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Knowing your maximum heart rate and your desired target heart rate is really where the portable
heart rate monitor comes in to helping you to exercise at your most efficient and effective
level. To find out your maximum heart rate, if you're male, you take the number 220 and
if your female, you take the number 226 and subtract your age. For example, I'm female,
I'm 29, that makes my maximum heart rate 197. If you're within 50 to 60 percent of range
away from this number, that's where you're going to be doing most of your fat burning.
That's going to be a warm up, target zone. If you're working up towards more intense
exercise or for every day people who are just looking to get into better shape, you burn
about 85 percent of your fat at a heart rate that's about a half or 60 percent as much
as your maximum. For people who are looking to train more intensively or prepare for an
endurance event, like a marathon or triathlon, you're going to want to be within 70 to 80
percent of this range. Which is less fat burning but it's going to be the range in which your
heart muscle actually strengthens and increases in size, which will allow you more endurance
for your event.