Heart Rate Max (HRmax) and Training Zones

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    How do you get your heart rate on target?
    Are you exercising too hard or not enough? There is a real easy way to find out and that is monitoring your heart rate. You have a resting heart rate, maximum heart rate and you can target the proper training zone by staying within certain limits of these values. 
    

    First: What is resting Heart Rate? 

    Before you learn how to calculate and monitor your target training heart rate, you have to know your resting heart rate, which is the number of times your heart beats per minute while it’s at rest. You should check it in the morning the same time each day for at least 3 days.
    
    According to the National Institute of Health, the average resting heart rate:
    • for children 10 years and older, and adults (including seniors) is 60 - 100 beats per minute
    • for well-trained athletes is 40 - 60 beats per minute.

    Second: What is the Target

    Now you’re ready to determine your target training heart rate. With all the new technology out: Sports Watches, Apple Watch(my son's absolute favorite), and good old heart rate monitors that have been out for a while, any of these can get the job done with the proper fit and use. OR, anyone can access heart rate by:  
    
    • Take your pulse on the inside of your wrist, on the thumb side.
    • Use the tips of your first two fingers (not your thumb) to press lightly over the blood vessels on your wrist.
    • Count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 to find your beats per minute. You want to stay between 50 percent to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate. This range is your target heart rate. 

    Know Your Intensity

    
    
    Heart rate during moderately intense activities is about 50-69% of your maximum heart rate, whereas heart rate during hard physical activity is about 70% to less than 90% of the maximum heart rate.
    
    
    
    

    Formulas/Calculations/Examples/Reflection Below :-) 

    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    CalculaIons for <60yrs & <30%BF
    
    
    • •  HR max=208-(0.7 x Age, yrs)
    • •  HRR= HR max - HR rest
    • •  LLthr=HRRx0.50+HRrest
    • •  UL thr=HRR x 0.85 + HR rest
      
      
  • CalculaIons for >60yrs & >30%BF
    
    
    • •  HR max=200-(0.5 x age, yrs)
    • •  LLthr=HRmax x LL% for age (60%) 
    • •  UL thr=HRmax x UL% for age(80%)
      *I used these formulas for client 3
  
  
  
  
  Example: Client # 1 (26yr, F <30%BF)

  
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Example: Client # 2 (47yr, F <30%BF)

  

  
  

  Example: Client # 3 (>60yr, F >30%BF)

  

  
  

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  Reflection of HR Max

  • Heart rate max is biologically determined and declines with age. Three Factors:
  
  

  1.AlteraIon in SA node activity

  
  
  

  2.Reduced sympathetic output from medulla

  
  
  

  3.lack of encouragement from researchers to push elderly individuals to the “all-out” maximal effort

  
  
  

  • Is confirmed in my calculations of HR max
  

  – from youngest-oldest: 189.8 bpm, 175.1 bpm, 167 bpm

  
  
  

  • It is beneficial to predict HR max to avoid risk of Sudden Cardiac Death in examination

  
  

  
  

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  Reflection of Training Zones

  • Training zones are a great way to guide your workout progression through changes in intensity.
  

  • VO2 Max is directly related to HR max
  
  

  – Therefore, Intensity (% HR max) must be assessed in relation to

  
  

  the stress it puts on the individuals aerobic system.
  

  
  

  – Exercise intensity varies for two individuals doing the same exercise (ex. sedentary person=more intense vs. athlete=less intense)

  
  
  

  • Training closer to the UL is more beneficial for improving the aerobic systems capacity rather than training towards the LL.

  
  
  

  – You can use the LL to start training at a beginning pace and gradually increase intensity towards the UL because the body accommodates to the new training intensity overtime .