Calculation of heart rate zones

[arozsas]

Hey all,

I need some advice regarding the calculation of heart rate zones.

Which calculation method should I use?

There are two calculation methods that I find:

01. 220-age x training intensity
02. (max HR - rest HR) x training intensity + resting HR

My heart rate zones based on the two different types of calculation are the following.
(age: 42 and rest HR: 56bpm)

01. 220-age x training intensity
Zone 1 50% 60% 89 107
Zone 2 60% 70% 107 125
Zone 3 70% 80% 125 142
Zone 4 80% 90% 142 160
Zone 5 90% 100% 160 178

02. (max HR - rest HR) x training intensity + resting HR
Zone 1 50% 60% 117 129
Zone 2 60% 70% 129 141
Zone 3 70% 80% 141 154
Zone 4 80% 90% 154 166
Zone 5 90% 100% 166 178

I want to train in Zone 2. But the two different calculations yield very different results.

Which one should I use?

Thanks for your help!

Best,
A

[Tony Cook]

1. Do not use 220-age.
2. Good method - how did you calculate max HR?
3. Do not use 220-age.

[btlifter]

I agree with Tony.

Adeldirtionally, "Zones" are approximations; some peoples top of Z2 is about 70% mhr, others' is closer to 80. If your aim is to be in Z2 though, and you want to use HR to measure that, the simplest way to figure that out is to find a pace where, after 15 minutes, your heart rate remains mostly unchanged.

If it continues to rise much after thar, you've almost certainly crossed your VT/LT and are no longer in "Zone 2". That heart rate could be 120, 150, or anywhere inbetween.

[Tsnor]

Key, if you are using a max heart rate based formula, is to get your actual maximum heart rate. If you don't have an actual MAX HR then don't use any of the formulas based on max HR.

Easiest way to get your actual max heart rate is to start tracking your HR and see how high it gets. Max HR does not change with conditioning level, so once you see a high heart rate you can just use that. Then when you see a higher one just adjust things up a bit. If you want to do a workout just to get max heart rate then here is a video that says how: (Net is do a long warmup, do some medium length intervals (say 8 mins hard, rest for 2) and see how high your HR gets. Often you set max HR in your second or third interval, rarely the first.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmB5cTOWCbs

IF you don't want to use max HR then use conversation test. Can you workout at this heart rate for 40 minutes, and have a conversation 30 to 40 minutes into your workout with puffing? If so you are below the lactate thresold, ventilatory threshold in the long/slow zone (zone 2 in a 5 zone model). You can cross check this with HR using the "HR drift" BTLIFTER mentions. IF holding the same HR means your split has to go down, or if holding the same split means your HR has to go up then you are past zone 2.

Final thoughts
1. You can get the value of zone 2 if you row slower than your max zone 2 heart rate. You aren't in zone 2 if you row faster than your max zone 2 heart rate.
2. If you are NOT currently rowing a lot, then you will see a very low split for zone 2 initially, and this split will improve rapidly. That's not you getting in shape (or being out of shape) that's your body getting more efficient at rowing. Its good to just use that slower split until your body is ready for a faster one.
3. You want to GRADUALLY build time and speed. PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD.
3. Some of the Heart Rate Watches don't work rowing. The guess is that the load on your arms upsets them. If you use a watch cross check your heart rate by doing some short, hard intervals (say 30 seconds on, 90 seconds off). Your HR should spike up then drop down 10-15 seconds after stopping. If you watch reported HR doesn't do this, then your watch is just guessing your HR. You'll need to get a HR belt instead if you want to using HR training. Example: Fitbit Charge 3 is an ok HR monitor for walking, but cannot accurately read HR while rowing. Some people report apple watches do OK. YMMV.

[mict450]

Whatever reference heart rate you use to calculate your heart rate zones, it's best to test for this reference HR, rather than rely on a formula that might not reflect your physical condition.

I follow Joe Friel's methodology, which seems to suit me well. He uses one's lactate threshold HR to calculate the zones & I find his reasons for doing so, compelling.

[jamesg]

1:36.1 500m 1:36.1 394 1657 29 170

You posted the above 500m in an 8x test last year, showing 170HR. If you must use HR, take that as max and use range. Stroke very good, 394/29 = 13.6W'.

Since it's clear that you are perfectly capable of rowing well, and do, it's much simpler to use rating for control. If you want to go faster or slower, you'll adjust rating in any case, especially if crew.

Anything between rates 20 and 23 (Z:2) will have a substantial training effect but shouldn't lead too soon to overtraining. Ramp up the rates and shorten when approaching race season. Or just for the fun of it.

[Dangerscouse]

Adeldirtionally

Oh, how I wish this was actually a word. I might casually drop it into conversation one day and see what happens.

[RayOfSunshine]

Adeldirtionally

Oh, how I wish this was actually a word. I might casually drop it into conversation one day and see what happens.

