Establish resting heart rate, target heart rate, and predicted maximum heart rate before starting a new workout program. It is important to establish a base so that progress can be measured. It also gives a target to reach in each exercise session.
Before getting out of bed take the resting heart rate, at this stage it will be at a minimum. This is the minimum heart rate that you are likely to reach. A stop watch or clock can be used to measure the pulse rate. This is better taken over a minute for more accuracy but some people take it for 6 seconds and then multiply by 10 to get the number of beats per minute.
Resting heart rate can increase with age but there is also often significant difference among people depending on fitness levels, age, and their genetic background. This gives a starting point for you.
Often the easiest and most common way to take the heart rate is on the wrist. Take the radial artery heart beat on the side of your hand on which your thumb is located. To avoid confusion the fingers should be used to get the beat, the thumb has a beat of its own which makes it tricky to count. Another option often seen on TV programs is to take the pulse under the jaw on the carotid artery on the side of the neck
Having established your resting heart rate the next measure is the the predicted maximum heart rate calculation. A calculation can then be made as to the beats your heart could possibly for a minute. This is then used to calculate what your target heart rate maximum should be.
The best way to get data for a predicted maximum heart rate calculation is to use the cardiac stress test. Supervision by a doctor is really required for the test which won’t suit everyone. The maximum heart rate can be determined by a doctor who looks for changes that occur when the heart is stressed. Top athletes are often tested this way because they are really working hard but it is not so common for the regular exerciser.
The predicted maximum heart rate is probably more commonly determined using a formula based on the age of the person. Doctors have used the cardiac stress test to work out these formulae. It is best to understand that there are substantial differences amoungst individuals.
You will often have seen a chart on the wall at the gym, and sometimes it is on the powered exercise machines that gives a guide along the following lines:-
At age 30 At age 55
Maximum Heart Rate = 220 minus your age 190 165
Another acceptable formula is
Maximum Heart Rate = 205.8 minus (0.685 × age) 185 168
As can be seen the range is narrower for the second formulae and the maximum heart rate is also a little higher at an older age.
As mentioned before there is a significant difference between different people even if the fitness level and age is similar. As a point of interest this has been tested on members of the same team who have undergone the same training regime and are close to the same age. So these methods cannot really be used as a comparison of the fitness levels of different sportspeople.
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