Heart Rate Training

Does anyone do heart rate training and how often do they do it?
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Comments

  • I do it pretty much every time I train. Assuming you're looking at an iron distance race, I would say it's pretty important.
  • Hi Alex

    Yes I used it initially for a cycling endurance event in conjunction with a Wattbike 2 to 3 times a week. Thought it was great proved really helpful in keeping the junk miles down but definitely got stronger. No injuries, completed the event in much better shape that the previous effort. Now training for a marathon and used it initially to help with building running endurance and pace judgement. I bought Garmin HRM and watch and now have a foot pod too. Not a massive expenditure and if you're into tri it'll amount to a fraction of your equipment costs!!

  • thanks,

    I have just been looking into it and it seems great on paper but I didn't know if anyone had tried it. I was thinking about starting it in my turbo trainer sessions to build up the aerobic threshold

  • If you're gonna do it- you need to test your max to set your levels. Without that they could be well out.
  • I've been training exculsively by HR since starting last September on both running and cycling.  I calculated my zones from Fink's book and stay within Z2.  As I've got fitter I do feel as if I could be pushing harder but am determined to stick with the theory and am happy to make marginal gains each week.  That ethic has resulted in staying injury free and my average min/per/mile numbers have dropped from 11:12 (142bpm) to 9:52 (141bpm) for a 30 minute run.

    It feels sometimes as if you're making no progress but if you keep an accurate record of your training you can look back and see significant improvement over time.

  • Thanks Goldstone,

     

    I was looking as well at the zone 2 training and like the idea of building up the aerobic threshold. On paper you should be able to keep improving to the point where you are competitive but also not raising your heart rate to silly amounts. I am not sure whether I want to solely do HRT though. I was thinking of doing an hour on the turbo trainer 2-3 times a week to help increase my aerobic threshold but I’m looking to do an Olympic triathlon so I think I will have to do other forms of training as well, such as interval.

     

    Taking 2 mins off your average pace is pretty impressive though, if you continue to drop that time you’re going to start being competitive and not killing yourself doing it. The ultimate goal for me is Ironman which I am hoping to do in 2017 which gives me around 2.5 years so prepare for it. I think after I have done the Olympic in June I will start and increase the amount of HRT I do to help get me ready

     

  • I'm training towards IM Wales this September so not interested in any intervals at this moment. Having suffered with shin splints and achilles tendonitis when (over)training for a marathon in 2013, my biggest fear is that I'll pick up an injury that stops me running for several weeks and completely cocks up my plan. 

    I will be doing shorter triathlons this year building up to it but just using them as training sessions and for the experience so won't be doing any interval /speed work for those.

     

  • Goldstone wrote (see)

    I'm training towards IM Wales this September so not interested in any intervals at this moment. Having suffered with shin splints and achilles tendonitis when (over)training for a marathon in 2013, my biggest fear is that I'll pick up an injury that stops me running for several weeks and completely cocks up my plan. 

    I will be doing shorter triathlons this year building up to it but just using them as training sessions and for the experience so won't be doing any interval /speed work for those.

     

    If you assume intervals = injury, you're doing them wrong.

    Goldstone wrote (see)

    I've been training exculsively by HR since starting last September on both running and cycling.  I calculated my zones from Fink's book and stay within Z2.  As I've got fitter I do feel as if I could be pushing harder but am determined to stick with the theory and am happy to make marginal gains each week.  That ethic has resulted in staying injury free and my average min/per/mile numbers have dropped from 11:12 (142bpm) to 9:52 (141bpm) for a 30 minute run.

    It feels sometimes as if you're making no progress but if you keep an accurate record of your training you can look back and see significant improvement over time.

    That's essentially Maffetone Method.

  • I've tried but a stupidly low resting HR (circa 33BPM - not fit, it's hereditary) & very high HRT (circa 200 BPM) means my zones are really skewed & I only use them as a very rough rule of thumb.

    Generally the feedback from most friends has been as above.  It's tough to stick to the lower HR zones when you often feel stronger than the pace they're delivering but in the long run (as you'll find most at the end of IM are!) it pays dividends.

  • I don't assume intervals = injury however the higher intensity demanded by interval training surely poses a higher risk of injury?  The injuries I have had in the past were essentially caused by overtraining in general which included intervals.

    What I should perhaps have said is that because of past injuries I now feel more confident in remaining injury free by training at a lower intensity/Z2 whilst still making significant gains in my fitness.  I am also a long way off of my IM in September so at this stage still want to concentrate on building endurance.

    I'll have a read up of Maffetone later on.  Is there anything wrong with it?

  • I see there are loads of different ways to calculate your zones. Obviously the best way is to go through proper testing but for doing it at home what would people recommend? I see finks seems to come out with a higher heart rate in each zone then others 

  • Goldstone wrote (see)

     I am also a long way off of my IM in September so at this stage still want to concentrate on building endurance.

    I'll have a read up of Maffetone later on.  Is there anything wrong with it?

    Maybe the intervals were too hard before. Maybe you came into them with a big volume of endurance base and felt you could fly as a result?  And maybe if you'd included a sensible amount of more intense running earlier on, your body would have been more ready for that type of load. Intervals don't break people, ego does. 

    Though there's nothing wrong with Maffetone, either. Different strokes. image

    Personally, I'm racing Wales too. And I'm doing intervals.

