Concept2 Forum

A couple days ago I did a heart rate max test so we could adjust our ut2/ut1 accordingly etc. I found that my max was 184, I'm 22 and have been rowing for 2 years. I've looked online to see that the rule of thumb for your heart rate max should be 220 - your age. So mine should be around 198. Is this something I should worry about, and if so are there any things I could consider to increase my max? Or is it just based on genetics and lifestyle?

220 - age is the least scientific pile of old baloney ever written.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rat ... 6_Landwehr
http://www.asep.org/asep/asep/Robergs2.pdf
https://edisciplinas.usp.br/pluginfile. ... %20Age.pdf

Louronp wrote:A couple days ago I did a heart rate max test so we could adjust our ut2/ut1 accordingly etc. I found that my max was 184, I'm 22 and have been rowing for 2 years. I've looked online to see that the rule of thumb for your heart rate max should be 220 - your age. So mine should be around 198. Is this something I should worry about, and if so are there any things I could consider to increase my max? Or is it just based on genetics and lifestyle?

Can,t change that and it does not matter, it not about how fast your heart beats, but how much blood it pumps, so rate x volume.
Its your genetics, just like any other thing on your body. There is no general rule of thumb, not for hf, not for weight, not height, not for the seize of your, you know... Etc.

You've likely got a large(r) heart for your age...that's a good start. Even better would be it's ability to contract and pump quickly....you don't appear to have that one as well.

On the erg you have the Watt readout, so don't need to use HR as an intensity proxy. Much better to base your bands on a test Wattage.

Afloat suggest you complain immediately if HR moves too high. Stroke, cox and coach will all understand and tell you what to do.

jamesg wrote:On the erg you have the Watt readout, so don't need to use HR as an intensity proxy. Much better to base your bands on a test Wattage.

Afloat suggest you complain immediately if HR moves too high. Stroke, cox and coach will all understand and tell you what to do.

HR for a given power still useful though for sub-maximal work and making comparisons over time to assess effectiveness of different training regimes though...

At the end of the day your heartrate doesn't matter that much its your performance that matters, what was your pace when it got to 184 ?

Carl Watts wrote:At the end of the day your heartrate doesn't matter that much its your performance that matters, what was your pace when it got to 184 ?

mine was 0.... all i could hear shortly after was... "clear..."

LOL!

Carl Watts wrote:At the end of the day your heartrate doesn't matter that much its your performance that matters, what was your pace when it got to 184 ?

That's good to hear then! We did a 24-minute erg, with the pace increasing every 4 minutes, then after 30 seconds rest we did 1-minute max effort to get to our heart rate max, so for the 1 minute I was pulling 1:25/1:26 the majority of the way through to get to 184 bpm.

Max heart rate varies by individual. Mine is high for my age, but based on the test parameters you mention, you are substantially faster than I am. Between the two, I'd take your heart rate and performance.

Dean, you are such a stitch! Especially since they put that plate in your head. Wait a sec that was me wasn't it? I get mixed up sometimes.

Citroen's response is right on target. I'm 78, about to hit the 5 million meter milestone. My resting heart rate is between 55 and 58 beats per minute. One of my docs said that I should be shooting for 120 bpm for 30-40 minutes. Given my age and health profile (COPD) I think that's nonsense! I have not been able to move beyond 110-112 bpm, whether rowing or walking (at a 1.5% grade at 3.2 mph) - my old legs would just give out. I'm not worried in the least; I believe that compared to my age peers - compared to guys I know 20 years younger - I'm fit and healthy. Don't sweat these numbers. Work out hard! Erg on!

jackarabit wrote:Dean, you are such a stitch! Especially since they put that plate in your head. Wait a sec that was me wasn't it? I get mixed up sometimes.

-have i gone mad?
im afraid so, but let me tell you something, the best people usualy are....