Garmin Edge Heart Rate Zones, What Do They Mean ?

[gb155]

My (and everyone elses) Edge 705 lists heart rate in BMP, % of Max HR and 5 Heart Rate zones, but what do they mean ?

Zone 1, I assume is recovery ?

Zone 5, I assume is the red line zone ?

is zone 3 the fat burn zone ?

 

[Armegatron]

My (and everyone elses) Edge 705 lists heart rate in BMP, % of Max HR and 5 Heart Rate zones, but what do they mean ?

Zone 1, I assume is recovery ?

Zone 5, I assume is the red line zone ?

is zone 3 the fat burn zone ?

I have some good links open on zones, so Ill share them

http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/bike/heart_rate/heart_rate_zone_calculator_abcc_bcf.html

http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/coach/heartrate.htm

http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/bcfguide.html

The second link is for rowing but you should be able to get the point. Its defiantly interesting stuff and even after reading those pages Im not 100% clued up on it

 

[gb155]

I have some good links open on zones, so Ill share them

http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/bike/heart_rate/heart_rate_zone_calculator_abcc_bcf.html

http://www.twrc.rowing.org.uk/coach/heartrate.htm

http://www.machinehead-software.co.uk/bcfguide.html

The second link is for rowing but you should be able to get the point. Its defiantly interesting stuff and even after reading those pages Im not 100% clued up on it

Guessing by looking at those that 2.5-3.5 seems to be a sweet spot, I have never trained with HR before and done pretty well but I noticed that keeping below the red line zone keeps me going for much longer but when I hit the red zone I stuggle on longer commutes and the day after I tend to feel aweful too if I have spent too much time in it.

Gaz

 

[Rob3rt]

There is a lot of info on HR training out there, basically, in very rough terms the lower 2 zones are good for warming up and for recovery rides, the next 2 zones for endurance, the top 2 for speed/power training or something along those very rough lines.

So being very very basic you should select the area of your performance you wish to develop and ride in the respective zones. Its a bit more complicated than this in reality, since you cant just train in the zone you wish to develop constantly, but im not knowledgable enough to provide training examples. Training rides should be interspersed with some lower zone rides for recovery.

So, if you are going into the red you are hitting something like 75-80% of your MHR (probly zone 5 maybe higher)? If so you are training in your anearobic zone or on the border of your aerobic capacity, hence why you feel rough (achey muscles?) the next day, your muscles are flooded with lactic acid, if you spin out in the lower zones for a few hours the following day you will help relieve this.

Its worth bearing in mind that difference coaches define the zones with different cut offs.

 

[gb155]

Ok so looking at Garmin connect my stats for today are:

This morning:

Avg HR: 77 % of Max Max HR: 98 % of Max

This evening:

Avg HR: 82 % of Max Max HR: 96 % of Max

Tonight was a REALLY bad headwind so lets discount these figures, and look at 77% of MHR over 16 miles, is that too high ? or on the high side of where I want to be.

 

[Rob3rt]

Ok so looking at Garmin connect my stats for today

What are you aiming at performance wise? Or dont you actually care about performance and more just about monitoring your exertion to pace yourself?

77% is like zone 4 I think? Thats probly in the sort of zone where you would be targetting endurance events training at/close to your race effort pace, I think, Im not 100%.

You should avoid being at 96% of your max HR, thats a very high level of exertion, like a sprint at the end of a race style effort, basically the kind of effort where if you try maintain it for any sort of extended period you will eventuallty be forced to stop through pure exhaustion, vomitting or passing out. If you are aching and feeling rough the next day, maybe you are spending too much time up here.

Also are you working out your MHR from your age or through a ramp test? Because lab tests show in reality MHR is typically higher than that given by equations, so your zones might be innaccurate. Not that HR is super accurate in the 1st place.

Another thing I recall reading, Average HR is a pretty useless statistic, time in zone is the important one. Since average could land in zone through spending substantual periods above or below zone.

 

[Crackle]

Do you know what your actual max HR is. Not your theoretical but your actual Max?

 

[gb155]

What are you aiming at performance wise? Or dont you actually care about performance and more just about monitoring your exertion to pace yourself?

77% is like zone 4 I think? Thats probly in the sort of zone where you would be targetting endurance events training at/close to your race effort pace, I think, Im not 100%.

You should avoid being at 96% of your max HR, thats a very high level of exertion, like a sprint at the end of a race style effort, basically the kind of effort where if you try maintain it for any sort of extended period you will eventuallty be forced to stop through pure exhaustion, vomitting or passing out. If you are aching and feeling rough the next day, maybe you are spending too much time up here.

Also are you working out your MHR from your age or through a ramp test? Because lab tests show in reality MHR is typically higher than that given by equations, so your zones might be innaccurate. Not that HR is super accurate in the 1st place.

Another thing I recall reading, Average HR is a pretty useless statistic, time in zone is the important one. Since average could land in zone through spending substantual periods above or below zone.

Well still have a few extra stone im looking for both weight loss and better performance.

when I hit 96% it was a sprint, so thats not too bad then.

ermm I worked it out from my age as opposed to any tests.

Ahh right, Garmin connect says this re zones:

Avg HR: 2.4 z Max HR: 5.8 z

Thats just for the AM commute, didnt even notice that button in Garmin connect before, maybe it new LOL

I think the following (Along with the headwind) would explane my higher heart rate this evening.

Thanks for your help

 

[gb155]

Do you know what your actual max HR is. Not your theoretical but your actual Max?

