Fitness 101 with Audra Yocom – Finding Your Target Heart Rate (THR)
by Audra Yocom
Audra Yocom is a certified personal trainer based out of Burbank, CA and will be bringing you monthly fitness tips and helping us to disspell those myths we’ve all been subjected to regarding fitness at one point or another in our battle with the bulge. To learn more about Audra or to inquire about training sessions visit her site www.audrayocom.com.
Target heart rates and their use in fitness ignite a lot of controversy amongst fitness professionals. Some schools of thought believe you should forget your target heart rate altogether and concentrate on burning more calories in a day than you consume. Other schools of thought say to focus on staying in the fat burn zone (around 60 – 65% of your target heart rate) because a higher percentage of fat calories are burned in this zone. My experience as a trainer and as an avid indoor cyclist has led me to the conclusion that being mindful of my target heart rate (THR) is actually very important not only in losing weight but also in achieving multiple levels of cardiovascular fitness. I have been taking indoor cycling classes for several years. I thoroughly enjoy them, but I have to admit that I never really experienced much transformation in my outward appearance when doing these classes. I also noticed that most of my fellow cycling buddies in my favorite cycling class never changed much over the years we were taking the classes together. We didn’t mind much because most of us were just addicted to the endorphin high and euphoria we experienced during and after the class, but over time it did start to make me wonder. Eventually my love for indoor cycling led me to seek my spinning certification and that is where I first learned about incorporating my heart rate into my aerobic regimen and also about using energy zones. I started using a heart rate monitor and eventually even bought my own spinning bike. It wasn’t until I started incorporating these methods into my aerobic practice that I began to notice significant changes in my appearance and in my cardiovascular ability.
There are a few different ways to determine your target heart rate. I’m going to show you two different methods and you can decide for yourself which one you feel is best.
Method 1
Karvonen Method
220
-___ Subtract Age
____Predicted, age-adjusted maximum
-___ Subtract resting heart rate*
____ Heart rate reserve
x___ Multiply by exercise intensity of 60 – 80%
____
+___ Add resting heart rate back in
____ Target heart rate (beats/minute)
* Resting heart rate can be determined by taking your heart rate for a full minute upon waking up and before getting out of bed
Example:
220
-32 Subtract age
188 Predicted, age-adjusted maximum
-70 Resting heart rate
118Heart rate reserve
x .70 (heart rate intensity of 70%)
111
+70 Adding resting heart rate back in
181 Target heart rate bpm (beats per minute)
Method 2
Age-Predicted Maximum Heart Rate
Male:
220 (max HR)
-30 (age)
190 predicted max
Female:
226 (max HR)
-30 (age)
196 predicted max
Both examples in Method 2 show the maximum heart rate. To find the target heart rate you would multiply the predicted max by the level of intensity you want to achieve. So for the female you would multiply 196 by say 75%. To achieve 75% of her max heart rate she would need to stay around 147 bpm. The rule of thumb with cardiovascular exercise is to stay between 60% and 85% of your predicted maximum heart rate. As a beginner who has led a fairly sedentary lifestyle you will want to stay toward the lower percentage range to start. As you get stronger and build a cardiovascular base for yourself you will want to increase your target heart rate to match your fitness level. Once you’ve built a solid base for yourself it’s time to start playing around with different intensity or energy zones. This is a good way to shock your body so you aren’t doing the same routine every time. These are the different energy zones I personally like to switch between:
Endurance 65% – 75% of your predicted max heart rate
Strength 75% – 85% of your predicted max heart rate
Interval 65% – 92% of your predicted max heart rate
So for example Tuesday I might do an endurance run on a treadmill or spinning bike. On Thursday I would do a strength cardio workout and on Saturday I would do an interval session. When training at an endurance or strength level you want to pick a heart rate somewhere between the lower and upper percentage and stay within 5 bpm of that number, but with the interval training you will do a long burst at the higher range and then go back down to the lower percentage, recover and then push back up to the higher percentage and repeat throughout your cardio session. Some weeks I may even stick to doing endurance for the week and then switching to strength training the next week. I like to constantly change my routine so my body never knows what’s coming next.
You can play around with these intensity levels and see what works for you. Every individual is different and it just takes some playing around to find your best strategy. I recommend buying a heart rate monitor so that at any given time you can look at it to see where your heart rate is instead of having to constantly stop your workout to check. Most monitors will allow you to set an upper and lower heart rate target. When your heart rate goes above or below the level you set it to it will beep to let you know you are no longer in your heart rate range. The best part about having a heart rate monitor for cardiovascular exercise is that it’s like having your own personal trainer with you at all times telling you whether or not you are working hard enough.
To learn more about Audra Yocom and her personal training services please visit her site at www.audrayocom.com.