Ok fellas, I've been trying to get in better shape for a fitness test I soon have to take that's job-related.

I've noticed that when I'm at the top of my "training range" for heart rate (around 155bpm) it feels like I'm not even working.

When I'm pushing myself in "training mode" to where it feels like I'm trying hard, my heart rate is way up there-- 185bpm typically.

Today I ran 1.75m at a 6:58 pace, and at the end of that short run, my HR was coming down off 185.

Am I just cursed by genes with a low-capacity heart? Is it because I'm still somewhat porky at 197#? Or is it because I have a cold right now and my lungs aren't exchanging oxygen as efficiently? I honestly don't suspect much the cold-related thing because my HR is typically about what I saw today.

My family is worried that I'm pushing myself too hard and going to die on the track, but honestly a 7min mile isn't that fast for less than 2miles, and I've always had a pretty high heart rate when doing fitness-type activities.

Justin

 

It depends on your age. An 18 year old can run around all day at 185bpm no problem, a 40 year old is a different situation. The only time my heartrate got above 185 was during a workout in Iraq(had some free time at Camp Cupcake). I had just taken Hydroxycut Extreme and Rip Fuel plus a red bull. My heart rate hit 200BPM!!!!! I worked out for three and a half hours. I will never to do that again however sometimes I think about taking that combo for my next PFT But seriously, you're heart is nothing to mess around with, once you're lungs get into shape they will be able to transfer more oxygen into your blood making your heart work less to get the needed O2 to you're muscles. It can be a long process, but you will eventually see your heartrate lowering for the same workout over a period of time. Now if you're arm starts to hurt, stop running

 

As you get fitter or better trained in a particular activity, you will find you will be able to maintain the same pace at a lower heart rate.

I'm no expert, but if you are starting out in running or biking or whatever, I think it would be a good thing to do longer sessions below aerobic threshold (about 65% of max HR) for maybe a month and a half to build a fitness base.

Then start adding intervals at higher HR to continue to improve.

When I was biking a lot, I learned that if I ran continually above about 172 or so, I would fall apart after about 45 minutes or so, but if I ran slightly below that (and ate enough and kept hydrated) I could make it through a 4 or 5 hour ride still feeling strong.

 

Wow, ya'll fancy work outers!

When running I would just try to push myself the entire way through what ever course I chose for myself. For the 3 mile pft run I would make sure that when I saw the finish line I couldnt pick up the pace. That meant that I had been running as fast as I could up till then.

Heartbeat is nice and all I guess, but performance is more right?

 

I just bust my butt whenever I hit cardio. Im 20 and I can go all day at 190 or so when I keep hydrated. I'll drop down to 175, rest for a few and then kick it back into gear.

 

I never felt like I was putting forth a good effort until my HR got above 200 bpm. I'm not a natural athlete or anything, and a little on the heavy side. A 2 mile PT test run when i was able to keep a 7 min/mile pace my HR was probably 220-240. Not sure if that is good or bad or just means I will die soon.

 

220 is insane. That's not a workout, imo

I'm not that worried about 185bpm, because it's not like it hurts. It actually feels not too bad at all. When I tire after a 1.75m, it's because my muscles are giving out more than anything. Which makes sense, because I'm anaerobic at that point and lactic acid is building up.

I personally think it's my lungs, not my heart that is lagging the rest of me behind.

I am SO ready for this stupid cold to be over. I've had sludge in my lungs for almost 9 days, and I can't afford this kind of delay in my fitness improvement schedule. I'm on a tight schedule, so to speak.

jh

 

When you get into the 230-240 range, death is close if you keep it there for too long. The heart can beat that fast with no problem. Its just the lungs cant supply enough oxygen to feed the rest of the body at that rate. When you get up that high just keep running but slow your run down, dont immediately stop or you will pass out.

The lower you keep your heart rate the longer you can go.

 

Well I always tried to give a good effort when I was PTing lol. I would regularly see near 200 bpm during a 30-45 minute elliptical machine workout, but it didn't feel like I was really stressing anything too badly. Maybe my body just became conditioned to it??????? I haven't done a lick of strenuous activity since I got out over a year ago. Maybe I'll start again and see how the ticker does.

 

Your cold is definitely hampering your progress, flem in the lungs means less O2 perfusion= higher heart rates for the same amount of labor. Since you stated your heart usually beats at that rate then more cardio is what your going to need. Do you check your blood pressure before and after your work out? You should to get a good base line, it will also give insight as to your heart rate.

I weigh in at 220# on a 5'9" frame with a beer gut, I work my entire body on Cybex machines 2-3 times per week, some weeks only once, and some weeks 3 times, usually for 1 hour, then follow that with 20 minutes on a treadmill or arc trainer, on cardio day's I usually hit the arc trainer for 45 min, heart rate usually is around 165 with peaks up to 200, machine set to automatic variable. I don't work out to be an adonis, just to stay strong and healthy so I can perform my job to exceed my personal expectations.

