HR Zones - zone 5 for an hour??

LpPepper

So in August last year I done a VO2 test and got my training zones - max HR of 185 in the test.

Now I did have to end the test earlier than what I would have liked - throat dried up and couldn't swallow - still hadn't "blown up" at that stage.

As of the last few months on the bike I've noticed I'm spending the majority of my time in zones 4 and 5 - see pictures. I assume these must be wrong? Surely there's no way I could spend so much time In these zones?

Then just yesterday having not gone on the bike in about 2 weeks, my HR hit 195bpm on a steep climb.

I know my HR monitor is okay because I had it replaced under warranty for an unrelated fault a few months ago.

Any ideas? I'm 22 by the way....thanks

clod71

ouch

LpPepper

clod71 wrote: »

ouch

Funnily enough I am able to sustain my average HR over 2-3 hr spins and not be in bits afterwards.

Plastik

Your zones are set wrong.

clod71

maybe you should simply adjust your zones?
I use Joe Friel's guidelines.
http://home.trainingpeaks.com/blog/article/joe-friel-s-quick-guide-to-setting-zones

iwillhtfu

Just looking at the screen grabs if you have your max set as 185 then you're not spending the majority of your time in zone 4-5

I'd also doubt that your max is 185 to be honest what did the tester say when you stopped?

I wouldn't be to concerned about the spike these can be for any number of reasons but normally effort spikes are fine once you recover to a normal level and the heart rate doesn't remain elevated. Sprinters don't remain in zone 3 during a sprint they'll be in the red.

I'm guessing whoever did the Vo2 test didn't do a very good job.

mossym

your vo2 test was, like a lot of them, not done correctly, or your ending of the test was more than just earlier than you liked or so early it made it pointless. i don't get how a short vo2 test can have your throat dry out, but that's another argument.

until you see a higher number, plug 195 into the friel training zones and use that.

jon1981

At 34yrs of age my measured max was 202...I'm sure yours is much higher than 185. Aren't you meant to go for broke to get your max HR? If you didn't feel f**ked after your test then i doubt you pushed your limits.

Beasty

185 is clearly not the max here, as he's hit 195 on a climb!

Daroxtar

If he's sustained 185 for an hour wouldn't that be more like his LTHR than his max?

mossym

Daroxtar wrote: »

If he's sustained 185 for an hour wouldn't that be more like his LTHR than his max?

i don't think he has said anywhere he sustained 185 for an hour.

RayCun

jon1981 wrote: »

At 34yrs of age my measured max was 202...I'm sure yours is much higher than 185. Aren't you meant to go for broke to get your max HR? If you didn't feel f**ked after your test then i doubt you pushed your limits.

Max HR varies a lot from person to person, it's not as simple as age.

But if he's hit 195 then his max HR is obviously at least 195

Daroxtar

mossym wrote: »

i don't think he has said anywhere he sustained 185 for an hour.

Ya, not sure how I came to that conclusion

Beasty

When I thought my max HR was 185 I did a 25m TT and my HR was above 170 probably for over 40 mins. That was maybe 5 or 6 years ago, and last year I actually hit 187bpm, so I really don't know if that is my true max particularly when you are supposed to lose about 1bpm each year as you age. Equally I understand that your max in different sports differs, so if you also run you can probably get a few bpm higher running than when cycling

RayCun

Beasty wrote: »

Equally I understand that your max in different sports differs, so if you also run you can probably get a few bpm higher running than when cycling

That's because cycling is easier

Beasty

RayCun wrote: »

That's because cycling is easier

... on the cardio, but you(/I) make of for it with pure power


:pac: