Your Heart Rate is Too Fast---Slow Down Now

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bethelcheryl
bethelcheryl Posts: 199 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
The title of my post is the warning the elliptical machine at the gym gives me when I bother to check. I generally hold the handles so my fingers aren't touching the sensors so I don't have a heart rate measure. But sometimes I'm curious, so this afternoon I tested it a few times during my 30 minute workout. My heart rate was 145-147 during the middle of my workout. After cooling down for one minute, it was 121.

Am I overexerting myself? I thought the whole idea was to work hard, sweat a lot and burn off some calories.
I feel good after my workouts. I don't want to slow down. According to that machine I burned off 251 calories. According to MFP, I burned more, but I go by the machine. Do they set the machine to give warning like that on the off chance I will have a heart attack and sue the gym or the elliptical company? Do all the machines do that?
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Replies

  • Azdak
    Azdak Posts: 8,281 Member
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    It's hard to imagine why they would feel compelled to give so strong a message unless you were doing some type of 'fat burn" program or it somehow thought you were working at 100+% of your estimated max heart rate.

    This is not typical of major equipment brands -- what brand and model is this elliptical?

    PS: ignore the message--you are fine.
  • chasity09
    chasity09 Posts: 18
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    i sum times think the same thing when iam just sitting around my heart rate is like 55-65 but when i work out like today it was 165. humm now iam off to do some research!!
  • kathleen2001
    kathleen2001 Posts: 154
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    Bump for later!
  • TheNewDoug
    TheNewDoug Posts: 56
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    Shouldn't be even close to 90% of your max hr if you entered everything in there and are really 41. You may have selected a fat burning mode which wants you to keep your hr in a certain "zone". There is a theory that you burn more fat at a slower speed. I don't know the specifics though. Also, many of those reading units are gyms are broke or not accurate,.
  • kaizen31
    kaizen31 Posts: 74 Member
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    Sounds like a normal exercise rate to me! Use an online calculator to find the max heart rate for your age/gender/etc. If you had a history of cardiac issues or you were feeling chest pain/arm pain/extreme fatigue, then I would be more concerned.
  • HartJames
    HartJames Posts: 789 Member
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    I agree, it was set to the wrong mode. I am supposed to get to 150-160
  • minkakross
    minkakross Posts: 687 Member
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    talk to your doctor, I have a naturally high heart rate and my fitness trainer was freaking out when she took my pulse during warm up and nearly had a heart attack of her own while I was in full work out mode. I tried to reassure her that I have had a cardiac stress test and while it was noted I have a naturally high heart rate at rest or while exerting myself I'm not in any danger of falling over dead. The machines don't account for individual variability they just have a number they try to make all their users fit within, unless you feel like you're straining I would worry but if you have faintness, trouble breathing, chest pain or can feel skipped beats or other heart abnormalities I would ask my primary care doctor for a check up and maybe a referral just to make sure you're not putting yourself at risk.
  • LovesGG
    LovesGG Posts: 241 Member
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    If it's one of those machines that ask you for your age and weight, they're just warning you based on your "maximum predicted heart rate."
  • djthom
    djthom Posts: 651 Member
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    I'm 51 and use the elliptical all the time. My heart rate while working out is usually between 125-150. I've even gone up to 160 without any problem. If you feel okay I wouldn't worry about it. If on the other hand you get dizzy, lightheaded or experience any pain, STOP!
  • bethelcheryl
    bethelcheryl Posts: 199 Member
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    I just checked my resting pulse and it's 76.
  • bethelcheryl
    bethelcheryl Posts: 199 Member
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    Shouldn't be even close to 90% of your max hr if you entered everything in there and are really 41. You may have selected a fat burning mode which wants you to keep your hr in a certain "zone". There is a theory that you burn more fat at a slower speed. I don't know the specifics though. Also, many of those reading units are gyms are broke or not accurate,.

    Aha! I do set it to the "fat burn" mode. When I first started at that gym, I just selected the program that sounded the best to me. Obviously didn't put much thought into it. I don't think the machine is broken. The gym is relatively new.

    Thanks for the info :)
  • DataBased
    DataBased Posts: 513 Member
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    Please understand that I am learning, too, but I had this same question and I read the following information that I think is helpful. I hope you do, too.

