HRM Owners-? About your highest heart rate/target

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CVALGAL
CVALGAL Posts: 108 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
For those of you who use a HRM, when you are working out hard, how high does your heart rate get and what is your average? Mine has been up to 182 with avg of 152 , which I think must be higher than my target heart range. How do I know what is the target heart range for me? I am 40 years old. Any recommended websites for this info?

Replies

  • mlapanowski
    mlapanowski Posts: 28 Member
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    I saw a personal trainer to figure mine out. My optimum HR for fat-burning is 135-150. I'm 22. I'm sure there are sites, though I can't help you with that, I'm sorry :(
  • JayByrd107
    JayByrd107 Posts: 282 Member
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    To calculate max heart rate, use this equation:

    Max Heart Rate = 206.9-(0.67*Age)

    And since you requested a website reference: http://www.builtlean.com/2010/05/25/how-to-calculate-your-max-heart-rate/
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Using that calculation mine would be 176.1. I have seen others that put my max as high as 185. I'm 46. I ran a 15K race this past weekend where my max HR was 184 and my average was 170. My 43 year old sister ran it with me and her max heart rate during that race was 152. Obviously, these calculations don't mean very much on an individual basis.
  • jbrinda1
    jbrinda1 Posts: 153 Member
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    Max HR tends to decrease with age. That forumula is more accurate than 220 - age for me, but still on the low side. I am 45 and my max is about 192. A good way to test your max is to wear a heart rate monitor for a 5K or 10K race and see what your peak is. You may not reach your max, but if you are really pushing it and trying for a PR, you should get pretty close. I have actually hit as high as 193 but that was a couple years ago. Hit 192 recently at a race. Normal workout range is between 140 and 160, sometimes moving into 160s or 170s at later part of an intense workout. If I'm at the track doing intervals, it will get up to 180. I have the new Garmin 910XT and it sometimes spikes up erroneously into the 200s early in the workout. This is not real heart rate, just bad data, if I was pushing that hard, I'd be lying on the ground. It almost always corrects itself after a couple minutes. Could be electrical interference, passing cars, etc.

    Feel free to friend me. I love talking about workout stats, heart rate, etc. I track everything in Sporttracks software. You can upload directly from most HR monitors.
  • JayByrd107
    JayByrd107 Posts: 282 Member
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    Using that calculation mine would be 176.1. I have seen others that put my max as high as 185. I'm 46. I ran a 15K race this past weekend where my max HR was 184 and my average was 170. My 43 year old sister ran it with me and her max heart rate during that race was 152. Obviously, these calculations don't mean very much on an individual basis.

    What I provided is a suitable starting point. It's about as accurate as one-size fits all can be, and really that's all we can give one another here. Apologies for not deriving a formula unique to the OP or you or your sister for that matter.
  • SueInAz
    SueInAz Posts: 6,592 Member
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    Using that calculation mine would be 176.1. I have seen others that put my max as high as 185. I'm 46. I ran a 15K race this past weekend where my max HR was 184 and my average was 170. My 43 year old sister ran it with me and her max heart rate during that race was 152. Obviously, these calculations don't mean very much on an individual basis.

    What I provided is a suitable starting point. It's about as accurate as one-size fits all can be, and really that's all we can give one another here. Apologies for not deriving a formula unique to the OP or you or your sister for that matter.
    I most certainly wasn't aiming that at you. My point was to the OP that these calculations are one size fits all which might not fit her since they don't fit either me or my sister. :)
  • BrianSharpe
    BrianSharpe Posts: 9,248 Member
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    Heart rates will vary with time of day, how you're feeling (fatigued etc) and most of the HRMs use the 220-your age as your MHR .

    According to that formula my MHR would be 164 and the top end of Zone 3 would be about 131BPM (Zone 3 is where you can carry on a conversation while running, Zone 2 is the so-called Fat Burning Zone 60% to 70% of your MHR)

    This morning my AHR was 147 (forget what the peak was) and that was definitely a zone 3 run for me. I've had runs (hills) where my heart rate has hit 194 briefly.

