How To Determine Your Maximum Heart Rate - Schwinn IC Pro Owner's Manual

beats per minute you can stop exercising on whatever piece of equipment you are on.
Always keep in mind that warm-up and cool-down are just as important as the activity
phase. Both can prevent many common injuries from occurring.
n How To Determine Your Maximum Heart Rate
The best way to determine your maximal heart rate is to calculate your
target heart rate zones. Simply record your heart rate several times when you are putting out a
maximal effort, such as when you are going all out on
a stationary bicycle, or during a hard session of stair climbing.
The easiest option is to estimate your maximum heart rate based on a
formula which has been well-established for reliability: take the number 220, and subtract your
age. For example, a 45 year old would have an estimated maximum heart rate of 175 (220 - 454
= 175). The target heart rate zone for aerobic training would be 105 to 149 beats per minute (60
to 80 percent of
the maximum).
n Target Heart Rate Training Zones
There are three primary heart rate training zones. The first is often referred to as the "fat
burning zone", because the intensity is moderate enough to require your body to primarily use
fat as the fuel source for the exercise. You should exercise at 50 to 65 % of your maximal heart
rate to achieve this level of intensity. While you workout in this and the other zones, your heart
rate should fall somewhere between these two figures. People just starting out on an exercise
program or who want to lose weight should concentrate on maintaining their heart rate in this
zone for 20 to 30 minutes per day, 3 to 5 days per week.
The second zone discussed above is known as the "aerobic exercise zone" or is shown on
many charts as the "target heart rate zone. " In this zone you should exercise at 60 to 85% of your
maximal heart rate. Training in this zone helps you build aerobic endurance and constructs a
base upon which you can progressively add more demanding workouts as your cardiovascular
fitness increases.
A higher level of training can help increase both your speed and tolerance for the buildup
of lactic acid, the primary waste product of anaerobic metabolism in your muscles. This type
of workout from 85 to 100% of maximum heart rate usually consists of short, hard sprints or
repeated hill running and is referred to as "anaerobic training. "
19