No but a ride up the Alps should tell me LOL

 

[Crackle]

No but a ride up the Alps should tell me LOL

Without doing a ramp test the general advice is to take your max. as the highest you've ever seen and then adjust your zones over time according to feel.

If I hadn't done a self test, then I would have taken 186 as my Max. in fact it's 191, so not to far out and as it was a self test, that 191 could be wrong too.

 

[Rob3rt]

Bill Gates told me a way to self test your max HR.

To quote him

You need a 15 minute warm up and then build the effort up in 2 minute steps. i.e. ride quite hard for 2 minutes then change gear up or spin the gear you are in faster. After another 2 minutes do the same until you feel that you can hardly keep it going any longer; then sprint for your life. You HR should be at max at this point.

Have a few days of rest before trying this, then give it a go. Secondly get a resting heart rate measurement by wearing the garmin to bed then as soon as you wake up, turn on the garmin and take your reading, getting up and moving about will raise your HR, best to take it as soon as you wake (or you could do it manually by counting your pulse). Adjust your zones accordingly. Roughly, (MHR-RHR)/6 gives you the boundaries. The garmin should allow you to modify your MHR and/or the zone boundaries, at least I'd hope it does since its an expensive bit of kit.

Then, start to read the time in zone statistics rather than average HR over your commute. You should most likely should stay within zone 3-4, will burn fat, give you an aerobic workout without making you ache too much. Wont hurt to throw in the occasional interval at a higher % though. But if you do, go easy the day after.

I dont know if you already mentioned which garmin you are using, if not could you share which model you are using and your opinion on it. Im in the market for buying one! Looking at the Edge 500. I was going to buy just a HRM but to get a decent one with programmable zones and workouts (intervals etc), its looking like its going to be worth a punt just jumping up to an all in one system.

 

[PK99]

There is a lot of info on HR training out there, basically, in very rough terms the lower 2 zones are good for warming up and for recovery rides, the next 2 zones for endurance, the top 2 for speed/power training or something along those very rough lines.

from "Heart zone cycling"

zones 1-3 = health

zones 2-5 = fitness

zones 3-5 = performance

depending on what you are trying to achieve you should set the bulk of your time in the appropriate band BUT also ensuring time across the individual zones as the physiological benefits are zone specific

 

[psmiffy]

I think it is usefull to use the zones in conjunction with percieved "exertion" of excersice - I am a mid 50s geezer of dubious athletic abilities and do not indulge in competitive cycling - general fitness an a bit of weight control is my aim - increasing my performance in terms of power would be nice but not the objective - nonetheless, a small improvement in my power output is generally an end product of my regime - My target is to generally to do sessions that give me 40mins of moderate excercise - Uncomfortable to the top of uncomfortable - still able to control my breathing but conversation starts to become difficult - in the gym this is a session of about an hour giving me 40 minutes of Zone 3 with a few minutes of Zone 4 - on the bike I get a similar proportion amount of moderate with slightly more Zone 4 for a two hour ride assuming I have picked a route that has sufficient hills - The HR monitor is asimple way of ensuring that I amnot wasting my time and also alerts me if I should be out of sorts - If the perceived exertion does not tally with what I am expecting as a heart rate - I find the key to judging the overall length of excercise is to examine the historgram of the zone times afterwards and adjust the session lengths and intensity so I meet my personal objectives.

 

[gb155]

Bill Gates told me a way to self test your max HR.

To quote him

Have a few days of rest before trying this, then give it a go. Secondly get a resting heart rate measurement by wearing the garmin to bed then as soon as you wake up, turn on the garmin and take your reading, getting up and moving about will raise your HR, best to take it as soon as you wake (or you could do it manually by counting your pulse). Adjust your zones accordingly. Roughly, (MHR-RHR)/6 gives you the boundaries. The garmin should allow you to modify your MHR and/or the zone boundaries, at least I'd hope it does since its an expensive bit of kit.

Then, start to read the time in zone statistics rather than average HR over your commute. You should most likely should stay within zone 3-4, will burn fat, give you an aerobic workout without making you ache too much. Wont hurt to throw in the occasional interval at a higher % though. But if you do, go easy the day after.

I dont know if you already mentioned which garmin you are using, if not could you share which model you are using and your opinion on it. Im in the market for buying one! Looking at the Edge 500. I was going to buy just a HRM but to get a decent one with programmable zones and workouts (intervals etc), its looking like its going to be worth a punt just jumping up to an all in one system.

Ahhh Bill Gates

Will give it a go, re resting HR I have actually done that already and had it down to 52BPM, but never put that into the Garmin so will look at that later.

Thanks again for your advice.

I use the 705, AMAZING bit of kit but to be fair the 500 is just as good providing you dont want mapping, I actually got rid of a 705thinking it was overkill, after 4 weeks I could cope no more and purchased another one, this one will not be leaving me, not till Garmin bring out the 805 (or what ever they call it)

The 705 is a little bulky but on the stem you dont notice that, the battery is a good 10 hours with backlight on, its really down to $$$'s between the 2, as I say if you dont want maps jump into the 500 you will love it.

 

[jimboalee]

Here's my knowledge on HR zones.

1. 50 - 60% MHR = Moderate Aerobic zone.

2. 60 - 70% MHR = Weight Management zone.

3. 70 - 80% MHR = Aerobic Fitness zone.

4. 80 - 90% MHR = Peak Aerobic Peformance zone.

5. >90% LT zone.