Heart Rate Based Training Part One

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This is part one of a series on using your heart rate to train effectively. I wanted to do this series because I know that most people who ride a bike for fitness or competition don’t have a power meter (yet). That doesn’t mean you can’t do effective training. In fact, heart rate based training can be very effective, it just has to be used properly. So, without further ado, here is part one.

Get In The Zone

If you are exercising on a regular basis, either to lose weight and/or get more fit, you need to make sure you are in the right “zone” when it comes to your training. In the absence of a power meter, using your heart rate to monitor your training is important and doing it the right way will speed up your progress, helping you reach your goals faster while reducing the risk of injury or burnout. Prior to my use of a Power Tap I used heart rate based training for 24 years in both running and cycling and I know it helped me maximize my exercise program. If you don’t have the capability of training with power then heart rate based training is the next best thing. This is part 1 of a 3 part series on using your heart rate to exercise properly.

In order to get the most from your training you want to know how to determine intensity of exercise and how it relates to heart rate. I will attempt to answer that questions here in part 1 and give you some tools and tests to help you determine your specific training zones in part 2. In part three I will help you get started by giving a couple of basic workout programs using your newly established training zones.

Please Remember: You should always check with your doctor before starting any exercise program.

Now, that the disclaimer is over with we can continue

Taking It To The Max

Everybody has probably heard something about “maximum heart rate” as it relates to exercise. What is it and how does it affect your exercise program? Your maximum heart rate is a specific number, the maximum number of beats per minute that your heart can make. Here are some interesting facts I found about maximum heart rate:

It is genetically determined; you’re born with it.
It is your own individual number.
It does not reflect your level of fitness.
It is sensitive to certain variables such as altitude, drugs, and medication.
It is a fixed number, unless you become unfit.
It cannot be increased by training.
It does not decline with age except in sedentary people.
It tends to be higher in women than men.
A high maximum heart rate does not predict better athletic performance, nor does a low number predict worse performance.
It has great variability among people of the same age.
It will be higher for more “impact” activities like running than lower impact activities like cycling or swimming.
A child’s maximum heart rate can frequently be over 200 bpm.
It cannot be accurately predicted by a mathematic formula.
Testing it requires the person to be fully rested.

The key point is this: maximum heart right is the anchor point for setting your training zones. Accurately determining your own maximum heart rate is key to getting the most from your exercise program. If you do more than one type of activity (running and cycling for example) you will have two max heart rates (see #11).

Once you have determined your max heart rate, which will be discussed in part 2, you can develop your unique “training zones” to use for your workouts. There are a few definitions of these zones but here is a common breakdown:

50% to 60% of maximum- This is commonly called the “Healthy Heart” or “Active Recovery” zone. This is a low intensity area that can be used to recover from a harder workout or build a base if you are brand new to working out.
60% to 70% of maximum- This is the “Fitness Zone” where you start to work a little harder. This zone can be used to build some basic endurance but is kind of a “no mans land” in terms of increasing endurance effectively.
70% to 80% of maximum- This is the “Aerobic” zone, the sweet spot. You will want to do workouts in this zone to increase your overall endurance, heart and lung capacity, and circulatory system. This is the zone most people think of when they think of “aerobics”.
80% to 90% of maximum- This is the “Anaerobic or Threshold” zone. You will be working very hard here and the major benefits are increasing your ability to consume oxygen (VO2 max). This is the area you want to work in if you want to get faster. Workouts in this zone are usually 10-20 minutes in length, with breaks between each interval for longer workout periods.
90% to 100% of maximum- This is an extreme level of work. You will only be able to operate in this zone for a few minutes at most. Unless you just like the pain and suffering, you will not need to do much in this zone unless you are, or want to, compete in your chosen sport.

Now that you have an idea of what maximum heart rate is, and isn’t, and how you can use your heart rate to exercise and train effectively, the next step is to determine your own maximum heart rate through testing. Part two will cover several ways to accurately estimate your maximum heart rate which you can use to create your unique “zones”.

Books You May Want To Read

There are a lot of good books out there that can help you develop a training program based on heart rate. Here are a few that I suggest you check out:

Total Heart Rate Training: Customize and Maximize Your Workout Using a Heart Rate Monitor

Precision Heart Rate Training

The Heart Rate Guidebook to Heart Zone Training

Heart Rate Monitors At Amazon