[arozsas]

1. Do not use 220-age.
2. Good method - how did you calculate max HR?
3. Do not use 220-age.

"how did you calculate max HR?" - I must admit that I used the 220-age formula which results in 178 bmp for my age (42). And when I do the speed interval training based on the Pete plan (e.g. 8x500m) with all-out effort during the last round the highest my HR went up was 176 bpm. Also when I did other hard training pushing as much as I could to the point that I need to stop rowing my max HR was 176. So I figured that the 220-age formula seemed to be working in my case.

[arozsas]

If I want to use a formula that uses rest HR, should I look for the lowest HR that I see or a more stable reading?

This is what I mean.

I measured my HR right after waking up. For a fleeting moment or two, my HR can go down to 48 bmp.
But a more stable reading that my body actually can maintain for a longer period seems to be 51-52 bmp.

[arozsas]

Key, if you are using a max heart rate based formula, is to get your actual maximum heart rate. If you don't have an actual MAX HR then don't use any of the formulas based on max HR.

Easiest way to get your actual max heart rate is to start tracking your HR and see how high it gets. Max HR does not change with conditioning level, so once you see a high heart rate you can just use that. Then when you see a higher one just adjust things up a bit. If you want to do a workout just to get max heart rate then here is a video that says how: (Net is do a long warmup, do some medium length intervals (say 8 mins hard, rest for 2) and see how high your HR gets. Often you set max HR in your second or third interval, rarely the first.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmB5cTOWCbs

IF you don't want to use max HR then use conversation test. Can you workout at this heart rate for 40 minutes, and have a conversation 30 to 40 minutes into your workout with puffing? If so you are below the lactate thresold, ventilatory threshold in the long/slow zone (zone 2 in a 5 zone model). You can cross check this with HR using the "HR drift" BTLIFTER mentions. IF holding the same HR means your split has to go down, or if holding the same split means your HR has to go up then you are past zone 2.

Final thoughts
1. You can get the value of zone 2 if you row slower than your max zone 2 heart rate. You aren't in zone 2 if you row faster than your max zone 2 heart rate.
2. If you are NOT currently rowing a lot, then you will see a very low split for zone 2 initially, and this split will improve rapidly. That's not you getting in shape (or being out of shape) that's your body getting more efficient at rowing. Its good to just use that slower split until your body is ready for a faster one.
3. You want to GRADUALLY build time and speed. PROGRESSIVE OVERLOAD.
3. Some of the Heart Rate Watches don't work rowing. The guess is that the load on your arms upsets them. If you use a watch cross check your heart rate by doing some short, hard intervals (say 30 seconds on, 90 seconds off). Your HR should spike up then drop down 10-15 seconds after stopping. If you watch reported HR doesn't do this, then your watch is just guessing your HR. You'll need to get a HR belt instead if you want to using HR training. Example: Fitbit Charge 3 is an ok HR monitor for walking, but cannot accurately read HR while rowing. Some people report apple watches do OK. YMMV.

well, I don't know about the conversation test. I train at home on my own rower. I have never talked to myself during my training... But I guess I could try it.

When I use the 124 bmp as top value for Zone 2 for a 45 min rowing session, I really need to slow down towards the end of the session to be able to keep my bmp under 124 . Sometimes to very light 14 spm rowing.

Yesterday I tried the 141 bmp value as the top of Zone 2, I was able to easily keep my HR around 136 bpm with what felt as moderate paddeling with 18 spm while breathing in an out of my nose for the entire 45-min workout. I did not need to concentrate on slowing down to prevent myself going over the top HR value of 141 bmp.

Regarding your Q of what HR monitor I use, I use a Polar OH1. It seems to be working fine w/o loss of connection.


Thanks for the YT link to the lecture. I will give it a try to measure my maxHR.

[MPx]

I want to train in Zone 2. But the two different calculations yield very different results.

Which one should I use?

Thanks for your help!

Best,
A

FWIW I use a version of your number 2 calc taking into account RHR. However I use a different zone definition of UT2 50-70%; UT1 70-80%; AT 80-85%; OT 85-95%; >95% Anaerobic. In practice I only target keeping under caps either in UT2 or UT1 for the vast majority of Steady State stuff. Otherwise just note how close I get to max on the harder sessions. I regularly (probably weekly) will do a grey zone piece which will stray through AT to the low end of OT.

In the absence of a specific MHR test I use an observed max HR which for me I see at the end of a competitive 5 or 6k TT if I try to sprint for the last 200m or so. Currently 170 so nowhere near the fomulaic 155 based on age. The RHR I use is just about the lowest I see - but not an outlier. Twice a year I do a three week morning/evening blood pressure check. The morning is taken first thing following get up, loo, wash, come downstairs, switch on PC do the test. Mornings vary from 40 to 43, evenings (just before retiring upstairs) 48-55. There is also the odd outlier (eg I've seen 39 once) but ignored for this purpose. So I currently calc off a range of 42-170 for my zones. Of course what I dont know is whether these are any more right for me than yours are for you....but it appears to work as it should so I stick with it.