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Why should you train with a heart rate monitor?


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so you dont have the money, nor the time to go for a proper fitness test, surely there must be a way of then getting your max HR ?

 

You find a lot of people extolling the virtue of either soft sand running with sprints until you're ready to die / vomit or hard climbing with repeated sprints until you're ready to die / vomit. 

 

Obviously the actual method is far more scientific but essentially you need to want to die, be about to die, pass out or vomit with your ticker hammering like wood pecker on new wood. ;) 

 

Might get sports science to do a test rather! 

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You find a lot of people extolling the virtue of either soft sand running with sprints until you're ready to die / vomit or hard climbing with repeated sprints until you're ready to die / vomit. 

 

Obviously the actual method is far more scientific but essentially you need to want to die, be about to die, pass out or vomit with your ticker hammering like wood pecker on new wood. ;)

 

Might get sports science to do a test rather! 

 

 

Jaa its not as simple as going balls to the wall until you cant anymore, heart rate does not work like a rev counter and its best to gradually move up to a final max effort. Its actually very stressful if done properly and imo its not worth doing to often, in fact once is more than enough. 

 

I'd rather do the LTHR test, even that's a bit stressful but a lot less than a max HR test

 

Polar have a good example of a Max HR test protocol (see below), its for running but the principal would remain the same for cycling. For cycling purposes its easier and safer to do on an indoor trainer using the resistance to simulate a climb.

 

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Edited by SwissVan
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I train using a HR monitor. Have done so for years. It can get a bit complicated and I still don't understand it all

 

When training base I was told to keep my HR below 150 and to aim for 140 most of the time. Then I move onto speed endurance training and push my HR to just below my threshold. This is around 174. One thing I have never used in any way while training is my maximum HR. I think it's aroung 195 to 200, well I have seen numbers like that on occasion when racing but so what? Never had anyone tell me to push to my Maximum HR. Most important number is my threshold and that was determined by testing. Not as an arb percentage of my max.

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Well, i was pushing hard during the PPA this weekend. I was starting to feel a but fatiqued and when i looked at my garmin it was reporting a heart rate of 218bpm my max is suppose to be 185. I stopped for 5min and the groups past me by (very sad) while i rested a bit. Can this be geniune or is this a bug? Sounds a bit high to me.

Definitely a spike, usually caused by overhead powerlines. i hope you never stopped because you saw that number, probably why some people don't ride with a HRM.

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A much more accurate 'rule of thumb' to estimate Max HR .... If you cannot afford a scientific test.... Is 220-(n*0.64) where n= your age.

 

This method lowered my max HR to a much more realistic level that I could actually get to. Read it in a local bike Sept 2014...

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My heart is always in the 80% of my max during training...but then again i find it kinda pointless just peddling about on my road bike. Road bike is meant to be cycled hard and fast.

 

Find it so difficult to cycle with friends that are just happy doing the slow 22-24kph.

Not always so smart. Ride slow, but long, to get even faster.

 

But do what you like, just do some more research on that theory.

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A much more accurate 'rule of thumb' to estimate Max HR .... If you cannot afford a scientific test.... Is 220-(n*0.64) where n= your age. This method lowered my max HR to a much more realistic level that I could actually get to. Read it in a local bike Sept 2014...

this formula doesn't correspond to the scientific test, more than 10 beats higher. Whereas the articles formula is spot on with the scientific test.

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Is there a relationship between people that have larger volume hearts having lower maximum heart rates?  I heard something along these lines recently and wondered if it is true. 

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220-34=186 pretty accurate for me.

My max was also tested a few years ago and it is exactly what the formula calculates for my age.  (What ever that may be. :D :D )

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My max was also tested a few years ago and it is exactly what the formula calculates for my age.  (What ever that may be. :D :D )

Nice Mads, no wonder you do so well with LSD rides  :thumbup:

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I find its motivates me to ride harder, when using a heart rate monitor,have figured out my own perceived effort , and an average value,based on my statistics for the last four years , sometimes though I do not use it ,as I am doing a fun ride, and it does not count for training.

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Well, i was pushing hard during the PPA this weekend. I was starting to feel a but fatiqued and when i looked at my garmin it was reporting a heart rate of 218bpm my max is suppose to be 185. I stopped for 5min and the groups past me by (very sad) while i rested a bit. Can this be geniune or is this a bug? Sounds a bit high to me.

This is a common problem on heart rate monitors - mostly happens when experiencing dry headwinds or cycling at speed (downhill etc). Caused by static electricity from cycling shirt rubbing against the sensor. Had this on my Polar and Garmin Edge 305 as well. Seems like it has been sorted on the Garmin Edge1000 though.

 

When it happens again, press against your chest where the sensor is - stopping the rubbing of the shirt against the sensor, the heart rate figure should drop back to normal (until you release again :-)). I also found that it does not happen with certain types of shirts - such as winter garments with more wool woven into the material. 

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Interetingly, I watched the highlights of the Ironman 70.3 and out of the top 5 males it seemed as is three (including the winner) didn't wear a HRM. The top female also went without. There must be merit in not using a HRM

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