I am sure by now you have seen the case of heart rate monitors at your local sporting goods store and probably considered buying one. Maybe you have even bought one, but don't really know what to do with it. Let's talk a bit about what heart rate training is, why you would want to consider it, and how to go about it.
What is Heart Rate Training (HRT)?
As you may have guessed, heart rate training is tailoring your workouts and performance based upon your heart rate. Believe it or not, you're already doing this, even if you don't have a heart rate monitor. When you run at what you consider an easy pace, what does that really mean? Among other things, it means that you run at a heart rate that you consider maintainable for a specified duration. Looked upon from this perspective, everyone performs heart rate training; some just do it more precisely than others and in a more organized fashion.
When people talk about HRT, what they mean is training in specific zones and utilizing the feedback from a heart rate monitor.
How Do You Monitor Your Heart Rate?
Ever see someone walking around after a run with two fingers held up to the carotid artery taking their pulse? Well, that's one way. I can churn my own butter too, but I'm not Amish, so I'll kick it up a notch technologically speaking. You are realistically going to need a heart rate monitor to get started. Several manufacturers make them including Polar, Timex, and Nike. Personally, I like Polar because they're compatible with most commercial treadmills, but it's an individual preference.
Your monitor will have two pieces: a strap you wear around your chest to capture your heart rate and a receiver, typically a watch. You can get all kinds of bells and whistles in these things, telling you the number of calories burned, PC synch capabilities, a compass, barometric pressure, etc., but all you really need is one that displays your heart rate and the time.
Why Train with Heart Rate Zones?
Now that you've got your shiny new watch and chest strap on and feel like a real athlete, here's where the majority of people stop. Let's splash some water on our face and get to understand what the point of all this gear is. In a nutshell, you want to train at different levels of intensity to accomplish different things. You can gauge these levels of intensity using your own feedback and experience (trainers use the fancy term Perceived Level of Exertion), or you can gauge your intensity by monitoring your heart rate. Monitoring your heart rate gives you an advantage of precision and eliminates a lot of the subjectivity.
During HRT we call these zones of intensity training zones. Sometimes we want to keep our heart rate within a certain zone to build aerobic capacity; other times we may want to keep it in a more vigorous zone to build speed.
Calculating Your Heart Rate Zones
Maximum Heart Rate
Most people with even a beginning understanding of heart rate training have heard that to find your maximum heart rate, you subtract your age from 220. This is a nice wild guess like your shoe size is kind of the same distance from your elbow to wrist, but what's the point of getting all geared up with fancy watches if we're not going to be accurate?
The most reliable way to determine your absolute maximum heart rate is to run till you have a heart attack, but since that ruins the weekend, we're going to approximate it using a far more accurate method called Lactate Threshold (LT).
Lactate Threshold
So what's Lactate Threshold? Well, it all has to do with something you may have heard of, lactic acid. During low intensity, your muscles produce lactate, and your body absorbs it back, keeping the overall concentration in the blood low. As your exercise intensity increases, however, your muscles produce more lactate than your body can absorb, and the concentration in your blood goes up. This point where the body can't keep up with the lactate production is called the lactate threshold and is the highest intensity that a person can maintain for more than about 30 minutes.
To measure your LT, perform a 30-minute time trial. Warm up for 15 minutes and then maintain a hard pace for 30 minutes, recording your average heart rate over the last 20 minutes. This number is your LT.
Understanding Your Training Zones
Now that you know your LT, what the heck good does it do you? Nothing, until you figure out your training zones. Then you'll know exactly what HR you should be training at for your goals.
The training zones are:
- Zone 1 (Recovery Zone): 65-85% LT
- Zone 2 (Extensive Endurance): 85-90% LT
- Zone 3 (Intensive Endurance): 90-95% LT
- Zone 4 (Lactate Threshold): 95-102% LT
- Zone 5 (Power Training): 102-110% LT
For example, if your LT is 160, your Zone 2 range is 136-144. Use these zones to tailor your workouts to your goals, such as building aerobic capacity or improving sprint power.
The Benefits of Heart Rate Training
HRT offers a level of precision unmatched by subjective methods, allowing athletes to train smarter and more effectively. By maintaining specific intensities, you can optimize endurance, increase speed, and avoid overtraining. Plus, as your fitness improves, you'll see measurable progress by retesting your LT and updating your zones.
Conclusion
Whether you're a seasoned triathlete or a recreational runner, heart rate training can revolutionize your approach to endurance sports. It takes the guesswork out of workouts and maximizes results. With tools like heart rate monitors and an understanding of your LT, you can push your limits safely and efficiently. Remember to periodically retest and adjust your zones as you progress.
Rich Butkevic ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer, triathlete, and author from Madison, WI. www.madisontrainer.com
