Izzzmeister wrote:I was in the gym Monday night, doing some 'cardio' before my "resistance training" workout. I did 45 minutes on the Arc Trainer at moderately high intensity, which usually will take my heart rate up to 135-142 beats by the end. Because of the higher level of fitness from the extra FTC rowing, it only got me up to 128 by the end of the 45 minutes. ..... Alas, my heart rate never did reach 137
Quite an interesting experience of not being able to get one’s heart rate up to 137. Being a longtime athlete with thousands of miles on the roads on my feet and on my bike, I’ve not come across that problem. As tested in a physiology lab at Georgia State University at age forty in 1986, my resting heart rate was 35, max heart rate was 165 (notice well under 220 – age), and VO2Max was 68. Even today at age 67, my RHR is 48. It takes a lot of energy to move a 6’4”, 192 lb body down the road at good pace, so I paid very close attention to all fitness parameters including heart rate. I was able to run low 1:20s half marathons on several occasions, the best being 1:21:40 (6:14 pace) at age 44.
Even with a relatively low MHR of 165 (although close to 5 times RHR) I could always get to the 140s (85% of MHR) with sufficient intensity on either a bike or running when training. When racing, I often hovered around the 150’s for extended periods of time.
I will say that when biking, if one tries to maintain the cadence as a higher gear is selected, the heart rate has to jump. Of course, if the gearing increases enough, cadence cannot be maintained, but the total effort is greater. As one gets fitter, more work can be done at a particular heart rate. But as the work load increases from that point, the heart rate must increase to do the work, assuming one is not right at MHR. Getting to a MHR can vary somewhat. Also, at MHR, one is not going on much longer. But again, I do not sense that 137 is that close to OP’s MHR.
Also, when using treadmills or exercise bikes, I always use manual mode. I control the intensity, when I want to. No way, can I not get the heart rate high with sufficient intensity – resistance times turnover or cadence. I think I am just puzzled by this story. If I was coaching the OP, I would wager a large sum of money that I could get the OP’s heart rate, or anyone else’s for that matter, over 137 in well under 45 min, assuming the person is not a total couch potato. In that case, cardiac arrest might happen before 137 is achieved for all I know. Must be some info missing here.
