Heart Rate stuff - can anyone help explain to me?
Discussion
Hey all,
Now I've got my Garmin Edge 305, I went out for a teaser ride last night and have been uploading the data into Sportstrack to take a look at the data.
Very impressed so far, however I'm trying to make sense of how to use the heart rate info.
I obviously have various zones, and its clear you want to train in order to maintain a lower rate for a given intensity.
However, I saw 184 bpm as my max heart rate, and this site: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm tells me that, being 30 and all, that my max heart rate lies between 186 and 192 bpm.
Now does that mean that I'm still fit and all, or that I'm about to die?
Obviously, like, I was climbing a b
d steep hill at the time 
Can anyone help explain a bit further?
Now I've got my Garmin Edge 305, I went out for a teaser ride last night and have been uploading the data into Sportstrack to take a look at the data.
Very impressed so far, however I'm trying to make sense of how to use the heart rate info.
I obviously have various zones, and its clear you want to train in order to maintain a lower rate for a given intensity.
However, I saw 184 bpm as my max heart rate, and this site: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm tells me that, being 30 and all, that my max heart rate lies between 186 and 192 bpm.
Now does that mean that I'm still fit and all, or that I'm about to die?
Obviously, like, I was climbing a b
d steep hill at the time Can anyone help explain a bit further?
neil_bolton said:
Hey all,
Now I've got my Garmin Edge 305, I went out for a teaser ride last night and have been uploading the data into Sportstrack to take a look at the data.
Very impressed so far, however I'm trying to make sense of how to use the heart rate info.
I obviously have various zones, and its clear you want to train in order to maintain a lower rate for a given intensity.
However, I saw 184 bpm as my max heart rate, and this site: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm tells me that, being 30 and all, that my max heart rate lies between 186 and 192 bpm.
Now does that mean that I'm still fit and all, or that I'm about to die?
Obviously, like, I was climbing a bd steep hill at the time
Can anyone help explain a bit further?
Everyone is different. It doesn't mean your unfit at all.Now I've got my Garmin Edge 305, I went out for a teaser ride last night and have been uploading the data into Sportstrack to take a look at the data.
Very impressed so far, however I'm trying to make sense of how to use the heart rate info.
I obviously have various zones, and its clear you want to train in order to maintain a lower rate for a given intensity.
However, I saw 184 bpm as my max heart rate, and this site: http://www.brianmac.co.uk/maxhr.htm tells me that, being 30 and all, that my max heart rate lies between 186 and 192 bpm.
Now does that mean that I'm still fit and all, or that I'm about to die?
Obviously, like, I was climbing a b
d steep hill at the time Can anyone help explain a bit further?
To obtain your max heart rate is a mission in itself. There is loads on the net on how to do it, but you really do need to exert yourself to almost being sick.
I did mine by running flat out up a steepish hill until I nearly collapsed.
My max heart rate is 196 and my resting heart rate is 53 and I'm neary 38 and not what I'd class as super fit.
Edited by westy04 on Wednesday 7th May 12:20
I used those calculations to work out my max heart rate, went out for a ride and promptly exceeded it buy a couple of BPM the first steep climb I came to 
Figured I'd then try and kill myself to see just how high I could get it. I now use that value plus a couple of BPM as my max. Seems to work as I've not exceeded it yet 
As for how to use the zones to best effect, I'm not really sure. Zone 3 feels sooo leisurely but is apparently the best for general fitness. I'd be interested myself in how one is supposed to use this information to best effect.
Figured I'd then try and kill myself to see just how high I could get it. I now use that value plus a couple of BPM as my max. Seems to work as I've not exceeded it yet As for how to use the zones to best effect, I'm not really sure. Zone 3 feels sooo leisurely but is apparently the best for general fitness. I'd be interested myself in how one is supposed to use this information to best effect.
neil_bolton said:
Hey all,
Now I've got my Garmin Edge 305, I went out for a teaser ride last night and have been uploading the data into Sportstrack to take a look at the data.
You should've said; I did a very similar route to that last week. Now I've got my Garmin Edge 305, I went out for a teaser ride last night and have been uploading the data into Sportstrack to take a look at the data.
The climb up to Kingsweston Hill was really claggy in places.
pdV6 said:
neil_bolton said:
Hey all,
Now I've got my Garmin Edge 305, I went out for a teaser ride last night and have been uploading the data into Sportstrack to take a look at the data.
You should've said; I did a very similar route to that last week. Now I've got my Garmin Edge 305, I went out for a teaser ride last night and have been uploading the data into Sportstrack to take a look at the data.
The climb up to Kingsweston Hill was really claggy in places.
However, twas only a little spin off the cuff like, just so I didn't waste the evening...
I'll have a go - this is a very complex topic, but I think I have explained the basics as simply as possible....
Your Max Heart Rate is pretty much a theoretical maximum. I know I have gone over mine on several occasions (2km ergo tests, uurgh....)
The main point of MHR is to provide a benchmark to calculate lower levels of heart activity so you can work out what your training bands are (you may have seen them described as aerobic, anaerobic, UT1, UT2 etc).
For example, if you are training for long distances, you should focus your training with your heart rate in the "aerobic zone" (60-70% of MHR)- which for you will be about 120-130bpm. This will develop your cardio-vascular system and muscles for endurance. You can set your Garmin 305 (I think, you can do this with other heart rate monitors) to beep when you reach this zone when training, and also beep when your heartrate moves up and out of it as well.
