Polar FT4 users - question about being over target HR

aekermans
aekermans Posts: 15 Member
edited November 12 in Fitness and Exercise
I got my FT4 last week and love being able to track exact calorie counts and know when I am in the 'zone'. :) I have a question.. is it dangerous for me to be over the target heart rate zone? ie: sometimes when I work out my HR gets up to 172-174 and 158 is the max of my target zone. Until now I have been trying to reign myself in when I see it go this high (I do Leslie Sansone walk videos) and not sure if I need to.

TIA.

Replies

  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    Bumping cuz I'm interested in the replies. I'm in the same exact boat as you! I also have same HRM and target HR also am usually in the 170-180 range when pushing myself hard. Have gone over 200 a couple times for just a short minute. I felt fine and I would think as long as you don't feel like passing out there's nothing wrong with it but I'm not sure.
  • pa_jorg
    pa_jorg Posts: 4,404 Member
    I'm not an expert, but I believe that zone is optimum for burning fat. Unless raising your heart rate causes you to feel ill, then it is perfectly fine to be above the zone. And you will still be burning calories regardless.
  • Steph1383
    Steph1383 Posts: 20 Member
    My understanding is that being above the zone is fine. Depending on what you put in for info, it is calculating your fat burning zone. There are a billion charts and formulas for your target heart rate. I go over the zone sometimes, but not for my whole workout.
  • aekermans
    aekermans Posts: 15 Member
    Thanks to all who have answered, that helps a lot. I will try to do some research on max heart rates... wouldn't want to die doing a workout, but if I can push myself a bit past the zone, that would be okay. :)
  • htimpaired
    htimpaired Posts: 1,404 Member
    I have the same HRM and the same problem. At first I thought "OMG, I'm going to have a heart attack! But I feel fine!". I suspect I just have a higher heart rate. I did this equation thing that someone posted on here and then changed my target heart rate range on the HRM so that it wouldn't beep at me whenever I was out of the range. I think I have it set for 135-177. I tend to be btw 150-165 during my really intense cardio, so this seems to work for me....
  • brandyk77
    brandyk77 Posts: 605 Member
    keep in mind that 'fat burning zone' only means that your body is burning a higher % of calories from fat BUT if you work out at a higher intensity, the overall calories burned is higher.
  • machinegunkate
    machinegunkate Posts: 74 Member
    I was curious about this as well. I too was worried that I may have a heart attack or something but I feel fine so I don't think that is the case. My hubby has heard that if you go over your fat burning zone you start to burn muscle - not ideal! I haven't had the time to research this further yet though to see if it's true D:.
  • _Kitten_Kate
    _Kitten_Kate Posts: 520 Member
    Fat burning is actually below your "zone".
    Your zone is your cardiovascular exercise... the higher the zone the more endurance....
    Your fat burning is below your 55%....
    Your In Zone is 55%-85% of your max HR and is cardiovascular conditioning... and yes you are burning calories.
    Fat burning is below 55%...
    For me my zone is 120-155.... my fat burning in a HR of about 110...which is about 40% of my max.

    Your max heart rate is 220 minus your age. And going above your max.... depending on your health and your condition could be Iffy.
    I would want to know my heart condition and family history and that I am not going to throw a blood clot before I let my HR get that high.
    If you get to your absolute max... you could have some physical symptoms.. flushed, light headed, chest pain, feeling faint.
    I don't think its a good idea to stay above your MAX.
    But the more you exercise, the healthier your heart gets.. the harder it will be to get to that max...
  • noexcuses84
    noexcuses84 Posts: 100 Member
    totally differnet question here: Can u wear the ft4 while swimming??
  • onequirkygirl
    onequirkygirl Posts: 303 Member
    I'm not sure about this......I'm almost always in the upper zone if not out of my zone. My zone is like 120 something to 171...and my heart rates usually from the upper 160s up to 180 at times but then once the circuit is over it will come down a little.





