Joe Beer SMART Training Train Smarter. Race faster.™

Use your Heart Rate Monitor (HRM) properly - 2004

THESE ARE THE KEYS TO TRAINING PROPERLY WITH YOUR HRM

1. Find your resting heart rate (RHR) or, better still, your sleeping heart rate (SHR).

This SHR (which is you at your true resting-state) needs you to wear your HRM in bed overnight,
download the data and look for the lowest reading.

In both cases you need to look at several tests over several days to ensure you get a representative figure.

WHAT TO DO WITH THIS DATA/TEST:

A. If you are ill your RHR or SHR can (sometimes) confirm this when it's 5 or more beats above 'normal'.

B. Learning to relax and drop your HR is a good way to de-stress and 'centre' yourself.
If you can't do this perhaps too much stress, caffeine or nervousness are present.

C. You can also use this with your HRmaximum to find your reserve (see below).


2. Find your Maximum Heart Rate (HRmax).

There are two tools to use: 1. Treadmill Run Max Test and 2. Bike Max-test

Read the protocols carefully and be prepared (and fit enough) to work very hard in the last 3-6 minutes.

WHAT TO DO WITH THIS DATA/TEST:

A. If you are over-trained your HRmax can often be 5-10 or more beats less than previous tests.
Don't perfrom this test any more than once every two months at the very most (twice a year is plenty).
If you do fail to get to your true HRmax it may be time for more rest and recovery training for 7-10days.

B. Learn about how much extra you have got at the every top-end of your effort.
If you learn to accept discomfort as part of the test you can learn that racing is the same "discomfort" tolerance.

C. You can also use this and your RHR or SHR to find your reserve (see below).

D. If you go past the 'normal' value for someone of your age by more than 5 beats (see HRmax values here)
It will indicate you are a "high-beater" so standard formula (180-your age, 220-your age etc) will not apply.
About 20% of athletes are high-beaters - your heart beats fster but apart from that there's no good or bad
associated with this higher-than-normal HR response to exercise.
If in doubt, or if you do have a familal problem please contact your GP for advice.


3. Calculate Training Zones

This is a whole article in itself but using either:
a. Percentage of HR maximum (ie HRmax x percentage)
b. Heart Rate Reserve (ie. HRmax-HRrest = HR reserve) plus you must then add back on HRrest
c. MAF formula (ie. 180-your age)
d. Using TRAINSMART.com data (ie Fat Bump, Threshold, HRmax)

You can find the various areas in which you are training a certain energy system.
E.g. for BASE BUILDING the methods above have values of:

a. Up to HRmax x 0.8
b. Upto HRR x 0.75
c. Up to 180-your age
d. No more than 5 beats above the FATBUMP.

This assumes good fitness and may be 5-10 beats lower in those returning to training or lacking absorption
of training on a regular basis.

WHAT TO DO WITH THIS DATA/TEST:

A. Calculate aerobic training zones above. Anaerobic zones (using above methods) are
a. (HRmax x 0.85) and above
b. (HRR x 0.8) and above
c. At (190-age) and above
d. And at tested AT level (and above), respectively.

B. Check on your sesions that Aerobic and Anaerobic sessions (or partsof sessions) are what they are meant to be.
Downloading data from a training session (e.g. using TRAININGLOG software) gives you an idea how well you are
trainign in the zones.

C. Use Race HR data to prescribe interval sessions.
If you get within 5-8 beats of race efort you are training th erace energy system - go above this also so
that you have some 'slack' in the system to recover from harder efforts mid-race.


Train SMARTER™