Interval Training with heart monitor

Just picked up a Polar heart monitor with cadence pickup.....wanting to know how to use properly.
yes i sort of read book....still a bit confused...eg when it gives you a heart rate to aim for
should u stay below or dose it matter if u go beyond.... has anyone some good training sessions for
trainer & monitor.... & lastly i ride along a cycle path adjacent the electric train system here in
perth from maylands to west perth..... Ive discovered that the electromagnetic field from the o/head
train line stuffs up the readings particularly near some stations particularly perth station. cant b
good for one................commuter

 

Which book did you read? The manual that came with your HRM or another book? You need to read more
than the manual to know what you are doing.

 

"Bernard G" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...

> Just picked up a Polar heart monitor with cadence pickup.....wanting to
know
> how to use properly.

From my experience (which may or may not be correct) you need to know two things; your maximum heart
rate, and your anaerobic threshold.

Your maximum heart rate is the maximum rate that your heart will go at. It's not a limit that you
must stay under, but rather something that you _can't_ get beyond, no matter how hard you work.
There's a formula that says it should be 220-age, but that can be out by as much as 10 bpm for
anyone who's vaguely fit. I'm 31, and my max hr is about 183bpm.

Your anaerobic (or lactate) threshold is the heart rate beyond which you can't sustain the pace for
a decent time. Most speed training is done around your threshold heart rate, with the occasional
interval up near your maximum heart rate. For me my threshold is about 87-88%. I understand that
most peoples thresholds are between 80 and 90%.

The best way I've found to find out both numbers simultaneously is to wear your heart rate monitor
while you race. My club runs criteriums on the weekends, and these are perfect. The duration is
about thirty five minutes, and there are a handful of sprints over the course of the race where you
can explore your max hr. Leave the monitor in your jersey pocket (so you don't spend the race
looking at it) and afterwards, the maximum (assuming it hasn't picked up some rubbish number) is
your hr max, and the average should be pretty close to your threshold (assuming you were able to
finish the race, and weren't racing in too low a grade).

Now when you train, try to replicate these conditions (assuming you're training for the same race).
Try to keep within say +/-5% of your threshold, and perhaps do three or four 1 minute intervals,
pushing your hr up towards your max.

For weight loss or just improving your fitness levels (without trying to improve speed), just do
lots of distance a bit below your threshold. For me I try to keep around 75 to 80%, and ride for a
couple of hours.

My heart rate monitor also plays up around railway lines, and occasionally near power lines. Along
the bike path over the harbour bridge, for example, it always displays zero, and riding down Mowbray
road on the way to work it's 223bpm. I must say, I expected a bit more when I shelled out the extra
money for the coded monitor.

I hope that's answered your questions.

Regards,

Suzy

--
---
Suzy Jackson [email protected] http://www.suzyj.net
> yes i sort of read book....still a bit confused...eg when it gives you a heart rate to aim for
> should u stay below or dose it matter if u go beyond.... has anyone some good training sessions
> for trainer & monitor.... & lastly i ride along a cycle path adjacent the electric train system
> here in perth from maylands to west perth..... Ive discovered that the electromagnetic field from
> the o/head train line stuffs up the readings particularly near some stations particularly perth
> station. cant b good for one................commuter

 

Thanks suzy... & Luther yep i only read the manual which came with the monitor which explains my
confusion, it explain how to work it but thats about
it...thanks..........

"Suzy Jackson" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Bernard G" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
>
> > Just picked up a Polar heart monitor with cadence pickup.....wanting to
> know
> > how to use properly.
>
>
> From my experience (which may or may not be correct) you need to know two things; your maximum
> heart rate, and your anaerobic threshold.
>
> Your maximum heart rate is the maximum rate that your heart will go at. It's not a limit that you
> must stay under, but rather something that you _can't_ get beyond, no matter how hard you work.
> There's a formula that says it should be 220-age, but that can be out by as much as 10 bpm for
> anyone who's vaguely fit. I'm 31, and my max hr is about 183bpm.
>
> Your anaerobic (or lactate) threshold is the heart rate beyond which you can't sustain the pace
> for a decent time. Most speed training is done around your threshold heart rate, with the
> occasional interval up near
your
> maximum heart rate. For me my threshold is about 87-88%. I understand
that
> most peoples thresholds are between 80 and 90%.
>
> The best way I've found to find out both numbers simultaneously is to wear your heart rate monitor
> while you race. My club runs criteriums on the weekends, and these are perfect. The duration is
> about thirty five
minutes,
> and there are a handful of sprints over the course of the race where you
can
> explore your max hr. Leave the monitor in your jersey pocket (so you
don't
> spend the race looking at it) and afterwards, the maximum (assuming it hasn't picked up some
> rubbish number) is your hr max, and the average
should
> be pretty close to your threshold (assuming you were able to finish the race, and weren't racing
> in too low a grade).
>
> Now when you train, try to replicate these conditions (assuming you're training for the same
> race). Try to keep within say +/-5% of your threshold, and perhaps do three or four 1 minute
> intervals, pushing your
hr
> up towards your max.
>
> For weight loss or just improving your fitness levels (without trying to improve speed), just do
> lots of distance a bit below your threshold. For me I try to keep around 75 to 80%, and ride for a
> couple of hours.
>
> My heart rate monitor also plays up around railway lines, and occasionally near power lines. Along
> the bike path over the harbour bridge, for
example,
> it always displays zero, and riding down Mowbray road on the way to work it's 223bpm. I must say,
> I expected a bit more when I shelled out the
extra
> money for the coded monitor.
>
> I hope that's answered your questions.
>
> Regards,
>
> Suzy
>
> --
> ---
> Suzy Jackson [email protected] http://www.suzyj.net
> > yes i sort of read book....still a bit confused...eg when it gives you a heart rate to aim for
> > should u stay below or dose it matter if u go beyond.... has anyone some good training sessions
> > for trainer & monitor.... & lastly i ride along a cycle path adjacent the electric train system
here
> > in perth from maylands to west perth..... Ive discovered that the electromagnetic field from the
> > o/head train line stuffs up the readings particularly near some stations particularly
perth
> > station. cant b good for one................commuter
> >
> >
>

 

Sorry if I sounded a bit short before, lack of sleep = lack of eloquence. I highly recommend
"Scientific Heart Rate Training" by Neil Craig. From memory he used to be the national cycling
coach, amongst other things, so whilst the book is supposed to be a general HRM training manual, it
has a substantial cycling bias. It is available from the Australian distributor for Polar, Pursuit
Performance. http://www.pursuit-performance.com.au/polar/html/local/polar_library.html I think it
costs around $18 and only took 3 days to ship. It helps clarify a lot of things, and helps you
design your own program. There is 2 other (cheaper) books on cycling, they only cost about $8 each
(I think).

Another thing ... if you are trying to improve your aerobic performance, and don't get too much time
on the bike each week, it's worth taking your HRM for a 30min jog about 4 times a week .. jogging
uses more muscles than cycling, and whilst less fun, can make a valuable contribution to your
fitness program.

If you get the books and are still confused, send me an e-mail and I will try to sort you out.

Cheers - LB