this as no one really knows. :grumble:
  • oregonlady
    oregonlady Posts: 2,743 Member
    i recently got a hrm too. and my max is usully much higher than the 150 "they" say. can u tell me about the test u learned of to find your max?
    i dont think u will ever need to retake your max test.

    :heart:
  • j_g4ever
    j_g4ever Posts: 1,925 Member
    I go over 150 all the time. So now what??
  • oregonlady
    oregonlady Posts: 2,743 Member
    i do too.
    i know i'm healthy.
    weird.

    what is your average max?

    mine is 170+!:noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway:

    i might see a doc. just to be safe.
    can u?
  • j_g4ever
    j_g4ever Posts: 1,925 Member
    I can get up to the upper 180's at times. I actually have a physical in about a week so Im going to ask her some questions.
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
    I just got one and it gave me a formula to plug my age and weight into to find mine. I came up with 186, which I would figure to be about right.

    Here's another question, how long does it take you to go back to your starting heart rate. I can get mine up to 70% and then stop and my heart rate drops back down to resting in less than a minute. Is that normal?
  • oregonlady
    oregonlady Posts: 2,743 Member
    I can get up to the upper 180's at times. I actually have a physical in about a week so Im going to ask her some questions.

    please share what your doc says.

    i talked to my doc. i am scheduled to be hooked up to a "professional" hrm for 24 hhrs on 1-27.
    the other day, my hr went from 180 to 100 in less than 4 min.
    i dunno if mine was super bad, but anna's sounds super good!
  • drewzaun
    drewzaun Posts: 111
    The generic formula to figure out your max HR is 220 minus your age. So a 30 year old would be 190, a 20 year old 200, etc. This is generic and if you see a doctor and they recommend something different go with that.

    Also with training you can raise your max HR, but you really have to work at it, most people do not train that high to begin with, it hurts.

    150 sounds more like lactate threshold, or the rate at which your body begins to go anaerobic and ceases to be able to keep up with the amount of lactic acid you are burning. If you want to be a runner or cyclist this is a number you need to improve, 150 is kind of low. You improve this by training just above this level for short periods of time. Of course if you are just training for fat burning and have no desire to participate in any sort of athletics than this is just fine...
  • drewzaun
    drewzaun Posts: 111
    I just got one and it gave me a formula to plug my age and weight into to find mine. I came up with 186, which I would figure to be about right.

    Here's another question, how long does it take you to go back to your starting heart rate. I can get mine up to 70% and then stop and my heart rate drops back down to resting in less than a minute. Is that normal?

    That is not bad. Another test is how long does it take for your heart to respond to increased activity? As you raise or lower your exercise level, your body needs more or less O2, and it responds by increasing or decreasing your HR. You want your heart to jump up quickly, and then if you do not work out for any length of time fall off quickly as well. How fast this happens is an indication of cardio vascular fitness. Just be aware that your HR will not come down so fast if you work out for any length of time, as your body needs more O2 to recover and also has a lot of lactic acid to flush out, keeping your HR higher than normal, 20 to 30 BPM sometimes, and can be higher than resting for up to an hour or two depending how long and how hard you worked.

    Something to mention about HR though, it is inconsistent overall. Your resting HR and subsequent RPE, or rate of perceived exertion can be affected by a number of things...

    Caffeine will raise your HR and may lower you RPE. It is actually a legal performance enhancing drug, one of the few that really works for endurance athletes.

    If you are over training and not getting enough rest your resting HR will be high

    If you are coming down with an illness or cold, your HR will be high,

    Stress will do it as well.

    It may also be affected around ovulation? I have heard that but as a guy...:noway:

    All those things may also influence your cardiac response to training as well. Something to consider if your heart slows down in its response to exercise...
  • oregonlady
    oregonlady Posts: 2,743 Member
    i thought i was healthier than a horse
    i've almost lost 100lb too!:smile::smile: :smile:
    but i worry that something is suddenly gunna happen cause my heart often goes to 180 and beyond!
    and i'm 44.
  • drewzaun
    drewzaun Posts: 111
    i thought i was healthier than a horse
    i've almost lost 100lb too!:smile::smile: :smile:
    but i worry that something is suddenly gunna happen cause my heart often goes to 180 and beyond!
    and i'm 44.

    Do you feel dizzy, weak, or get blurry vision when your HR goes that high? Does your HR drop quickly when you stop or slow down? Does it increase quickly when you speed up?

    Your generic max is 176. 180 is only 4 BPM over the max for the average 44 year old. Keep in mind that people are way less active than ever, so chances are you are more athletic than "average", and so your personal max may be quite a bit higher.