  • Wannabe Iron Alex wrote (see)

    I see there are loads of different ways to calculate your zones. Obviously the best way is to go through proper testing but for doing it at home what would people recommend? I see finks seems to come out with a higher heart rate in each zone then others 

    Do a search on HRMax tests. The trickiest thing is ensuring you warm up properly first. If you go out all guns blaxing, your legs will tire before your aeobic CV system. What you are trying to do in this test is the opposite - keep your legs as fresh as possible while you blast your heart+lungs.

    The two most frequent suggestions I see are a set of hill reps after a suitable warm up. Sprint up, jog down, sprint up etc etc until your HR doesn't go any higher.

    Alternatively, run a 5k race and record the highest HR you see (there are also some variations on this if you have access to a track to get more accurate data).

    It goes without saying that finding your HRMax is a painful process, and not recommended unless well rested and completely fit and healthy. It's why most books will get you to have a doctor check yourself out before doing one.

  • Regarding intervals - I'm another one doing Wales and planning on doing intervals to a certain extent (and certainly hill reps both running and biking). I am a great believer that base is most important (i.e. your Z2 training stuff) but the stronger you can make your body both in terms of capacity to handle high levels of lactate / work, and strength in the traditional sense, the easier even the low level work will become (especially with a race like Wales where you will be doing very well to stay in Z2 all the way round on the hills).

    If you stray into Z3+ during the race, you will appreciate your body's ability to recover from high levels of lactate. Intervals should train your body to work at this level, and then clear it.

  • I train by HR, and I found the hardest thing was to leave the ego behind on easy days. I've got used to it now. My easy days are just that; very easy effort.

    Re: Intervals, some people take longer to warm up than others. I like to do at least 3km of WU before hand, including some strides, heel raises, high knees, etc. I like intervals though.

  • I would just add my voice to those that use HR as a way of training. I stopped for a while last year and spent some time just training to feel. I saw a drop in my times this way. I have gone back to HR now and am seeing some great improvements in my times again.

     

     

  • I have done this formula to calculate zone 2, does this look right

     

     220 – your age = estimated max heart rate (MHR)

     

    ((MHR – resting heart rate) x 0.7) + resting heart rate = lower boundary

    ((MHR – resting heart rate) x 0.8) + resting hear rate = upper boundary

      

    Example for me:

     

    220 – 24 = 196 (MHR)

     

    ((196-70) x 0.7) + 70 = 158 Beats per Minute

    ((196-70) x 0.8) + 70 = 171 Beats per Minute

  • ... also

     

    I realise there is better ways to get your max heart rate but this is just to get me started

  • Sounds about right. Depending on who's training plans you're following the actual percentages at each zone may be slightly different. I know Fink uses 4 zones whereas Friel has 5 with the upper anaerobic split further. I think Fink Z2 is 70%-80% for biking and 75-85% for running.

  • Is your resting HR really 70?

    Guess this leads me to a question about how to calculate your resting HR. Just as a quick test I put my HR band on and sitting at my desk I can reach a low of 44, but over a recorded minute my average was 47. Do I use the low or the minute average? or is sitting at my desk in an office not the best place to check to start with! image

  • Snap!Snap! ✭✭✭

    Not if it's my office!

  • Forget 220-age, it has more chance of being inaccurate than being accurate.

    I am 42 and my tested max is 196.

    Do a 15 minute warm up, then run flat out for 5 mins followed by a 3 min recovery then another 5 mins flat out. Run hard enough that you want to throw up. The highest HR of your second five minutes is your max.

    Re:  resting HR best tested when you first wake up, do the test 3 days in a row and take the average.

  • I have only had it as low as mid 60's but that was laid back chilled on the sofa at night. Probably a sign of how unfit I am lol

  • The measurement of resting heart rate should be taken after a few minutes upon waking whilst still lying in bed, after emptying your bladder. Do that bit at the loo … ntt in your bed). Give your body some time to adjust to the change from sleeping before taking your pulse (2-5 minutes). If you are not able to take a measurement first thing in the morning, make sure you lie down for at least 10 minutes before taking a measurement.

    You need to do this a few times to get your norm …

    You can monitor your resting heart rate over time, writing down the heart rate each morning for a few weeks. After a bit you will get an idea of what your average resting heart rate is.

    Once a normal resting heart rate has been established, it becomes easy to determine your physiological state.

  • You get both low beaters and high (there is no norm for norm)

    I'm a low beater 

  • I had my max tested in a lab ... it hurt image

  • Thats hard-core WildWill a lab HR test must be extreme. 


    I just used a few parkruns, over the course of a few months when I pushed for PB's I often got a HR of 198-200 on teh home straight, so I use 200! I have been using 44 as my resting rate, which is the lowest rate I have got at home in the evening relaxing, and I got in my office just now (nice to have an easy job!!) But I will give the morning test a go over the next few days see if it's any different. 

  • By way of encouragement.

    October 2012, 13min miles to stay sub 150Bpm

    4 Months of HR training later

    Last Friday 8:10min miles, Average 151Bpm which included a few uphill sections.

    It works!

  • Isn't that 2 years and 4 months later? image

    Effing Madness wrote (see)

    By way of encouragement.

    October 2012, 13min miles to stay sub 150Bpm

    4 Months of HR training later

    Last Friday 8:10min miles, Average 151Bpm which included a few uphill sections.

    It works!

     

  • VDOT52VDOT52 ✭✭✭
    Max HR test



    Here???s a workout that will work:



    Warm-up with 2-3 miles of easy running

    Then run a 2-3 mile tempo run to pre-fatigue your body followed by 3 minutes of easy running

    Next, run 4 x 90second hills at 5k pace with a jog down recovery. Run the last hill rep as hard as you can and keep going until you are exhausted.
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