Why Heart Rate Training
Fit For Life Physical Therapy
Most runners tend to run according to how they feel. If you feel good, you will push the pace. This is a recipe for over-training and/or possible injury.
Heart Rate Guided training will allow for endurance gains and proper recovery between runs.
There are three main topics when discussing Heart Rated Guided training:
Maximum Heart Rate
Heart Rate Zones (1 to 5)
Training Runs - Endurance, Tempo, Interval
How do you find your Maximum Heart Rate?
220 minus your age to find Maximum Heart Rate (example 220 - 40 for a max HR of 180 beats per minute). Age and Genetics will determine your Maximum Heart Rate. Fitness level has no bearing on this number.
Resting Heart Rate - Before you get out of bed in the morning take your heart rate for 4 days. Use the average of these readings to establish your Resting Heart Rate.
VO2 Max Testing - This is a test of your body’s maximum capacity to transport and use oxygen during maximum effort. VO2 Max testing will give you a true Maximum Heart Rate. This is a clinical setting on a treadmill with more of an accurate reading than the 220 minus your age estimate. These can be scheduled through McConnell Heart Health Center and Baseline Fitness for a precise individualized prescription of Heart Rate training zones.
Training Zones
Zone 1: Active recovery
Zone 2: Steady state aerobic long-distance training runs
Zone 3: Tempo run - Introducing anaerobic component. Lactate produced but not overwhelming
Zone 4: Interval I Anaerobic training
Zone 5: Interval II Anaerobic training
Training Runs
Endurance - Your endurance runs usually cover 3 to 4 days of your weekly mileage. Long run, recovery runs. These runs should stay in zone 2. (without Heart Rate Guided training, most people mistakenly run somewhere zone 3)
Tempo - 80% of Maximum Heart Rate, for a duration of 30 to 90 minutes. This should be comfortably hard (High zone 3 to high zone 4). This is conditioning the body to stay at or close to race pace.
Interval - 90 to 100% of Maximum Heart Rate, for a duration of 30 seconds to 5 minutes (Zone 5). These are repetitive with an active recovery down to zone 1 between sets.
Fit For Life Physical Therapy helps people of all activity levels prevent, recover from, or rehabilitate sports and orthopedic injuries. Help for active people - from OTHER active people.
Reach us by email at info@fitforlifephysicaltherapy.com, or call or text us at any of the phone numbers for our three convenient locations inside Fleet Feet/FrontRunner stores:
Polaris Location: 1270 East Powell Road Lewis Center, Ohio 43035 - 614-981-2065
Upper Arlington Location: 1344 West Lane Avenue, Columbus, Ohio 43221 - 614-981-1979
New Albany Location: 5792 North Hamilton Road, Columbus, Ohio 43230 - 614-581-7441