    However it may not be a bad idea to get a complete physical, including a cardiac stress test since genetics and diet play a role in heart disease as well as inactivity. Just because you are obviously active does not mean you do not have other risk factors.

    It is probably a good idea for a complete physical every couple years past 40, and maybe every year past 50 or so.

    Just my opinion...
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    My HRM says my max heart rate is 170 (which means my target zone not my max heart rate before my heart explodes)- There are plenty of times while I am working out that I go over 170 depending on how hard I am pushing
  • MissResa
    MissResa Posts: 1,147 Member
    What brands do you all have? I'm currently checking out the Polar F6, and although I really, really want to get it, I'm not completely sold on the chest strap... Do you think they're more accurate that just the wrist models?
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    What brands do you all have? I'm currently checking out the Polar F6, and although I really, really want to get it, I'm not completely sold on the chest strap... Do you think they're more accurate that just the wrist models?

    I got the Polar F4 and I love it the chest strap isn't bad at all I put it right under my bra. Your not going to get an accurate reading just by having something track your heart rate on your wrist.
  • MissResa
    MissResa Posts: 1,147 Member
    That's what I've been told by a few people so far... But I HATE having things rub against my skin, mainly because I have very, very sensitive skin. What's the strap made out of, and is it comfortable?
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    That's what I've been told by a few people so far... But I HATE having things rub against my skin, mainly because I have very, very sensitive skin. What's the strap made out of, and is it comfortable?

    Its doesn't rub or move. Its adjustable and needs to be snug. the actual monitor is made of some sort of rubber. I forget that its there honestly.
  • oregonlady
    oregonlady Posts: 2,743 Member
    i have a polar f4
  • oregonlady
    oregonlady Posts: 2,743 Member
    i thought i was healthier than a horse
    i've almost lost 100lb too!:smile::smile: :smile:
    but i worry that something is suddenly gunna happen cause my heart often goes to 180 and beyond!
    and i'm 44.

    Do you feel dizzy, weak, or get blurry vision when your HR goes that high? Does your HR drop quickly when you stop or slow down? Does it increase quickly when you speed up?

    Your generic max is 176. 180 is only 4 BPM over the max for the average 44 year old. Keep in mind that people are way less active than ever, so chances are you are more athletic than "average", and so your personal max may be quite a bit higher.

    However it may not be a bad idea to get a complete physical, including a cardiac stress test since genetics and diet play a role in heart disease as well as inactivity. Just because you are obviously active does not mean you do not have other risk factors.

    It is probably a good idea for a complete physical every couple years past 40, and maybe every year past 50 or so.

    Just my opinion...

    i am feeling fine when this happens!
    i can even talk during a 180!
    :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway: :noway:
    my hr went from 180-130 in less than a min.
    180-100 in less than 4 min.

    i'm haveing my heart checked 1-27 w/ the cardiac doc.

    :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue:
  • MissResa
    MissResa Posts: 1,147 Member
    That's what I've been told by a few people so far... But I HATE having things rub against my skin, mainly because I have very, very sensitive skin. What's the strap made out of, and is it comfortable?

    Its doesn't rub or move. Its adjustable and needs to be snug. the actual monitor is made of some sort of rubber. I forget that its there honestly.

    If it doesn't move around, then I'm sold on it!!! Do you do any sports or kickboxing with it on? I play volleyball 4-5 hours a week, and I'm doing P90X, so I'm moving around a lot-I'm kinda wondering if it stays put if you're doing weight lifting or something more stationary(like bike or elliptical)
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    That's what I've been told by a few people so far... But I HATE having things rub against my skin, mainly because I have very, very sensitive skin. What's the strap made out of, and is it comfortable?

    Its doesn't rub or move. Its adjustable and needs to be snug. the actual monitor is made of some sort of rubber. I forget that its there honestly.

    If it doesn't move around, then I'm sold on it!!! Do you do any sports or kickboxing with it on? I play volleyball 4-5 hours a week, and I'm doing P90X, so I'm moving around a lot-I'm kinda wondering if it stays put if you're doing weight lifting or something more stationary(like bike or elliptical)

