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Self-imposed HR limits?

JthanmyfitnesspalJthanmyfitnesspal Posts: 1,772Member, Premium Member Posts: 1,772Member, Premium Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Does anyone consciously limit their HR during workouts? Am I the only one that thinks about it?
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  • PhirrgusPhirrgus Posts: 1,623Member Member Posts: 1,623Member Member
    I don't personally, but if someone had reason to be concerned that would be perfectly understandable I think...
  • AnnPT77AnnPT77 Posts: 11,176Member Member Posts: 11,176Member Member
    Not often, but I've done it when using a training plan that included HR range targets, or more loosely when doing light recreational exercise on a rest day.
  • BrianSharpeBrianSharpe Posts: 8,693Member Member Posts: 8,693Member Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    Does anyone consciously limit their HR during workouts? Am I the only one that thinks about it?

    Not really, I work mostly on perceived effort and have noted that my HR will fluctuate based on factors like fatigue, hydration, temperature etc,
  • spiriteagle99spiriteagle99 Posts: 2,247Member Member Posts: 2,247Member Member
    There are training methods that use low HR to improve performance, like Maffetone's. I have friends who have had success with that. I don't use it. My HR is somewhat erratic and usually quite high. I live in a hilly area so every time I go up a hill my HR rises and stays up. The numbers that Maffetone uses as training goals are only possible for me at a walk, not a run, so not helpful.
  • pyrusangelespyrusangeles Posts: 233Member Member Posts: 233Member Member
    Yes- I have been doing HR zone training since October-ish, and it has improved my distance running quite a bit. It used to be annoying because it would make me consciously slow down during zone 1 and 2 runs to the point where I was fast walking and feel like I'm not doing enough, but the benefits have made me a believer. My heart rate has dropped by about 10 BPM at the same speeds. It's especially noticeable when I'm warming up- my HR used to jump up to zone 2/3 really fast, but now I can easily jog in in zone 1. Unless I hit a hill of course.

    I have had my HR zones professionally tested btw.
    edited February 9
  • tsazanitsazani Posts: 593Member Member Posts: 593Member Member
    Yes. I love exercise ZONES. 30 min per day 7 days per week. 2 days of Resistance (ave YELLOW zone). 2 days of Cardio (ave GREEN zone) and 3 days of Hatha Yoga (ave BLUE zone).

    My mistake was using the 220-age MaxHR which is 12 beats below my real MHR. I'm now using the correct zones.
  • Johnd2000Johnd2000 Posts: 195Member Member Posts: 195Member Member
    I use a Fitbit and generally keep an eye on my HR while exercising. I tend to back off the intensity a bit when I hit 170 or more. I’ve no real reason/justification for this, but it feels right. I’m 55.
  • pierinifitnesspierinifitness Posts: 2,093Member, Premium Member Posts: 2,093Member, Premium Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    Does anyone consciously limit their HR during workouts? Am I the only one that thinks about it?

    MY experience is that my body and mind will not let my HR go where it doesn't want it to be. I'm aware, however, that elite athletes can work through this safety net. I'm not one of them.

    Now, with regard to your question, one way that I've controlled my HR during a workout is by using a HR monitor and taking a zig-zag workout approach. Set the HR monitor for lower and upper bpm amounts and work within that range. When the high end beeps, stop and walk and when the low end beeps, resume running, or whatever the activity happens to be.

    Most of the time, I don't train this way and seem to "operate" in the 85% to 94% of my MHR during the workouts I'm presently doing.

  • NorthCascadesNorthCascades Posts: 8,761Member Member Posts: 8,761Member Member
    Sometimes I have my Garmin yell at me when my HR goes over a certain point. That's when I need to keep some gas in the tank, but might get carried away and be a little too spirited.

    But most of the time, no.
  • Noreenmarie1234Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 4,203Member Member Posts: 4,203Member Member
    No, but I wish I had to worry about my HR getting to high. I don't think I work hard enough to have to worry about it though. The highest I can ever seem to get mine is 155-165, and that is when I am all out sprinting as fast as I can. I don't think I am fit enough to get mine very high because I can't sustain sprinting all out for more than 10 minutes, lol.
  • tsazanitsazani Posts: 593Member Member Posts: 593Member Member
    Anyone who can all out sprint for 10 min would hold the world record for the 5K race.
    edited February 10
  • awinner_auawinner_au Posts: 232Member Member Posts: 232Member Member
    Not any more, I used to use hr zones but I now have a power meter on the bike so the hr does what it wants.
  • Noreenmarie1234Noreenmarie1234 Posts: 4,203Member Member Posts: 4,203Member Member
    tsazani wrote: »
    Anyone who can all out sprint for 10 min would hold the world record for the 5K race.

