Target Heart Rate

[coasterqueen]

Out of curiosity I monitored my heart rate last night while on the treadmill, haven't done this for a long time, and I'm confused, lol. I do hyper intensity interval training on the treadmill and do 3 minutes at a fast speed and 1 minute at a low speed for 50 minutes or more. Anyways, when I was jogging at the fast speed my heart rate was in the high 180's. When I was walking at the slow speed I was in the mid 140's to low 150's.

So I went looking online at THR, maximum heart rate, etc. If I'm correct I'm working at my max heart rate, right? For the most part of my workout, that is. Is that a bad thing? If I go ANY slower I swear I wouldn't feel like I'm working out.

I know when I did taebo tonight I stayed between the mid 140's to mid 160's. So that was a totally different level than when on treadmill.

Can someone please explain all this to me? Am I hindering my weight loss by going at MHR? If I go any slower on the treadmill I think I'd get bored.

If I'm not hindering myself I'm gonna chuck doing heart rate and enjoy my workout like I've been doing. I guess if I am hindering it I'll have to monitor it, BORING!

This post has been edited by coasterqueen on May 17 2006, 06:38 PM

[coasterqueen]

I found this, but I'm still confused about it a bit. I think the second paragraph is confusing me.

"Interval training requires a different level of intensity. It requires you to focus on increasing your anaerobic threshold so you can run faster for a longer period of time, so it necessitates an increase in training intensity.

If your maximum heart rate is 180 beats per minute, your target heart rate range for interval work will range from 80 percent to 90 percent of your maximum heart rate, or 144 to 162 beats per minute. If you exceed 90 percent of your maximum heart rate, you’ll produce lactic acid faster than you can diffuse it. If you work out at less than 80 percent of your maximum heart rate, you’ll activate your aerobic system.

The harder you work without exceeding your target heart rate range, the more efficiently you’ll function. Recovery should allow your heart rate to lower to a rate of 80 percent or less of your maximum heart rate — 144 beats per minute in this case — before you start your next hard repeat."

This post has been edited by coasterqueen on May 17 2006, 06:38 PM

[jacobsmama]

I was trying to find this in my medical book how to figure target heartrate this is example and you want your HR to be in that range not lower but doesn't have to be the highest all the time?? Does that make sense???


30 year old person

Begin 220

Minus age -30

=190

x .60

THR = 114 (this is the lowest THR you should be working out at
30 year old person



Begin 220

Minus age -30

=190

x .75

THR = 142 (this is the highest THR you should be working out at

To lose weight and burn fat, a 30 year old person should be working out aerobically for 20 - 30 minutes at the Target Heart Rate (THR) somewhere between 114 and 142 beats per minute!

[coasterqueen]

Yeah, that's how I figured mine, and I'm clearly not working in my THR while on the treadmill, but am while doing Taebo. If I slow down on the treadmill, though, I would feel like I'm going for a leisurely stroll Wouldn't work for me.

The second post I made, though, pertained to HIIT and that's what I do on the treadmill so maybe I'm ok as far as heart rate on that. Not sure.

[My3LilMonkeys]

Here is what I found to calculate your target heart rate:

Below is an example of the Karvonen formula for a 23 year old person with a resting heart rate of 65 beats per minute (*to get your resting heart rate, take your pulse for one full minute.):

220 - 23 (age) = 197
197 - 65 (resting heart rate) = 132
132 * 65% (low end of heart rate) OR 85% (high end) = 85.8 OR 112.2
85.8 + 65 (resting heart rate) = 150 112.2 + 65 (rhr) = 177
The target heart rate zone for this person would be 150 to 177

For this person to work in his 'fat burning' zone, he would need to stay around 150 beats per minute or lower. To work within his 'cardio' zone, he would need to work at 150 bpm or higher. This step-by-step article will help you find your target heart rate and learn how to use it.


So based on that, you want to stay low if your goal is to burn fat, but higher if your goal is to get a good cardiovascular workout. So in my completely uneducated opinion , I think what you're doing is good. When you do your taebo you're burning more fat, but when on the treadmill you're getting a good cardio workout, and I think that balance is good for you.

[jacobsmama]

I agree with you that you are doing good on treadmill, you are doing intervals you said so that is good and also is a change of pace for your body and keeps it challeneged this is what I did tonight! Yes you read it! I finally started working out again!

[ediep]

Karen, what you are doing is perect! the intervals are great. Don't slow down and Don't worry about the lactic acid unless you are runing a marathon.

[Maddie&EthansMom]

I agree with the others, what you are doing on the treadmill is fine. This is what I do, too. I run for awhile and get my heartrate up, then I walk at a fast pace to bring it down. I do this in intervals. I just make sure I'm not overdoing it. If I feel like I can't breathe and I'm going to pass out any minute, that's my sign that I'm working out too hard.

I did get a heart rate monitor for my classes b/c you can really push it too far in there and they strongly suggest it.