Heart Rate Monitor figures.

[T.M.H.N.E.T]

I think I am in the minority, I couldn't care less about what my heart rate or cadence is when I ride.

Good to know.

PS: why is everyone using 220-age?

 

[Andrew_P]

PS: why is everyone using 220-age?

Good point, not got the bottle to take my 48 year old ticker to its passing out/throwing up limit, just in case it doesn't like it enoughto call time. Reality is I would guesstimate if I did it would be within 5 beats under the 172. I have been tempted to pay for a clinical stress test. Had one at 32 but never asked what my HR max would be.

 

[WobblyBob]

Ahhh here we have some physiology stuff. (deffo my area)

44 yearsold man will have a theoretical max heart rate of 220-44 so. 176. therefore its not surprising that you nearly passdout at 188. thats probasbly very close to your 100% max HR at present.

A resting HR of 53 is good, inthat it indicates a fairly efficient heart muscle, and good endurance fitness. (assuming you are not taking beta blockers)

the whole idea of training is ZONES expressed as percentage of HRmax.

zone 1-5 getting progressively harder and therfore higher up the HR scale.

Its a case of percentages. zone one is light easy stuff, which is good for recovery rides. (50% 60%)
zone 2 60-70% (aerobic endurance work)
zone3 (70-80% ) moderate exercise
zone4 (80-90) improves high speed endurance
zone 5 (90-100%) increases maximal work load and power capacity etc.

the trainig zones all have different outcomes, but in your case training inthe endurance zone thats 2-3 is best for leight loss and increasing fitness base. working maximally at 188 bpm at your current state is dangerous and counter productive.

What people often get confused about is the fact that your resting hr lowers as you get fitter (heart muscle gets more efficent and thus moves more blood per contraction ) whereas the HRmax goes up, as your whole circulatory system gets better at responding to increased demands, and Heart muscle just like any other increases it s capacity for work as a result of training.

thus you can work harder as you get fitter, for less effort. (in other words the big hills get "easier" to climb, and you can climb for longer)

That's really interesting stuff, thanks.

To be honest i would say at the minute the vast majority of my rides are in zone 4 or even 5 which after reading the above obviously is'nt the best for me as i'm wanting to lose some weight but i obviously also want to get better/faster aswell.

When i'm working my butt off i can average about 16.5mph over say 35 miles on a good day & when i've been doing my 'easy' recovery rides in zone 2/3 i was doing about 11.5mph but i did have some peaks into zone 4 but very minimal.

Am i best off doing more zone 2/3 work than zone 4/5 to reach my goals would you say then ?

I'm currently getting in between about 80-140miles a week at the moment.

Cheers

 

[WobblyBob]

And LOCO by the way....you are fit (in a non sexual way of course) ha ha

 

[doog]

I've not long got a Garmin 500 with heart rate monitor which is really interesting to have a look at the facts & figures after my rides.

Anyway since using my monitor i have discovered i have a resting heart rate of about 53bpm, i have peaked out up a monster hill almost passing out at 188bpm & most of my rides which i usually work quite hard at i end up with a average BPM of somewhere between 152-165.

?

That average of yours. Im no expert but that average seems high. Im late 40's, not super fit but have always ticked over. Ive had a turbo for 16 months plus HR monitor and some quite gruelling programmes (sufferfest etc) and I struggle to get to 165 BPM max and my average over a lung buster 1 hour session is 137/ 140 . Constant spinning, so unlike road work but obviously try as hard as I can I cant replicate hills on it but when I do go out and hit hills its less effort than the turbo.

Is it worth you slowing down a bit and building it up ....I dunno

 

[Garz]

I think that is generally correct but i think he was a bit concerned that every time i go out i'm working hard & i'm missing my recovery rides which help apparently, something to do with HR zones or % rates of effort.....something like that i guess

There is some truth in this so he is not giving you bad advice. I would suggest finding your max HR, it probably isnt far off the 188 you peaked, but once this is set right you can train to the zones accordingly. If you dont set this up correctly you could be training poorly and not realise it for ages.

 

[WobblyBob]

That average of yours. Im no expert but that average seems high. Im late 40's, not super fit but have always ticked over. Ive had a turbo for 16 months plus HR monitor and some quite gruelling programmes (sufferfest etc) and I struggle to get to 165 BPM max and my average over a lung buster 1 hour session is 137/ 140 . Constant spinning, so unlike road work but obviously try as hard as I can I cant replicate hills on it but when I do go out and hit hills its less effort than the turbo.

