Concept2 Forum

I'd like to determine my actual maximum heart rate, because the estimates I see (220-your age, etc.) are totally inaccurate. I saw instructions in Runner's World magazine for doing this on a treadmill at a gym, but I don't run for cardo; I row on my Model D, and I have a Polar H9 heart-rate monitor. Has anyone determined maximum heart rate at home with a rower and home heart-monitoring equipment? Is it safe and what's the procedure?

Mike Taglieri

Heart rate is a very blunt instrument. Even if you know your max HR, there's little evidence that the zone defined by some fixed percentage of that is meaningful.

That said, you can use essentially the same method as for running, but using the rower instead.

If you row pretty much as hard as you can for 30 minutes, and then sprint as hard as you can for a minute or two, you will get very close your max heart rate.

This is stressful, so you shouldn't try it unless you are reasonably fit and have a spotter.

Better still, stop worrying about it. If you want zone 2, just row hard enough that you need to breath deeply, but aren't out of breath. You should be able to say a five or six word sentence without catching your breath. But if you can sing, that's too slow.

You'll find that your heart rate at that level of effort starts fairly low, and gradually increases. Some people will say you should slow down to keep your heart rate the same, but I think that's nonsense. So long as you aren't out of breath, don't worry about ti.

I hit my max recently on a 20min piece - low rate but high effort.

but gvcormac says, push hard then hit a sprint for the final 2 mins; here's how it looked, the first 4 splits are 2k+10s (open rate) & then the final I hit 2:00 for the last 2 mins.

Time Meters Pace Watts Cal/Hr S/M
20:00.0 4,532m 2:12.3 151 819 18 174
4:00.0 903m 2:12.8 149 813 19 156
8:00.0 902m 2:13.0 149 811 17 171
12:00.0 897m 2:13.7 146 803 18 175
16:00.0 892m 2:14.5 144 794 19 180
20:00.0 939m 2:07.7 168 877 19 191

Again will re-iterate, make sure that you're fit, healthy and comfortable with your HR up that high before you try it, you might want to work up to it if you're not sure where your max is - I identified where mine was by building up to it.

A ramp test is probably the quickest way of finding your max HR.

The trend these days seems to be Functional Threshold Power (FTP). The rowing ERGOMETER is the perfect instrument to measure this since power is displayed prominently - that's what it measures.

Here is a video from Global Cycling Network explaining the 20 minute FTP test. It can be done just as well on a rowerg. Once you have that, you can create more accurate training zones (and relate your heart rate to them if desired, although HR always creeps up during the workout, as has been said, so it's not the best measure).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zHnS5A ... ingNetwork

This, like the other tests mentioned, is a tough one, so I reiterate all the disclaimers. Have fun!

Max HR tests are horrible to go through. Most people will not normally be able to put themselves through the necessary pain to reach their true MaxHR - The brain is screaming for you to stop way before that point - quite a useful safety mechanism really.

Ramp tests are often prescribed - for the erg usually in 4 min blocks at increasing pace with shortish rests until failure. The problem with many "quick" ramp tests is that the reps don't last long enough to really elevate the HR so failure can come somewhat before MaxHR is reached - poor data but still the same sort of pain! That's why I prefer the other suggestion above (30min TT) - I usually observe mine on a 5k or 6k TT close to PB/SB pace where I'm clearly trying throughout and yet somehow manage to sprint (well up the pace anyway) over the last minute or so - say the last 300m+. That's always generated the highest numbers that I've seen and way over 220-age!

MPx wrote: ↑

September 26th, 2023, 2:18 pm

Max HR tests are horrible to go through. Most people will not normally be able to put themselves through the necessary pain to reach their true MaxHR - The brain is screaming for you to stop way before that point - quite a useful safety mechanism really.

Agreed. And even with a ramp test you see people dropping off too early (respecting a very valid safety mechanism), resulting in a sub-optimal number again.

I always ask myself why the MaxHR is given such importance? Because HR Zones are also approximations (and can even shift a bit from session to session). So even when you have an accurate MaxHR, the resulting HR Zones would be approximations. So from my perspective, I rather know where my Zone 2 ends accurately, than know my MaxHR accuratly.

So why do you want to know your MaxHR.

I trained with a guy for some Ironman triathlons. Our 220-age numbers for max hr were two beats different with him being 2 years my junior. But….our tested max heart rate he was well over 200! And I was at 172! To further demonstrate it’s kind of meaningless without some metabolic blood testing….my aerobic zone was within normal ranges. I think I was fully aerobic sub 150….he was aerobic at 185.

I have always felt HR is a good outline but perceived effort as others have pointed out is very effective for us recreational athletes without the assistance of a blood lab!

Has anyone determined maximum heart rate at home with a rower and home heart-monitoring equipment?

I do the interval work as provided by C2 WOD. Using the first few goes as warmup and the last two flat out I see (if I can still see) 150 MHR every time.

However that max is well over what a doc told me: stay below 120.

I seem to operate with a slightly higher hr for my RPE than some so identifying what my max sustainable effort could be was useful; my HM was done with an average of 174 BPM... 91% mhr I've also a fairly high resting Hr, so my max sustained is about ~88% MHRR.

I would be inclined to know how my my RPE zones align with the blood chemistry, but knowing where my absolute limit was is enough for me to give me some guidance on what my RPE "feels" like in rough Hr% terms and translate it to figures I could see while rowing.

Vcweiss346 wrote: ↑

September 26th, 2023, 8:36 pm

my aerobic zone was within normal ranges. I think I was fully aerobic sub 150….he was aerobic at 185.

That's really interesting, and that's why I like to play around with paces and HR zones ie incorporating grey zone and up to 75% effort.

RPE, can be a very valuable way to assess it all ime, as my HR can sometimes be higher than it should be for whatever reason.

Cyclist2 wrote: ↑

September 26th, 2023, 12:55 pm

The trend these days seems to be Functional Threshold Power (FTP).

If we assume that FTP on rower is also the Maximum power that can be maintained for 60 min (I think the concept is mostly described for cycling), then this is likely to be a lower percentage of the max 20 min effort on a rower as all the data I have seen shows that it declines more rapidly. As such, I am unconvinced by applying these protocols to rowing.

As a general comment, I agree that approximations are fine given that different people respond differently to the same %Max HR or even % HRR as does the same person in different states of fitness (ie over time). Personally as someone somewhat below a high level of fitness, my HR increases much more rapidly for sub-maximal efforts than the example above and to what my HR did when at my fittest, so just because your HR hits say 175 after 10 min doesn't mean that you have a significant amount more to go in the remaining 10 mins of the protocol!

JMHO and statistically insignificant sample sizes!

- Iain

iain wrote: ↑

September 28th, 2023, 10:50 am

If we assume that FTP on rower is also the Maximum power that can be maintained for 60 min (I think the concept is mostly described for cycling), then this is likely to be a lower percentage of the max 20 min effort on a rower as all the data I have seen shows that it declines more rapidly. As such, I am unconvinced by applying these protocols to rowing.

You may be correct about a different percentage of the 20 minute cycling FTP test for rowing. Lots of discussion both here (viewtopic.php?t=165410#p427155) and other web sites about it all.

I'm sure not an expert but I know if I did a 20' hard as I could go test, I would definitely reach my max heart rate, which is what the OP was asking. But since HR is variable over any workout, using power is a better metric. I guess accurately determining that FTP power to get the training zones is still under discussion; % of 2K power?, % of 30' test?, go an actual hour?, etc.