I probably should have tackled this issue a little earlier, but better late than never! Heart rate (HR) training is often over-complicated and intimidating, so I have decided to give you the formula needed to achieve what most of us want with a very simple explanation.
I have found that when an ordinary person decides to become extra-ordinary they usually tackle too much, too soon. TTH Guy was no different. At first, the thought of training for targeted HR “zones” was overwhelming. So, I decided the all-out effort (“Zone 5”) was best fit for me because I was motivated, stubborn, and willing to flat out destroy myself. It turns out that in order to improve my performance (okay, I’ll admit vanity was also a factor because I really wanted to look the part), I needed to take a step back. I needed to become efficient at burning fat before I did ANYTHING else. Don’t misunderstand what I am saying here. HR zone training can be an effective tool in achieving your goals, but there is a much simpler way to improve recovery, burn fat, and increase power. It’s all about knowing your max aerobic heart rate. Whether your goal is to “beat the bulge” or become a top adventure enthusiast, that HR is the missing piece of the HR training puzzle.
The explanation is very basic and has proven its worth by earning multiple World Championships. I don’t care how much data you collect in the lab, if something has repeatedly shown it works then why would we try to change it? There has been much debate over HR training and the appropriate path to take in order to achieve desired results, and the research has yet to produce the results seen by the above-mentioned World Champion (6X).
So here it is (according to “The Grip”, his coach, & now TTH Guy)…if you want to teach your body to burn fat and perform more efficiently, the following formula is all you need (for now):
1) Subtract your age from 180. That’s it!! Okay that’s not exactly it, but pretty close.
2) We need to make a couple adjustments based on current fitness levels and age. From your calculated number from step #1, choose one of the following that best fits your current fitness level:
- Subtract 5 more beats per minute (bpm) if you currently don’t work out.
- Subtract 2-3 more bpm if you work out up to 2 days a week.
- DO NOT adjust the number if you currently work out 3-6 times a week.
- Add 5 bpm if you work out 7 times or more during a week and have repeated this routine for at least the past 365 days.
3) We now have a target HR based on fitness level but need one more adjustment to compensate for age. So from your new number:
- Add 10 bpm if you are under 20 yrs old or over 60 yrs old.
- Add 5 bpm if you are 20-25 yrs old or 55-60 yrs old.
- DO NOT adjust number if you are between the ages of 26 yrs old and 54 yrs old.
The result is the magic number. Use this max aerobic heart rate to dictate all workouts for a few months, and you will no doubt start to notice the difference. If you reach a point where you think improvement has stopped, then shoot me an email and I will explain (or maybe just write another article about why a plateau is never a plateau) what to do in order to continue improvements.
Training at 15_ bpm (in an effort to preserve my age, I will not be providing you with that final #…although, if you follow TTH at all there is another article somewhere in the archives that would give it away),
TTH Guy
Tags: aerobic, heart rate