max heart rate question?

Question

i have been working out pretty hardcore since late february with weights, tennis, HIIT cardio, and aerobics. When we take our max heartrates at aerobics, mine is ALWAYS at the max or over at 85% (about 28 BPM in a 10 second count, i am 25 years old). Typically....the more in shape you are, the harder you can work because your heart is more efficiant and will pump more blood per beat. Even though i feel like i need to push myself and can do the cardio...why is my heartrate still so high??? The instructor says your heartbeat will be higher the less in shape you are...but i workout so much!! ANd have lost 26 lbs! So first....why is my heartrate still so high? And should i tone the aerobics down to more low impact even though i feel like i can do the higher impact just fine? I feel just fine even when my heartbeat is that high...never feel sick or nauseated. HELP! need some insights! thanks!

Answer 1

It depends on which formula you use to calculate your target heart rate as to whether your are working too hard. The most traditional method is:
220-age=Max heart rate
upper end of target heart rate is MaxHRx.85
Or in your case 166bpm.

However, there are other formulas which take into account other factors such as fitness level and resting heart rate. (Take resting heart rate first thing in AM). For example, if you have a resting HR of 70:
[(220-age-resting HR) x .85] + resting HR=upper end of THR. Or in this case, 176 bpm.

In this case, your HR of 168 would fall within your 85% upper limit.

There are other formulas as well. The traditional method is the easiest, but not as accurate. So, start with the second formula and check our your resting HR first thing tomorrow morning.

Of course, if your heart rate still falls outside those guidlines, it is best to follow up with a physician who may recommend a treadmill stress test.

Answer 2

Your BPM is actually about 168 according to your estimates.

This is actually a pretty good rate. If I go running and I am busting my hump, my heart rate will easily hit this and above.

For 25 years old, your max heart rate should be about 195. So exercising at 168 is about 85% of your max.

That means that the intensity of your workout is pretty high. (I never could get it higher than about 130 in aerobics class, which is why I quit).

If you feel your aerobics class is too easy and you are wondering why your heart rate is higher, you could look at room temperature, caffeine, lack of sleep, overtraining (training too much) and stress levels as a possible cause. You also don't mention how much you weigh right now, but your body may be working overtime because you are carrying extra weight.

Given time, your heart rate will come down. You've only been working out for 6 months, so be patient. My resting heart rate used to be in the mid 60's to low 70's and now is in the low 50's. I do a lot of running, particularily speed work and some lactate threshold (keeping my heart rate at about 80% - 85% for 20 - 30 minutes).

You may want to look at buying a Polar brand heart rate monitor to more accurately gauge your heart rate.

Feel free to drop me a line if you need more help

Good luck.

Answer 3

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