What does my maximum heart rate actually mean? If I go over it, will I eventually self-destruct??
And what is with the maximum fat burning heart rate zone? Do I stop burning fat when I am too high or too low?
Being the explorer I am, I have set about finding the answers and here they are! Of course, I suggest if you have any specific worries or concerns, you consult an expert J
Firstly, your heart rate is a way to measure your exercise intensity – the higher your heart rate, the harder you’re working! (Well duh…)
There is a zone called the ‘maximum fat burning zone’ but from what I could find, you can’t pinpoint the exact moment during exercise when your body switches from burning calories from carbohydrates to burning fat reserves. It makes sense that this magic moment would differ for everyone. The good news is you can continually maximise your calorie and fat burning potential through exercising and great nutrition (who knew??).
Exercise intensity is relative to the person doing it! Working at a high intensity does not mean pushing yourself until you are in agony or until you pass out. If you want to work at a higher intensity, push yourself past your comfort zone; do a little more than you did last time. Of course a casual 45 minute stroll around the block will not have the same benefit as a brisk 30 minute walk – so up the ante!!
Even better - if you do 30 minutes of cardio first thing in the morning, before breakfast - you'll have an even better chance of burning fat. In the morning you have very few stored carbs in your system so your body has to resort to fat burning almost immediately – but that’s another blog.
This returns me back to the beginning – what should my heart rate be when I exercise?
It is not recommended to have your HR at a high level for long periods of time BUT pushing your HR up during exercise is essential as it helps improve metabolism, fitness and of course burn fat.
THE NUMBERS DON'T REALLY MATTER– JUST TRAIN HARD!
It’s not an exact science – use the numbers as a guide but listen to your body!! Really puffing and can’t go on – take a break and get your breathe back…hardly broken a sweat – work harder!!! You don’t have to be within your target zone every time…but it gives you somewhere to aim. If you go over the heart rate range calculated it doesn’t matter – you will not self-destruct (again, it is not a great idea to stay high for a long period of time though!!). Working at too low of a heart rate will lead to an ineffective workout – and my theory is, if you are going to do…make it worth it!!
If you’re doing an interval but you’re only at 80% of your max heart rate, you won’t see the same benefits you would if you were pushing yourself at 90-95% of your max heart rate. The intervals or bursts need to really be working you.
Remember it’s all about going from low intensity to high intensity in short bursts. The high’s simply need to be high enough for the hormonal responses to kick in.
(220) - (your age) = MaxHR
(MaxHR) - (resting heart rate) = HRR
(HRR) x (60% to 90%) = training range %
(training range %) + (resting heart rate) = (your target training zone)
(MaxHR) - (resting heart rate) = HRR
(HRR) x (60% to 90%) = training range %
(training range %) + (resting heart rate) = (your target training zone)
To
find your resting heart rate, take your heart rate first thing in the morning,
before you get out of bed (sleep with your HRM on…that is what I did). For more
accuracy, do it for 3 mornings in a row and find the average.
220 -
39 = 181 (MaxHR)181 - 65 = 116 (HRR)
116 x .6 = 70 (60% training percentage)
116 x .8 = 93 (80% training percentage)
70 + 65 = 135 (target training zone, in beats per minute)
93 + 65 = 158 (target training zone, in beats per minute)
On easy days, I try to stay below 70 percent. On hard days I aim for the 80-90 percent zone for a few minutes, then take a bit of recovery to reduce my heart rate...repeat!!
So that is what I now know - as I mentioned - I am no expert so if you have any concerns please talk to someone with way more expertise than me!!
The time is NOW!!