    Not if your sprint isn't that fast. I can't even do more than 1.5 in that time
  • firef1y72firef1y72 Posts: 1,282Member Member Posts: 1,282Member Member
    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    No, but I wish I had to worry about my HR getting to high. I don't think I work hard enough to have to worry about it though. The highest I can ever seem to get mine is 155-165, and that is when I am all out sprinting as fast as I can. I don't think I am fit enough to get mine very high because I can't sustain sprinting all out for more than 10 minutes, lol.

    I struggle to get mine above 150-160, not because I'm not fit but because I'm too fit and have to push extremely hard to get my hr anywhere near the max. Even sprinting I don,t go above 160
  • mjbnj0001mjbnj0001 Posts: 623Member Member Posts: 623Member Member
    Yes. I have AFIB. I use a zone approach with a max rate threshhold. Male, over 60, overweight. Coming out of a sedentary IT career into an active retirement (bike, swim, hike, walk, gym), my basic cardio has been steadily improving, but I keep the lid on HR.
  • noblsheepnoblsheep Posts: 319Member Member Posts: 319Member Member
    NorthCascades wrote: »
    Sometimes I have my Garmin yell at me when my HR goes over a certain point. That's when I need to keep some gas in the tank, but might get carried away and be a little too spirited.

    But most of the time, no.

    Same here. Garmin beeps when I go over 180. Hasn't happened in a while.

    I have friends who swear by training at MAF180. I tried and found it drained the fun from running. :|
  • NorthCascadesNorthCascades Posts: 8,761Member Member Posts: 8,761Member Member
    firef1y72 wrote: »
    Noreenmarie1234 wrote: »
    No, but I wish I had to worry about my HR getting to high. I don't think I work hard enough to have to worry about it though. The highest I can ever seem to get mine is 155-165, and that is when I am all out sprinting as fast as I can. I don't think I am fit enough to get mine very high because I can't sustain sprinting all out for more than 10 minutes, lol.

    I struggle to get mine above 150-160, not because I'm not fit but because I'm too fit and have to push extremely hard to get my hr anywhere near the max. Even sprinting I don,t go above 160

    Try Nordic skiing. The fittest people on Earth are all competitive Nordic skiers.
  • kodiakkekodiakke Posts: 379Member Member Posts: 379Member Member
    Garmin has some training plans that are based on HR, so you work out in a specific zone. As others with Garmins have pointed out, it beeps at the lower and upper limits.

    Mine yells at me when my HR goes up... that's actually what started me on my fitness journey, after it happened three times in a week.
  • MeanderingMammalMeanderingMammal Posts: 7,844Member Member Posts: 7,844Member Member
    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    Does anyone consciously limit their HR during workouts? Am I the only one that thinks about it?

    Not particularly. For a long steady run in conscious of maintaining below about 150bpm. If I start getting significantly above that I'll gas out after an hour. It's about recognising how physiology adapts and serves as an indicator of performance rather than anything else.

    If I'm doing sprint training I don't have bandwidth to look, I'll check after the fact to see that responses and rates of recovery were as expected.
  • MikePfirrmanMikePfirrman Posts: 817Member Member Posts: 817Member Member
    I do a niche sport of Indoor Rowing. My training club is arguably one of the strongest (indoor clubs) in the world. I'm more like a club mascot than a serious competitor, but it does allow me to see the training plans and workouts of some really incredible athletes, many Masters World Record holders (indoor and OTW both).

    I know a lot of them have hit plateaus and then used Maffetone's plan or similar and have worked in rate restricted along with HR restricted rows. I haven't done it but I've personally witnessed people set new personal bests many times by implementing a plan with HR restrictions.

    Like I said, I'm not really a world class athlete by any means, so I've stuck more with feel and implemented some of the same things into my plans. I'm pretty sure Matt Fitzgerald has said for a long time use feel rather than HR. The problem with "feel" versus HR is we have days where you're supposed be doing long, slow monotonous work and then your favorite song comes on and the plan goes to hell. Doesn't take much either to defeat the purpose of those days. I'd say a lot depends on your self discipline to work mind numbingly boring days like they should be done.
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