acathi_cyclist

How did you find your max heart rate? I've heard about estimating based on age, is that accurate? Did you perform some sort of test?

Snicklefritz

The age thing isn't accurate. Maybe it works for some people but for a lot, it can be way off (+ or -).

There are a couple of ways to do it. The most accurate and safest is to do a cardio stress test in a doctor's office. They put EKG sensors on and then take you through a specific protocol where you increase the workload until you can't go anymore or until they see weird stuff going on (if any)


One way to do it on the road is to ride a 20' TT and then sprint at the end. Assuming you aren't dehydrated, over-training etc. the max heart rate you see after the sprint should be close to your max if not your actual max.

merlinextraligh

go out on a hard group ride, or with some buddies that you absolutely hate to lose to. Attack with everything you have 200 meters from the top of the steepest climb. Your HR at the top should be just about your max. (this assumes you're in decent shape to start, don't try to find your max if you're not in some semblence of shape.)

recursive

Here's my method:

1. Sprint as hard as I can for as long as I can.
2. Watch HRM.
3. Try not to die.

FlashBazbo

I would modify #1 above to make it read like this: "Sprint as hard as you can for as long as you can up as steep a hill as you can." That'll get you there quickly.

But . . . if you are using Chris Carmichael's training method, he has a different methodology involving averaging max heart rates of a couple of back-to-back timed trials. It is not a literal maximum, but it gives you a measure from which the rest of his method is triggered.

merlinextraligh

^^^^
The CTS field test is more about obtaining LTHR. take 92% ofyour average HR for the 2 efforts, and that's your LTHR.

You do record your max HR in the field test, but I always get higher max HR's in racing and competitive training rides than I get in the field test.

Paniolo

I just went with the calculated number to start. Then when pushing hard to the top of a steep hill I adjusted it up to the new number

donrhummy

Did the field test on a trainer (so I wouldn't have to wrry about stop lights, etc).

(NOTE: Get doctor's ok to do this)
1. Warm up 15 min
2. Increase pedaling effort by about 10-15% (by shifting into harder gear), keep cadence about 80, maintain for 2-3 min
3. Keep repeating step 2 every 2 minutes until you can't go any harder, then sprint all-out for 10-20 seconds
4. Look at the Max HR achieved on your HR monitor. That's your Max.

If you're doing it right, you'll feel dizzy and lightheaded after the last burst effort.

acathi_cyclist

OK. Now you need to recommend a cheap HRM. I already have a computer, so I only need the HR feature.

kensuf

You forgot the part about seeing stars and falling down, but yeah that'll do it.

Cyclologist

Alright, so what if you have been doing this the past few months and find your absolute max to be 180 and you're 26. What can be ascertained about this person's physiology? This is what I've found since I started monitoring my heart rate.

ryanspeer

Pound up a hill as hard as you can for as long as you can and keep tabs on your HR. Pretend you have a pack of hungry wolves (or an angry redneck with no muffler and wide side-view mirrors) behind you (gaining on you) for a little added motivation.

My Max HR is 201.

timmhaan

max heart rate is over rated as far as training goes anyway. you can find your heart rate at LT and base your zones off of that. The LTHR number is far more useful.

Camilo

I think you're right to a great extent.

"zone 2" - the aerobic zone you're supposed to do the great majority of your training in - is really easy to identify. It is the "talking" zone where you really can have a conversation without interrupting the words because of hard breathing.

The zone you're supposed to avoid (3) is pretty easy to identify because it's a rate you can keep up pretty well, pretty comfortably, but if you try to converse with your partner, you can carry a conversation, but you'll be speaking irregularly because of hard breathing.

LT, I've been told, is easy to make a pretty good estimate of. Do a 45 minute to 1 hour time trial or race pace workout. The average over that time period will be a decent estimate of LT. This makes sense to me.

Of course, resting is easy to measure accurately.

Then, depending on what you want to do, you can estimate the correct zone for that workout based on those two numbers.

By the way, I measured my max for running and XC skiing (but never cycling). For running, I did an exercise that was recommended in a HR training book I read. It involved choosing a hill that I could run up in approximately a minute without walking. Then, after a warm up, I did reps on that hill, pushing to collapse towards the top with a active recovery between (jogging down the hill). The high reading was the max. Note, I said pushing to collapse. It really, really did not feel good.

Same with skiing. I measured the max on a 5 k race where I just killed myself. Longer races I pace myself, but for some reason, I pushed way, way to hard on this 5 K. Very similar feeling to the running test, so I treated that number as max.

They were different numbers, but being kind of half-assed about this, I simply averaged them and then use 60-75% of that average number as my "zone 2" for all of my workouts, skiing, running and cycling. It works out well with the "talking" test.

I have NO DESIRE to measure a max for any activity again.

FWIW.

cibai

I dont know you in particular so dont take this the wrong way, but you have to be in pretty good shape to find your MHR, otherwise factors such as your muscles ability to actually do the work to get you to it will limit it. Or you could just have a low Max. MaxHR can also be different for different activities for example the skiing and running example above. Cycling and running tend to show even more discrepency.

steaktaco

Don't worry so much about maximum heart rate. You'll never achieve it unless someone points a gun to your head. I once achieved 212 bpm during a crash, but normally I max out at 193 bpm.

Try to figure out your "maximum sustainable heart rate," also referred to as lactate threshold heart rate. It's the average of the last twenty minutes of a thirty minute time trial. This is the magic number.

geraldatwork

My maximum HR is 186. It doesn't sound that high but I am 59. The 220-59 thing would have me at 161. I had a stress test and I think it got up to around 183/4 on the treadmill.

xfimpg

and if you're nauseous and want to puke, you probably went over.

xfimpg

201? Can you put me as your primary recipient in case of an accident? I could use an upgrade.

asmallsol

Or the easy way is, buy a garmin 305 or some other type of HR monitor that you can sync with your computer. Do a crit, and sprint for a top position. You'll find your max HR.

merlinextraligh

It tells you that your max HR is genetically predisposed to being a little low. nothing more nothing less.

Your Max HR is what it is. It doesn't mean much.

kensuf

Meh, mine's 203. Big deal, it doesn't mean I don't blow up any less than the next guy when I'm pushing really hard.

xfimpg

Are you sure about that? If my max is 180, and yours is 203, then theoritically you'll last longer than me before you max out. Make sense?

Pasqually

I have a friend who grinds up climbs in 53-13 or so, looks at me and asks my heart rate, If I can I reply 190ish.

"Cool you got a bit left then"

I can get to 201 and can climb for hours around 175-180. LTHR does mean more though, but riding with no computer or HR monitor does wonders for your riding.

zimbo

No, actually, that doesn't make any sense at all.

--Steve