HR Training is too slow
525
Member
1324 days
Tamara posted 3 years ago.
There was a thread back in late June about the importance of an HRM, and I think I gave my experiences with it back then. Basically, YES, training right in your aerobic zone often times does seem to be much slower when you are first starting to seriously pay attention to things like that. But what I've found is that if you train in your aerobic zone, it won't take too much time before you find your fitness levels improving rapidly. I have a quick 3mi loop through the park near my house that I do on a regular basis, and am now doing it a few minutes faster than I was earlier this spring, but still staying within that HR zone. I.e. my fitness has improved -- I can go faster for the same level of effort.
Give it a try - there is a method to the madness.
Good luck!
183
Member
1304 days
KenMierke posted 3 years ago.
I agree 100% that everyone - beginner to pro - wants to train too fast, but the Polar test is also completely bogus. I'll be happy to send the chapter on intensity from my book The Triathlete's Guide to Run Training to anyone who writes me at This document will tell you how to use field testing to estimate your training zones much more accurately than Polar's test. Physiological testing is even better.
http://www.fitness-concepts.com/voxmax.htm
Good luck,
Ken
Ken Mierke Ken@Fitness-Concepts.com
Fitness Concepts Fitness-Concepts.com
Author, The Triathlete's Guide to Run Training
www.EvolutionRunning.com
I know what you are thinking, "Not another HR training question." But I am going to ask it anyway.
I just got a Polar s210 and it has the "Fitness Test" where it measure your RHR for a few minutes and based on that on some other factors it guess at what your MHR should be. It said 201. Now the highest i have seen is 188 but the hill ended up not being as big as i thought so still had some left at the top. So i am going to assume it is 195. I guess that is okay for a 25 year old male at 6' and 208.
I am currently reading Complete Book of Road Cycling Skills by Bicycling Magazine, and it says ride 10% in zone 4, 25%-30% in zone 3, and 60%-65% of your riding time in zone 2. That means that i would spend most of my time at 129-140 bpm. This seems WAY TOO slow. i feel like i am not accomplishing anything. that means most of my riding is 15 mph or less.
I guess the point is to get that to be faster pace with the same effort but man that just seems slow.
Any thoughts. This part of the book is written by Rory O'Reilly.