What should my heart rate be (beats per minute) during exercise?

Question

I'm female, 22 and weigh 65kg. I'm trying to improve my fitness levels at the gym and wondered what my heart rate should be when I'm working on the cardio vascular machines?

Answer 1

Cardio = 220 minus your current age x 90%

Fat burning = 220 minus your current age x 70%

So, for example, if you are 22 and you wish to train your heart, 220 - 22 = 198 x 90% = 178 bpm. You need to work up to this zone and stay in it for at least 15 minutes to get benefits - 30 minutes would be better.

Answer 2

This really depends on a number of factors, like your current level of fitness, the intensity you want to work at, what your overall fitness goals are, etc.

Guessing that you're averagely fit and want to make m oderate improvements to your all round cardio fitness, your work zone is roughly 60-80% of your potential heart rate maximum.

To find this you need to do the following:
220 - age
Now subtract your resting heart rate
Now find 60% of that number
Now add your resting heart rate back on
That's your bottom level work rate

To find your upper level do it again, but this time use 80% instead of 60.

If you're very well trained, you can quite safeluy go up to 85% and many athletes regularly train at 90% and above - but you need some quite time specific programming for this and need to consult a qualified trainer.

All this assumes you are in good health with no cardio-repiratory problems. If in doubt, check it out!

Answer 3

Well, to calculate what your maximum heart rate possible is (MHR) do 226-your age (females), or 220-your age (males)
So yours is 226-22=204bpm
When doing aerobic exercise, ie. the cardiovascualar machines or running, your heart rate should be at about 60-80% of your MHR. For you, this is 60-80% of 204= 122-163bpm. As you get fitter, you should still stay in the 60-80% range, but because you're fitter you will have to go faster to reach your target range

Answer 4

Your fitness level is judged by how fast your heart beat returns to your rest pulse after some exercise.( min a speed run of 5mins) Not what your heart rate is during exercise. That will tell you a more accurate figure on how well your cardio vascular system is and how fit you are making yourself from your exercise program.

Answer 5

...this is the 3rd time you've asked this question... here I go again..

Optimum heart rates are calculated on the basis of a percentage of your theoretical maximum. A quick rule is to subtract your age from 220. So if you're 22, your theoretical maximum is 198.

For different goals in exercise, your heart rate should be:

Aerobic/Fat burn: 60-70% of max
Endurance/Fitness: 70-80% of max
Performance: 80-90%

Answer 6

It should be around 120 but the best way to judge your fitness level is how quickly your pulse rate recovers back down to normal level

Answer 7

It totally depends on what kind of exercise you're doing. Sprints and intervals would be very different BPM to slow and steady stamina training.

To see if you're getting fitter, check your resting heart rate to see if itgets lower over time, and also how quickly your heartrate returns to normal after you've stopped.

Answer 8

Either use the monitors at the gym or buy one. Polar are very good. Make sure it has "own zone" or you could get someboby elses reading on yours

Answer 9

you will burn fat at a heart rate of between 115 and 130 over that is cardiovascular for your heart and lungs.....no need to over do it if you just want to burn calories xxx

Answer 10

140 - 150 ish.