    The only way to really accurately establish your MHR is a stress test. I'd suggest you use perceived effort as your guide and then refer to your HRM to see what your heart rate is so you can get a better idea of your zones.
  • Graciecny
    Graciecny Posts: 303
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    For my age, my max HR should be mid-170s according to either formula. I've been doing C25K and will have sustained periods of time (3+ minutes) where my HR is 174 or 175. My understanding is that you can't do max HR for that long. Thus, I'm figuring it must be a very individual thing. When my HR is there, I'm clearly working hard, but nowhere near going as hard as I could for a very short time. I guess that is the long way of saying I'm seeing the same thing you are. :laugh:

    Oh, and one other thing - I'm noticing the more fit I get, the quicker my HR drops once I slow down or stop. It's not really lowering the max, but it is shortening the recovery time, I guess. Not sure if others see that, or if my HR will also eventually come down as my body becomes more accustomed to exercise/cardio work.
  • lucycaz
    lucycaz Posts: 191 Member
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    It is quite complex to work out and is not just based on age,,,, My PT did mine and I needed to measure my resting HR for him when I first woke up in the morning to make the calculation work....

    I am a 42 yea old woman and my max heart rate was 176 however I do have a very low resting heart rate between 45 and 55

    The thing I have found most useful when doing Interval (HIILT) training is using my HRM to measure recovery time which is a more true reflection on fitness

    Lucy
  • chatnel
    chatnel Posts: 688 Member
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    I have just started using a HRM and my heart rate easily get's to 170-180 based on the calculations above my max heart rate is 185. Is this dangerous? or am I just really unfit
  • DRetel
    DRetel Posts: 136 Member
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    I'm 40 as well, and wear a Polar FT 7. I ran a 8km race today, and my highest HR was 185. I didn't feel like I was dying, but it was feeling intense there. I slowed down to bring my HR back to around 175.
    My resting HR is only 55, seems crazy to see it go so high. I don't really know what my optimum HR during exercise is. I just try to go by how I feel, but keep half an eye on my Polar.
  • jbrinda1
    jbrinda1 Posts: 153 Member
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    I'm 40 as well, and wear a Polar FT 7. I ran a 8km race today, and my highest HR was 185. I didn't feel like I was dying, but it was feeling intense there. I slowed down to bring my HR back to around 175.
    My resting HR is only 55, seems crazy to see it go so high. I don't really know what my optimum HR during exercise is. I just try to go by how I feel, but keep half an eye on my Polar.

    Not unusual. I'm 45 and have hit low 190s in a couple shorter races in the last year or two.
  • jbrinda1
    jbrinda1 Posts: 153 Member
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    I have just started using a HRM and my heart rate easily get's to 170-180 based on the calculations above my max heart rate is 185. Is this dangerous? or am I just really unfit

    Those formulas have a lot of play. Your max may be closer to 200. Or you could be out of shape. Most people would have to work pretty hard to hit mid 170s. I have to run pretty fast to get to that level.
  • froeschli
    froeschli Posts: 1,292 Member
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    I have just started using a HRM and my heart rate easily get's to 170-180 based on the calculations above my max heart rate is 185. Is this dangerous? or am I just really unfit

    Max heart rate is genetic, and not a measure of fitness. Unless you are gasping for breath and can absolutely not increase the intensity, or even continue on for more than a few seconds, i'd assume you actual max heart rate is higher than the calculated one.

    Mine is supposedly 190, but I have hit 220 on occasion. Obviously, 190 can't be the max then. When I do HIIT I go for 200. Anything above still scares me...
    Running I average 150-160, I slow down when I hit 180...
  • AZKristi
    AZKristi Posts: 1,801 Member
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    My average is usually 155-160. My max HR is usually 170-180 when I am trying to go anaerobic (very short, very high intensity, only at very end of interval).
  • jsapninz
    jsapninz Posts: 909 Member
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    176 is about my usual max heart rate. I don't think it's unhealthy for me because I never push myself as much as I used to in highschool track....but I guess this isn't the best logic.
    Target is 125 (this is set by the HRM according to my age and weight, etc.)

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