How do you know if you are working out to your full potential?

 

Try using your Target Heart Rate Zone (THR)

When working out within your THR zone your body is getting an optimal workout with maximum benefit!

You can accurately track of your  heart rate using a heart rate monitor. The heart rate monitor will give you constant update of your heart rate, without having to stop and manually take it.

If you opt-out of buying a monitor you can take you pulse that same why you did it when first figuring out your target heart rate! (see instructions below)

You can use this easy calculation to figure out your Target Heat Rate;

Step 1

Take your Resting Heart Rate (RHR)

The best time to take this is when you first wake up.

However you can also take it during the day, just make sure you have been resting/ sitting for at least 5 minutes.

Using your index and middle finger, place it at the inside of your wrist at the base of your big thumb.

Step 2
 

Using a digital watch our  clock with a seconds hand, you are then going to count the number beats in 60 seconds

this gives you x beats per minute (bpm)

Step 3

Grab you calculator…… Yes there is a little bit of math involved!!

We are going to use 60-80% as our target heart rate zones.

Start by:

Subtract you age from 220

Example calculation;

220-20 = 200

then using this number you are going to to times it by your upper and lower limits!!!

Lower limit

.60 x 200 = 120

20 + 120 = 140 bpm

Upper limit

.80 x 200 = 160

20 + 160 = 240 bpm

You want to warm-up with you heart rate below your lower limit, so in the example above, you would warm -up with your heart rate below 160 bpm and train between 160-240 bpm!

 

There are different zones that you can use when working out. Not only is it useful to know what the different zones are used for but also when you should apply them to your workout;

 

Warm-up zone  50 – 60% of maximum heart rate: This is the easiest zone and would be good for someone who is just beginning a fitness program and has not been physically active in a while! Don’t be fooled even though your are working a slower pace 85% of calories burned in this zone are from fats!

 

Fitness Zone 60 – 70% of maximum heart rate: This zone is a little more intense, improving your cardiovascular health and helping decrease cholesterol levels. In this zone you are burning more total calories.

 

Aerobic Zone 70 – 80% of maximum heart rate: In this zone you are improving your endurance. Overall you are still burning more calories in total however the amount of calories from fat are at 50%.

 

Anaerobic Zone 80 – 90% of maximum heart rate: This zone would be used for high performance training. Helping improve your VO2 maximum (the highest amount of oxygen one can consume during exercise) and a higher lactate tolerance ability which means your endurance will improve and you’ll be able to fight fatigue better. This is a high intensity zone burning more calories, 15 % from fat.

I would suggest working out between 60-80% of your Heart Rate maximum as calculated above, but depending on your goals you can calculate your target heart rate for any of the zones noted above.

Remember to always train safely, and to check with a physician prior to commencing any new workout program!

Have fun :O)

your fitness expert

~Courtnie~