Tim

 

Here's the deal. I'm 6'1" and ~196# typically. I'm not severely overweight, but I could lose 20# with nothing but good consequences. In fact, by BMI I'd have to lose 10# just to not be overweight anymore.

My blood pressure is typically towards the low end. Pre-workout it will be around 115/72, and can drop even lower after a workout, around 100/60.

The test I am training for is for the FBI academy, and it's entirely anaerobic, even the "endurance" portion that is 1.5miles. At least for me it is, because I can't do 1.5m in ~10 min without being well out of my aerobic range.

As my fitness improves, I'm confident that my HR at the same workload will go down-- what used to take 185bpm may drop to 175 or so.

I *HATE* being sick, and it's mostly because I'm impatient more than anything else.

jh

 

Your heart rate tells a lot of what your body is using for fuel. If you want to burn fat then your target heart rate should be in the 118-126 range any thing higher than that and you start burning sugars in your system. If you want to train for an aerobic workout for a 6 minute mile you will need to stay hydrated along with a lot of potassium and carbohydrates. If you don't then that's where you will start to run into complications. Your muscles will start to convert lactic acid and you will cramp up and your lungs will become fairly inefficient at oxygen transfer. Your cold is not helping you in the hydration department at all. As we get older, we really need to pay attention to our what our bodies are saying. If you are on a plateu right now with your heart rate and endurance then you are likely missing a component. It could be hydration or potassium, it could be lung capacity due to your cold. A great exercise for increasing lung efficency and capacity is in the pool doing laps and under water breath holding. I would seek advice from the local college trainer(s) as they usually will be able to help immensely in these types of situations. When I was in the Army at a young age and running the 2 mile for a PT test it was no big deal to max it every time. I would just blindly run my head off to no consequence but as I am older it isn't the answer anymore that's for sure. Take care, listen to your body and stay safe.

 

I'm guilty as charged on in the hydration and electrolyte department. I tend workout when I should be eating (3-4 hrs from previous meal) because I tend to puke when I push it hard if I've eaten within 2hrs or so.

The weather is nice today-- it looks like I'll be outside on today's excursion.

jh

 

You don't mention your age, maybe a good thing. Anyway a standard formula, for better or worse, is to take 220 minus your age. That will give you a maximum heart rate. For anaerobic work, use about 85% of that figure, for aerobic work, 65% or so. One thing that you have to realize is that when you start a exercise program your whole body has to adapt, not just your muscles. As you start the program your body starts to add more capillaries to both increase blood to the muscle and remove the lactic acid that is produced. Your lung capacity will start to increase, raising your anaerobic threshold accordingly. Your tendons and ligaments will strengthen. All this takes time, if you push it too hard too soon you will set yourself up to injury and be even more frustrated than before. If you have not done much exercise, start easy even if it feels easy, let your body adapt to the new program. As it does so, increase the intensity. Do a small test, do a interval until you fail from anaerobic debt , wait 30 seconds, do two more times. How long does it take for your heart to return to normal. The longer it takes, the worse shape you are in. Exercise accordingly. Just because you can go out and hammer yourself and get your heart rate up there does not mean that it is beneficial. Have fun, be careful.

 

Using that formula, I'm at 188 for maximum HR. (I'm 32, so still somewhat young).

Fellas, I think I've given the impression that I am just starting this out. Far from it. I've been running more seriously for about 3 years. All my time in the USAF I had to meet fitness standards that required running.

One indicator of fitness is recovery time, as you Baja mentioned. On this measure, I can't really decide where I am because for a set amount of work (like say a 2 mile run at a moderate (8:00) pace), my recovery time seems very low-- I feel like I could hit the road and run some more with no rest.

Yet when I'm pushing it at a faster pace and going for nearly broke, my recovery time can be much longer.

For example, I did yesterday my 1.75 miles at 6:58 pace on the treadmill. When I was done, I "walked it off" at a slow 20:00 pace (slow walk). Even after 10 minutes of walking, my HR was still over 125bpm.

I've read that "oxygen deficiency" defined by how long it takes your HR to settle down after a run is a good measure of how hard you worked out, because your body must use more oxygen to replentish what you spent.

So when I'm running, I'm actually TRYING to make the recovery period pretty long because I need to be stressing my heart/lungs to make them improve.

If I ran at a slower pace, I feel like I would just be maintaining, not improving.

But there's the school of thought that says an elevated hr is "overtraining." Maybe, but I don't think so-- I'm not sore after these sessions, and I can generally workout again the next day.

I need to read some more, I guess.

jh