    Ahhhh, i dont really know. I'm burning calories...my fitness is improving...I'm getting toned and shapely....I'm happy!
  • rockerbabyy
    rockerbabyy Posts: 2,258 Member
    My understanding is that being above the zone is fine. Depending on what you put in for info, it is calculating your fat burning zone. There are a billion charts and formulas for your target heart rate. I go over the zone sometimes, but not for my whole workout.
    this basically. the only time you need to worry about it is if youre going over your MAX HR for extended periods of time.
  • katie133
    katie133 Posts: 210 Member
    I think its like 30 m water resistant


    oops.. meant to quote noexcuses
  • bobie1978
    bobie1978 Posts: 204 Member
    What are you all doing to get your heart rate up that high? The only time mine is that high is when I'm on the stair climber. I think the personal trainer told me wrong. She told me to keep mine above 170. Its usually between 140 &150.
  • cnewbie
    cnewbie Posts: 12
    Depending on my workout, I could be in my zone for most of my workout, but above for 1/4 of it. I can feel when I'm above, and sometimes I push, and sometimes I reign myself in, depending on how I feel while exercising... When your HR is IN the zone, you're supposedly doing more fat burning, and when it's high, you're doing more of a sugar burn. I have never heard of burning through muscle, and that theory just doesn't make sense to me... The more I exercise, the harder it is for me to exceed my zone... I actually went in and changed my zone in my Polar FT4 because I wanted to work harder longer.

    Good luck, and keep moving! :D
  • fatboypup
    fatboypup Posts: 1,873 Member
    there's a big debate if ZONES are even real .....
  • cnewbie
    cnewbie Posts: 12
    You can go up to 30 M, but then the next time I connect mine, it takes a few minutes to register...
  • kristy6ward
    kristy6ward Posts: 332 Member
    People mentioned fat calories burned in correlation with heart rate.. I found this calculator that estimates percentages of calorie burn coming from fat vs carbs based on your average heart rate. http://www.shapesense.com/fitness-exercise/calculators//fat-versus-carbohydrate-utilization-during-exercise-calculator.aspx
  • machinegunkate
    machinegunkate Posts: 74 Member
    What are you all doing to get your heart rate up that high? The only time mine is that high is when I'm on the stair climber. I think the personal trainer told me wrong. She told me to keep mine above 170. Its usually between 140 &150.

    cardio? jogging gets it up there right quick. walking up hills, my stairs. dance central has it over my max through almost the whole dance almost every time.
  • rolyh
    rolyh Posts: 51 Member
    there's a big debate if ZONES are even real .....
    I have watched that with interest as well - I am comfortable at 170, I am peaking but can't sustain 180, I am 52. In a cycle pack of similarly aged men, I will be at the back, so its not like its an ability as such.
  • athensguy
    athensguy Posts: 550
    The zones seem legitimate to me. The problem is figuring out a good number for max HR. 220-age is a very rough estimate, at best. The best ways to find out your max HR are to do a treadmill stress test or a VO2Max test.
  • amyy902
    amyy902 Posts: 290 Member
    hmm, wouldnt worry too much. the theory is your maximum hr is 220 - your age. however in reality there are fluctuations. in the sports science lab we stop maximal testing at about 85% of their max.

    personally i work on how im feeling rather than what my hr monitor says. if its saying 174 and you can still talk with ease then id not worry, but if it says 174 and you feel your really working tight chest cramping et then stop!
  • RunHardBeStrong
    RunHardBeStrong Posts: 33,069 Member
    What are you all doing to get your heart rate up that high? The only time mine is that high is when I'm on the stair climber. I think the personal trainer told me wrong. She told me to keep mine above 170. Its usually between 140 &150.

    When I'm running or doing TurboFire is when mine is between the 170-180 range, once in awhile higher when I'm really pushing myself during the HIIT spurts. Most everything else it is 140-160.
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