Do you train by heart rate?
Do you use a heart rate monitor during training?
Do you do your workouts based on heart rate?
Or do you not consider it at all?
As you begin an exercise, your heart rate increases in order to supply enough oxygen and nutrients to your muscles (along with a vast array of other things). As you become more and more efficient at performing exercises at elevated heart rates, your heart becomes stronger. When your heart strengthens, it can push blood through your system easier and no longer needs to beat as often. This causes a decrease in your resting heart rate.
Knowing your heart rate during exercise is a convenient way of looking back and knowing how hard you pushed your body. Did you elevate it to 80% of maximum or was it only 50% and you thought it was higher?
On the other hand, you can go one step further and train by heart rate - set a heart rate goal for a given workout instead of a set pace or speed.
I've become increasingly interested in the idea of training by heart rate zones. However, I do not have a heart rate monitor, so I'm left with limited measures. Every day when I wake up, I grab my watch on my night stand and take a resting heart rate. So far it's averaged 51 bpm.
Resting HR = 51 bpm
That I'm not surprised by. An average man is around 70 bpm and athletes are always lower. On my lunch break at work, I pulled out my NASM book and calculated my heart rate zones according to their three zone breakdown.
Maximum = 194 bpm
Zone 1 = 126 - 145
Zone 2 = 155 - 165
Zone 3 = 167 - 175
Yesterday, after my run, I decided to check my heart rate. After 3.86 miles at a 7:28 pace, I stopped my watch, turned it back to "clock" and checked my heart rate. Now, I know that once you stop an exercise, your heart rate begins shifting back to resting; obvious! However, I also know that it most likely takes two or three minutes even in elite athletes. I can't be sure of the general time table, but I must say I was surprised to see that my heart rate was only 126 bpm.
Post-Workout HR = 126 bpm
That's barely Zone 1! Can my heart rate have decreased that much that quickly? Or does my heart rate not get higher than zone 1? I am officially in the market for a heart rate monitor. I want to know where my heart rate is during my workouts. If I'm not even breaking into Zone 2, or even just barely, I want to know so I can up my pace.
I'm also adding my post-workout heart rate to the list of stats to collect. You should see the things I keep track of (And no, I won't divulge them all. At least not yet.). If I can find time (and I remember to do so), I'm going to start testing my heart rate immediately after, 1 minute, 2 minute, 5 minute, and 10 minute post-workout. If I can't tell what my heart rate is DURING my workout, I should be able to get some information from how fast my heart rate decreases after the workout.
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Questions
1. What is your resting heart rate?Relax for a full minute, find your pulse gently, and count the beats for one full minute. An average male is 70, female is 75. Athletes are typically lower.
2. Do you have a heart rate monitor? Do you have recommendations for me?!
I'm in the market for one. I'm not going to spend hundreds, but I need something reliable.
3. Do you train by heart rate zones or do you go more by speed, distance, or time?
So far, I've always gone by distance or time. I'd like to continue doing so, but with heart rate goals mixed in.
Swim fast. Bike smart. Run hard.
