Wow, another New Year begins and all your New Year’s resolutions are now well underway. I expect if you happen to be visiting Beeble Blog then one of your resolutions will be to exercise more or even to exercise at all (we all have to start somewhere – Beeble). One of the major questions you should be asking yourself before you start training is: how hard should you train when you are at the gym, where you probably are feeling a little lost and intimidated? One of the best ways is to use a heart rate monitor to keep an eye on how hard your heart is working and therefore how hard you are being worked.

But First: An Important Warning

If you suffer from high blood pressure, heart disease and/or it runs in your family then this advice on hearts and heart rate monitors is not for you. Consult with your Doctor what training or medication you should be considering and follow their advice.

The Heart Rate Monitor

There are many different makes of heart rate monitors on the market, from the basic version that just reads your heart rate to more advanced versions that are a watch, heart rate monitor, computer and kitchen sink. With some of them you can even link up to your computer and record your training results. The industry leader is Polar and their products seem to be the most compatible with the cardiovascular machines. This means you can see your heart rate on the treadmill without having to check your watch all the time. Check which version will suit your needs most; for the majority of people a simple heart rate monitor will be enough.

View more Polar watches

Maximum Heart Rate

Before you can calculate your target heart rate you need to have your maximum heart rate (MHR) to hand. Your MHR is a very rough calculation and it is simply: MHR = 220 – your age. Not too difficult, was it? But please remember: this maximum heart rate is a level that firstly you should never try to reach and secondly you shouldn’t be able to reach without passing out and being very ill. That said, I have had clients in the past who have been very fit and have reached their maximum heart rate without breaking into a sweat. As you can imagine I nearly had a heart attack myself when I saw the figures but their doctor gave them the all clear and put it down to everyone being individual and finding their own levels. So bear in mind that if you have a heart that can beat as hard as a mouse’s heart on amphetamines, then this way of testing if you are working hard enough may not work.

Target Heart Rate

Now you have worked out your MHR we can set to finding your target heart rate to optimise your exercise regime. There is one main range that you should work to and that is your aerobic range. This range is the most important because it works your heart and lungs, which of course will help improve your cardiovascular system and that is what improving your fitness is all about. It is generally agreed that the target range is between 70% and 80% of your maximum heart rate. Ready to get your calculator out? Here is the calculation:

70 % Target Heart Rate (THR) = MHR x 0.7

80% THR = MHR x 0.8

Other Ranges and What They Mean

It is also widely considered that a THR set at between 60% to 70% is the optimum level for fat loss. There are many machines in the gym that show this level but I can honestly say in 10 years of personal training I have had no client achieve anything at this level. In fact a large proportion of my clients have come to me after training at this level for many years. In my opinion and in the opinion of many of my peers, this level is just not enough to get the optimum fat reduction. It is said that at 60% to 70% the body uses a higher percentage of body fat than at the higher aerobic level. As far as I am aware this is true: the percentage is higher, but it is a higher percentage of a much lower overall energy consumption. So even though the aerobic percentage is lower the actual energy used from body fat is in fact higher.

Confusing?

Yes definitely, but you have to admit it makes sense that the more effort you put in, the more you should get out of it – whatever the figures say! The final range for your consideration is the anaerobic range which means without oxygen. As you can imagine training at this level does not last long, usually about 45 seconds maximum as the body can only last for so long at that level before it is gasping for oxygen. This level is between 80% – 90% and should only be a level trained at by people who already have a high level of fitness and should be introduced as a form of interval training. This involves training between aerobic and anaerobic levels so that the intensity increases and drops at certain time intervals or when the heart rate reaches a certain level.

The Chart

Summary

Calculate your 70-80% THR and you maybe surprised at how hard you have to train. You can use this method for all cardiovascular forms of exercise e.g. treadmill, rower, cross-trainer, running and all sports. However it is not the same for fee weights and weight machines. As we said at the start if you have any heart related problems then please do not follow these instructions, but seek advice from your doctor. For the rest of you give it a go and report back on how you get on. You can use our very own maximum and target heart rate calculator here.

Good luck!

Further Reading

What is cardiovascular training?

What is Interval Training?

What is Heart Rate Training?

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This entry was Posted on Wednesday, January 7th, 2009 at 8:20 pm and is filed under Exercise, Fitness Tests, Recommended Fitness & Diet Products, Top Tips, Training Styles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.