If you want to work at 80% of your max to get the most out of your workouts, how do you know what that is, if you have never pushed yourself to your limit. Everyones work load is different. Heart rate is a great indicator of work load, but some bodies can push past the typical mathematical equation of Target heart rate zone= 220-age x (percentage of workload) This means that if you want to work at 80% of your workload and you are 20 years old (for easier math), you would do:
220-20 x .80= 160. So you would want your heart rate to be at about 160 beat per minute. This is a standard and very effective, but some athletes can go past that and feel amazing and some people that are completely new to fitness or any type of exercise should not get near this number.
Use your body as an indicator as well. Push to your limits at least once to see where you can go and how strong you are. Then work just above your comfort level to get the BEST RESULTS!
Remember: Everyday is a different day. Some days you may wake up and feel wonderful, powerful, stonger, energetic and highly motivated. Other days you may wake up, tired, hungry, unmotivated and lazy, but you still go out there and do your best! You push past the hard days, and the easy days will be even EASIER!!
Michelle Rotell
www.sweatcardio.com
www.facebook.com/sweatcardio
I fully agree! I'm 46, still 30 lbs over weight, but I can keep my heart rate over 160 for my entire 20 mins of cardio, often reaching 175. I push up and down in this range, even though my doctor has told me anything above 140 is plenty. He also told me that going up and down throughout the session within my comfort range helps improve my overall circulation. Knowing my range and then working at my max has helped me feel better overall.
ReplyDeleteThis is so true! Varying your heart rate is another great way to see results. Staying at your max is not recommended for long periods of time. Staying within a 60-80% range is best. But the key is to know your max so you can push to it or around it.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comments. Please continue to read and post.
Stay fit, Michelle Rotell