Heart rate training can give your workouts direction and purpose. When you understand how your body uses its energy systems to take on the stress of exercise, you can structure your workouts to meet your fitness goals. Whether you need to increase endurance or develop strength and power, your heart rate acts as a motivator, directing you to increase or decrease your effort to meet your goals. Calculate your heart rate any time while exercising by taking your pulse.
Heart Rate Zones
Step 1
Calculate your maximum heart rate (MHR), which is the basis for finding your target heart rates. Use the age-predicted method, which states that 220 minus your age is equal to your MHR. For example, a 20-year-old would have a MHR of 200 with this method.
Step 2
Find your target heart rates by calculating your heart rates for each of the three training zones. Zone one is fully aerobic and goes from 65 percent to 75 percent of MHR; zone two is 80 percent to 85 percent of MHR and crosses the anaerobic threshold, while zone three is completely anaerobic, from 85 percent to 90 percent of MHR. Multiply your MHR by 0.65, 0.75, 0.8, 0.85 and 0.9 to find your target heart rates for these zones, respectively. The same 20-year-old exerciser has target heart rate zones of 130 to 150, 160 to 170 and 171 to 180.
Step 3
Write your target heart rate zone numbers on a water bottle or something else you can carry with you when you exercise.
Taking Your Pulse
Step 1
Locate your carotid pulse by placing the index and middle fingers of one hand where your skull meets the hinge of your lower jaw. Slide your fingers in the direction of your Adam's apple, stopping when you feel the rhythmic beat of your pulse.
Step 2
Use a clock or a watch with a second hand as you count your pulse for 10 seconds.
Step 3
Multiply your pulse count by 6 to calculate your heart rate. For example, if you counted 25 pulses in 10 seconds, your heart rate would be 150.
Step 4
Don't stop exercising to take your pulse unless you're finished working out, because your heart rate will drop and your pulse won't accurately reflect your work effort. Consider using a heart rate monitor if you're performing interval training or want to know your heart rate often during the course of exercise.
Tips and Warnings
- While the age-predicted method of determining MHR doesn't take your fitness level into account, you can use it in combination with your perceived rate of exertion to adjust your numbers slightly. During exercise, your heart rate can indicate more than your effort level. Caffeine, illness, overtraining, time of day and fatigue all affect heart rate.
Things You'll Need
- Watch or clock with second hand
References
- "Optimum Performance Training for the Health and Fitness Professional"; National Academy of Sports Medicine; 2004
- "The Heart Rate Monitor Book for Cyclists: A Heart Zones Training Program"; Sally Edwards and Sally Reed; 2002
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