Cardio May Be a Waste of Time Without This Knowledge

The intensity of the workout is the most essential component in enhancing cardiorespiratory fitness (cardio or CR). Changes in CR fitness are proportional to the "intensity" with which an aerobic workout is conducted. The greater the intensity of the activity, the more energy consumed per unit of time, the greater the effect on cardiorespiratory fitness.

To evaluate whether an aerobic exercise such as running produces a CR training effect or if it simply burns a few calories, you must first determine how difficult "hard" is. During work or exercise, your heart rate is a good indicator of how much effort you're putting in. You can only be confident that the intensity of a workout is high enough to raise your CR fitness level if you keep track of your heart rate while it. To put it another way, the ability to keep track of your heart rate is the single most crucial factor in CR training success.

Training Heart Rate (THR) = Desired Intensity of the Workout

THR is the minimum heart rate at which you must exercise to achieve a training effect. Two methods for determining THR have been devised by US Army fitness experts. The first approach, percent maximal heart rate (percent MHR), is easier to use, while the second, percent heart rate reserve (percent HRR), is more precise.

MHR Method(Maximum heart rate)

The THR is calculated using the estimated maximal heart rate in this approach. Subtract your age from 220 to get an estimate of your maximal heart rate (MHR). As a result, a 20-year-maximum old's heart rate (MHR) is estimated to be 200 beats per minute (220 - 20 = 200).

If a person is in poor shape, he should exercise at 70% of his MHR; if he is in reasonably good shape, he should exercise at 80% MHR; and if he is in exceptional shape, he should exercise at 90% MHR.

Example:

• A 20-year-old in good physical condition would have a THR of 160 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 20 = 200 * .80 = 160 BPM.

• A 30-year-old in good physical condition would have a THR of 152 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 30 = 190 * .80 = 152 BPM.
• A 40-year-old in poor physical condition would have a THR of 126 beats per minute (BPM). 220 - 40 = 180 * .70 = 126 BPM.

HRR Method( Heart rate recovery)

The percent HRR approach is a more precise way to compute THR. The THR range is 60 to 90% HRR, which is where people should exercise to increase their CR fitness levels. You can figure out what percentage of HRR is a reasonable starting point if you know your general level of CR fitness.

for your benefit. For example, a guy in great physical condition could begin at 85 percent of his HRR, 70 percent of his HRR if he is in moderately good shape, and 60 percent of his HRR if he is in bad shape.

To achieve or maintain an adequate level of fitness, most CR sessions should be performed with a heart rate of 70 to 75 percent HRR. If he can't find more than 20 minutes for CR exercise, a person who has acquired a high level of fitness may benefit more from working at a greater percentage of HRR.

Exercising at a lower percentage of HRR than 60 does not provide an effective training stimulus for the heart, muscles, and lungs. Exercising at a rate of more than 90% can be harmful. Anyone who wants to start aerobic training should first figure out what his THR is (the heart rate at which he needs to exercise to get a training effect).

Exercising at a lower percentage of HRR than 60 does not provide an effective training stimulus for the heart, muscles, and lungs. Exercising at a rate of more than 90% can be harmful. Anyone who wants to start aerobic training should first figure out what his THR is (the heart rate at which he needs to exercise to get a training effect).

The example below explains how to calculate the THR by estimating heart rate reserve using the resting heart rate (RHR) and age (HRR). A 20-year-old in good physical condition is an example.

STEP 1: Subtract your age from 220 to get your MHR. MHR = 220 - 20 = 200, for example.

STEP 2: Count the resting pulse for 30 seconds and multiply the count by two to get the resting heart rate (RHR) in beats per minute (BPM). Although a shorter time period might be employed, a 30-second count is more precise. Take this count while entirely relaxed and rested. We'll use an RHR of 69 BPM in this example.

STEP 3: Subtract the RHR from the estimated MHR to get the heart rate reserve (HRR). HRR = 200 - 69 = 131 BPM, for example.

STEP 4: To calculate THR, multiply HRR by the relative fitness level as a percentage, then add the result to HRR. Our 20-year-old in good physical condition, for example, will exercise at 70% HRR.

(1) .70 * 131 = 91.7

(2) 91.7 + 69 = 160.7

In summary, a 20-year-old who is reasonably fit and has a resting heart rate (RHR) of 69 BPM should aim for a training heart rate (THR) of 161 BPM.

After five minutes of aerobic exercise, the body will normally have entered a "Steady State," and the heart rate will have stabilized. This is the time to check your heart rate to verify if you're in your ideal THR range, as well as right after you've finished exercising.

If your pulse rate is lower than the THR, you must exercise more vigorously to raise it to the THR. If your pulse rate is higher than the THR, you should lessen the intensity to achieve the THR objective.