    I play racquet ball,volleyball, and basketball with it and it doesn't budge, I also do my regular cardio = weight training all while its on. Dont even notice its there. You get your reading on the watch- I love mine its great
  • MissResa
    MissResa Posts: 1,147 Member
    Thank you so much for answering my questions... I've really been dragging my heels on buying one because I hate not being able to try things out-or on-before buying them. And it makes me feel better knowing you do the same sports as me-now I know for sure it won't bug me when I wear it. The strap looks pretty small-can you tell that you're wearing it under your clothes? Racquetball is something that I want to get better at-one of my goals is to kick my husbands butt(yeah, right!!!).:laugh:
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    Thank you so much for answering my questions... I've really been dragging my heels on buying one because I hate not being able to try things out-or on-before buying them. And it makes me feel better knowing you do the same sports as me-now I know for sure it won't bug me when I wear it. The strap looks pretty small-can you tell that you're wearing it under your clothes? Racquetball is something that I want to get better at-one of my goals is to kick my husbands butt(yeah, right!!!).:laugh:

    I don't notice it under my clothes I got big boobs so my shirt doesn't touch underneath my bra any way lol. I dont even know how to play racquet ball me and my husband just run around like nut jobs hitting the ball- its a good calorie burning workout though-
  • MissResa
    MissResa Posts: 1,147 Member
    You sound just like me!!! He's the healthy, don't even break into a sweat military type, and I'm the uncoordinated nerd that gets hit by the ball-or the racquet... He's even played in tournaments, so I pretty much gave up on trying to keep up with him. I'm waaaay better than him at volleyball, though-I play on a men's height net on coed teams... He looks like a bit of a dork when things start to go fast... It's funny how you can be very coordinated doing one thing, but completely off your rocker trying something else...
  • mrsyac2
    mrsyac2 Posts: 2,784 Member
    You sound just like me!!! He's the healthy, don't even break into a sweat military type, and I'm the uncoordinated nerd that gets hit by the ball-or the racquet... He's even played in tournaments, so I pretty much gave up on trying to keep up with him. I'm waaaay better than him at volleyball, though-I play on a men's height net on coed teams... He looks like a bit of a dork when things start to go fast... It's funny how you can be very coordinated doing one thing, but completely off your rocker trying something else...

    we just do it for fun- we don't even know the rules of the game. Oh when my guy goes to the gym with me he sweats thats for sure- There isn't any shammin goin on lol. its serious
  • MissResa
    MissResa Posts: 1,147 Member
    Well, you look awesome, and I appreciate all the recent posts that you have put up... This is my second time having to lose a bunch of weight-the first time after being pregnant I lost 90 pounds... Was in the best shape of my life. I kick myself in the butt for gaining it all back, but this site makes things so much easier than doing it alone like before. All the help from other people motivates!!!
  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,114 Member
    I'm confused now...

    My HRM shows between 117 and 153 for my zone... I'm assuming 153 is the highest I should go... HELP!
  • oregonlady
    oregonlady Posts: 2,743 Member
    mine goes way higher.
    i can talk/walk at 180!

    i've having doc check it out next week.
  • spicy618
    spicy618 Posts: 2,114 Member
    mine goes way higher.
    i can talk/walk at 180!

    i've having doc check it out next week.

    Thanks oregonlady....

    I can also at 180. However, I thought the whole purpose of knowing your Target Heart Rate was to keep you at the most efficient fat-burning level for your body. I heard that if you are over your Target zone, that your body will be in losing muscle... I'm not explaining it with the correct terms but you can understand what I mean.

    Am I correct?
  • Anna_Banana
    Anna_Banana Posts: 2,939 Member
    Spicy, there are two zones. One from 50% to 70% of your max (depending on who you ask). This is where you will burn the most fat and get aerobic benifits. After that it is anaerobic. You should try to work both into your work outs for maximum benefit. I will go at 60 to 70% for 2 or 3 minutes, then go up to 85% for 1 minute.

    Anaerobic

    The term "anaerobic" means "without air" or "without oxygen." Anaerobic exercise uses muscles at high intensity and a high rate of work for a short period of time. Anaerobic exercise helps us increase our muscle strength and stay ready for quick bursts of speed. Think of short and fast when you think of anaerobic exercise

    Examples of anaerobic exercise include heavy weight lifting, sprinting, or any rapid burst of hard exercise. These anaerobic exercises cannot last long because oxygen is not used for energy and a by-product, called lactic acid, is produced.

    Lactic Acid contributes to muscle fatigue and must be burned up by the body during a recovery period before another anaerobic bout of exercise can be attempted. The recovery period also allows the muscles to use oxygen to replenish the energy used during the high intensity exercise.

    Aerobic exercise, on the other hand, includes lower intensity activities performed for longer periods of time. Activities like walking, jogging, swimming, and cycling require a great deal of oxygen to make the energy needed for prolonged exercise.

    Both aerobic and anaerobic exercises are needed for the development of physical fitness. Check with your healthcare provider before you start an exercise program. Choose activities that you enjoy, and that are readily accessible.
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