beware predicted HR zones!!

[Duckwah]

Recently i've aquired a couple of books on cycling training that place a heavy emphasis on heart rate monitors. Now we all know that HRMs are a good idea but.....

to use a HRM you have to know what zones to train in and so far all the books and articles i've seen have fallen down by using HR zones predicted based on age etc.

nice theory but as i've found out the formulas can be a bit inaccurate.

for example i'm 23 and should have a max HR of 197 (age predicted) however i've hit 202 on several occasions and got to 204 the other day without dying.

the books also tell you to do recovery rides at 50-60% of MHR, again this sounds really good but if i even look at my bike then my heart rate jumps up to about 65%, start pedalling and i'm at 75%.

So i guess the moral of the story is to get your MHR and HR zones tested properly before trying to train "like lance"

 

[maarten]

Originally posted by Duckwah

the books also tell you to do recovery rides at 50-60% of MHR, again this sounds really good but if i even look at my bike then my heart rate jumps up to about 65%, start pedalling and i'm at 75%.

This might be easy explained. Many % systems use % of effetive zones.
So 50% with 200 max and 60 rest HR is 50% of effective zone: 200-60 thus 70.
The HR is then rest HR + calculated here 70 so 50% means HR 130.
This might be the issue in your problem.

For the max 220(for men only) - age is one of the systems. This is based on averages and is indeed not always good enough. If Possible use your actual MAX. But the formula has its advantages, for untrained people(whats the mayor part of the population) testing your max by pushing yourself to the limit is dangerous for your own health. So then its better to start with some error then pushing your body to far just to set your zones.

 

[easyrider]

Duckwah,

As far as keeping the HR low on easy days, I too have a hard time with this. As a matter of fact, I won't wear the monitor on easy days. I know when I am going easy. If I can smile, talk or sing, watch the cows in the fields, then I am going easy enough.

Some people always feel a need to go hard, and thus overtrain. For them I can see the need for the monitor every day. As for me, I can smell the flowers sometimes without feeling like I should be doing more.

 

[Duckwah]

I got sick of trying to figure it out from books and stuff so i got my HR zones calculated from a proper VO2 test.

Aerobic zone 170-186

Performance zone 186-204

on easy days i just try to keep it below 150

 

[Leon]

Duckwash

I feel pretty much as you do about the conflicting advise from different books and references.

Can you perhaps give me an idea of what test you undertook and how this assisted in determining your heart rate zones?

I suspect that a test will be my next move.



Leon