    Regarding Work-Out Intensity... where should you be?

    Zone 1:
    The Healthy Heart Zone where you exercise at 50% to 60% of your maximum heart rate. This is the easiest zone within which to exercise and ideal for those who are just beginning. At this level the intensity is low, you can talk easily, it is easy to maintain, the risk of injury is low and it is beneficial for overall health. It burns a high percentage of fat, but a small number of total calories.

    Zone 2
    The Fitness Zone where you exercise at 60% to 70% of your maximum heart rate. The benefits of this zone are the same as the first with the addition that it provides more cardiorespiratory benefits and you burn more calories.

    Zone 3:
    The Aerobic Zone where you exercise at 70% to 80% of your maximum heart rate. In this zone, your cardiovascular and respiratory capacity will greatly improve, you will burn fat and more total calories for less time compared with the lower zones.

    Zone 4:
    The Threshold or Anaerobic Zone, where you exercise at 80% to 90% of your maximum heart rate. This is the zone for improving fitness and performance. It burns a low percentage of fat, but many more calories.

    There is a lot more information published by Bandolier, an independent journal about evidence-based healthcare, written by Oxford scientists, at this webpage:

    http://www.medicine.ox.ac.uk/bandolier/booth/hliving/startoex.html

    I only shared the part about work-out intensity, but there is MUCH more to it than that. As I am so big and out of shape, I am trying to stay in Zone 1 with forays into Zone 2 once in a while for extra calorie burn. It should be something you study and decide on for your own fitness level, I think.

    Hope that is helpful!
  • TheNewDoug
    TheNewDoug Posts: 56
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    Lots of debate on the fat burning zone as well.Your max hr should be 181.
  • jody664
    jody664 Posts: 397 Member
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    talk to your doctor, I have a naturally high heart rate and my fitness trainer was freaking out when she took my pulse during warm up and nearly had a heart attack of her own while I was in full work out mode. I tried to reassure her that I have had a cardiac stress test and while it was noted I have a naturally high heart rate at rest or while exerting myself I'm not in any danger of falling over dead. The machines don't account for individual variability they just have a number they try to make all their users fit within, unless you feel like you're straining I would worry but if you have faintness, trouble breathing, chest pain or can feel skipped beats or other heart abnormalities I would ask my primary care doctor for a check up and maybe a referral just to make sure you're not putting yourself at risk.

    I just had a similar conversation with my PCP (I work with him, so it's easy to ask questions on the fly). My resting hear rate is on the high side (usually 85-95 bpm). And I take a calcium channel blocker because of this (I've had to be cardioverted in the ER once due to a heart rate of 250+). At any rate, I asked him 1) how can I know what my max heart rate is and 2) if I can't figure out my max heart rate, how do I calulate 90% of that to make sure I'm "in the zone." He said basically I can't. He said he would recommend slowing down if I get up around 170 and consider 180 to be my max. My HRM says my zone should be 113-148. I often go up to 155-160 and I get the beep beep that I'm not in my zone. I just ignore it.
  • TheNewDoug
    TheNewDoug Posts: 56
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    If you are really concerned about it and want to keep track of calories burned a lot more accurately, purchase a heart rate monitor with a chest strap. The brand Polar makes some really nice ones.
  • Gt3ch
    Gt3ch Posts: 212 Member
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    My elliptical workouts are between 95-105% my alleged max heart-rate for typically 40-70 mins. Unless you're having chest pains or have a history of cardiac disease that doesn't sound like you're overdoing it. Change the machine's settings so it doesn't bug you. Of course work up slowly.
  • zeeeb
    zeeeb Posts: 805 Member
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    when i first started doing spin classes and was alot fatter, i would easy get up to over 170 and was telling my PT that, thinking that i was close to heart attack. and she said she can easily get up over that heart rate... she is alot younger than me, admittedly.

    but now i've lost a heap of weight, and am alot fitter, i struggle to get my heart rate over 145.
  • Gt3ch
    Gt3ch Posts: 212 Member
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    increase the resistance and/or speed. Your HR will go up higher guaranteed.
  • RunDottyRun
    RunDottyRun Posts: 95
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    My HR when working out is always between 150-190.
  • Mompanda4
    Mompanda4 Posts: 869 Member
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    Bump

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