Theoretically, as long as you stay in this band and keep refuelling & watering, you should be able to run/cycle all day long. A traditional (not really accepted now) marathon training regime is to always train in the aerobic zone, where you use oxygen from breathing and food added and already in the system to replenish energy stores in your muscles gradually as you travel along. Over time and training sessions, as you get fitter you can increase the distance and speed, and your heart rate will stay within this zone. When you first start training, you can often find this pace is frustatingly slow, but in quick time you can build up to a good running pace.
However, as soon as you go into the Anaerobic zone (80% to 90% of Max Heart Rate), such as increasing the pace too quickly, doing too many big hills in succession, is not sustainable, as your body will not be able to get its oxygen and fuel from aerobic means. Using fat stores, and creatign an "oxygen deficit" is very ineficient, and undesirable in endurance athletes and will generate too much lactic acid and you will end up "bonking", or hitting the wall, usually in the silly wobbly leg fashion!
So, the point of the heart rate thing is to monitor and track yourself to mostly keep yourself in the aerobic zone while you are exercising (for endurance), and also you should see your resting heart rate, and post exercise rates dropping quickly to a lower level as you get fitter.
Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, is that you should combine both aerobic and anaerobic training (in the same session known as interval training), as you can achieve some degreee of lactic acid tolerance (for the big climbs), and also as short excursions into anaerobic zone are essential for getting you fit quickly.
You can monitor and track this all using your Garmin, and also set up training sessions and routes - an measure your performance and by your heart rate, your fitness levels.
There is pleny of info on this on the internet, as well as training plans using your heartrate. So good luck and enjoy the training!
Your Max Heart Rate is pretty much a theoretical maximum. I know I have gone over mine on several occasions (2km ergo tests, uurgh....)
The main point of MHR is to provide a benchmark to calculate lower levels of heart activity so you can work out what your training bands are (you may have seen them described as aerobic, anaerobic, UT1, UT2 etc).
For example, if you are training for long distances, you should focus your training with your heart rate in the "aerobic zone" (60-70% of MHR)- which for you will be about 120-130bpm. This will develop your cardio-vascular system and muscles for endurance. You can set your Garmin 305 (I think, you can do this with other heart rate monitors) to beep when you reach this zone when training, and also beep when your heartrate moves up and out of it as well.
Theoretically, as long as you stay in this band and keep refuelling & watering, you should be able to run/cycle all day long. A traditional (not really accepted now) marathon training regime is to always train in the aerobic zone, where you use oxygen from breathing and food added and already in the system to replenish energy stores in your muscles gradually as you travel along. Over time and training sessions, as you get fitter you can increase the distance and speed, and your heart rate will stay within this zone. When you first start training, you can often find this pace is frustatingly slow, but in quick time you can build up to a good running pace.
However, as soon as you go into the Anaerobic zone (80% to 90% of Max Heart Rate), such as increasing the pace too quickly, doing too many big hills in succession, is not sustainable, as your body will not be able to get its oxygen and fuel from aerobic means. Using fat stores, and creatign an "oxygen deficit" is very ineficient, and undesirable in endurance athletes and will generate too much lactic acid and you will end up "bonking", or hitting the wall, usually in the silly wobbly leg fashion!
So, the point of the heart rate thing is to monitor and track yourself to mostly keep yourself in the aerobic zone while you are exercising (for endurance), and also you should see your resting heart rate, and post exercise rates dropping quickly to a lower level as you get fitter.
Additionally, and perhaps most importantly, is that you should combine both aerobic and anaerobic training (in the same session known as interval training), as you can achieve some degreee of lactic acid tolerance (for the big climbs), and also as short excursions into anaerobic zone are essential for getting you fit quickly.
You can monitor and track this all using your Garmin, and also set up training sessions and routes - an measure your performance and by your heart rate, your fitness levels.
There is pleny of info on this on the internet, as well as training plans using your heartrate. So good luck and enjoy the training!
- it ki9nd of confirmed my thoughts that I should monitor a level at which I am most efficient, and thus a HRM allows me to do this as I go, very handy for racing things like the Megavalanche where I know the uphills can be very long!Rico said:
Gooby! Long time. Left Bournemouth a while ago, hope all is well 
Nah... the fatty is definitely Neil!
Although, he kind of got his own back with a phone call and relaying his potential additional holiday plans this year... but I'll let him start a thread. One word... git!
Rico - I took it you left.Nah... the fatty is definitely Neil!
Although, he kind of got his own back with a phone call and relaying his potential additional holiday plans this year... but I'll let him start a thread. One word... git!
Hope all is going well...
A better test of your fitness is how quickly your heart reacts to the requirement to get up to speed then how quickly you recover :-)
Also try seeing how low you can get it... I've manage 26bpm, maximum 184.
I can tell when I'm near max due to how my body feels... if you're on a treadmill running for a period of time at speed...and you get out of breath and feeling like your bowels are about to let go... you're about as max as you're gonna go ;-O
Also try seeing how low you can get it... I've manage 26bpm, maximum 184.
I can tell when I'm near max due to how my body feels... if you're on a treadmill running for a period of time at speed...and you get out of breath and feeling like your bowels are about to let go... you're about as max as you're gonna go ;-O
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