Is it worth you slowing down a bit and building it up ....I dunno

You're probably dead right !!

I'm my own worst enemy tho, after writing the initial post i went out for a ride, i managed 22 miles in very windy conditions & my ave HR was 162 & i peaked at 178 !!
Funny thing is though, when i was out i thought i was controlling myself relatively well......i need to keep reminding myself i'm not 22 & superfit anymore, i'm 44 & superfat

 

[doog]

You're probably dead right !!

I'm my own worst enemy tho, after writing the initial post i went out for a ride, i managed 22 miles in very windy conditions & my ave HR was 162 & i peaked at 178 !!
Funny thing is though, when i was out i thought i was controlling myself relatively well......i need to keep reminding myself i'm not 22 & superfit anymore, i'm 44 & superfat

Just out of interest, have you measured how long it takes for your HR to drop from those sort of figures down to your normal sit down average. My limited understanding is that its your recovery rate that is a good indicator of your general fitness and the state of your ticker etc .

Someone will probably put me right mind.

 

[WobblyBob]

Just out of interest, have you measured how long it takes for your HR to drop from those sort of figures down to your normal sit down average. My limited understanding is that its your recovery rate that is a good indicator of your general fitness and the state of your ticker etc .

Someone will probably put me right mind.

Mmmmmmm....i've no idea really, although i've noticed on a couple of occasions when i've been climbing & my HR has topped 170ish & on the descents that might have taken maybe 2 mins of freewheeling its gone back down to the 100 mark, don't know if that's good, crap or what tho

 

[Si_]

I don't really understand the point you are trying to make re. rest rides tbh, sounds like an example that leads to nowhere.

Recovery intensity is defined in relation to either MHR, LTHR or FTP or any other number of intensity baselines. Therefore it is applicable to anyone. It does not matter how fit you are!

By definition a rest ride is an easy spin to promote recovery, the definition does not change the fitter you are! A recovery ride will NEVER lead to training adaption in a direct sense, it will only ever promote recovery from more intense exercise.

Also, re. max HR, someone who is fitter will not necessarily have a higher Max HR! Max HR is not an indication of fitness!

The point i was making is that bradley wiggins recovery rides will liely be at a higher pace than a 44 yrs old average guy.

and the fitter a rider gets the higher, this pace will get for a given work rate.

 

[Andrew_P]

Just out of interest, have you measured how long it takes for your HR to drop from those sort of figures down to your normal sit down average. My limited understanding is that its your recovery rate that is a good indicator of your general fitness and the state of your ticker etc .

Someone will probably put me right mind.

Another good question. I measure mine using one and two minutes using Garmin Connect. I get to the top of the hill and then coast/gentle pedal on downhill for two minutes. If you run your mouse over the heart rate graph it gives toy rime and BPM. If you have a cardio stress test at the hospital it is one of the measurements they take at the end, it is oneof the best indicators of heart fitness.

 

[Andrew_P]

Mmmmmmm....i've no idea really, although i've noticed on a couple of occasions when i've been climbing & my HR has topped 170ish & on the descents that might have taken maybe 2 mins of freewheeling its gone back down to the 100 mark, don't know if that's good, crap or what tho

Anything under 12 BPM recovery in two minutes is bad news, if you are getting 70 your heart is mega fit! http://www.johnstonefitness.com/201...ess-hrrest-hrmax-hrr-recovery-hr-and-vo2-max/

 

[Garz]

...If you run your mouse over the heart rate graph it gives toy rime and BPM. If you have a cardio stress test at the hospital it is one of the measurements they take at the end, it is oneof the best indicators of heart fitness.

What is toy rime?

 

[Si_]

Good to know.

PS: why is everyone using 220-age?

220 minus age has been a good rule of thumb for a "theoretical" max HR for years.

HOWEVER

its just a mathematical starting point. if you are older/ younger and can go above or cant get to the "correct" number dont push it.

a 50 year old guy who has done triathlons all his life will be a=way off the average figures. and a body builder is technically obese, so its all guidelines not rules.

just fro reference average resting HR is 74, but to measure ture resting rate you should do it at the point you wake up inthe morning, as this is when your system is most "relaxed" so to speak.

 

[Andrew_P]

What is toy rime?

dunno how that happend should be you time and beats per minute