Average heart rate when working out

cinnamony

My average heart rate when doing cardio is around 186bpm and my friend's jaw dropped when I told her!


Just curious if anyone else's is that high or is this actually average when exercising?

Brian?

Tis very high. But that's not necessarily an indication that there's something wrong. Everyone is different.

Vicxas

Depends on what age you are.

Think normally the max is 220 - your age.

But it does sound high, do you feel dizzy or sick when you're going that high?

cinnamony

Vicxas wrote: »

Depends on what age you are.

Think normally the max is 220 - your age.

But it does sound high, do you feel dizzy or sick when you're going that high?

I'm 23 so using that formula it would be 197!

I don't feel very sick no which is why I haven't bothered going to the dr. I do get a cough though but it goes away after.

ironically exercises like sit ups etc leave me feeling so sick I have to stop immediately and get bed rest

Alf Veedersane

cinnamony wrote: »

My average heart rate when doing cardio is around 186bpm and my friend's jaw dropped when I told her!


Just curious if anyone else's is that high or is this actually average when exercising?

Out of interest, what's the timeframe for that average heart rate?

cinnamony

Alf Veedersane wrote: »

Out of interest, what's the timeframe for that average heart rate?

You mean how soon after beginning the workout it gets there?
When I'm warming up I'm going at the lowest intensity and speed then I increase it, takes around 1 minute to get that high I'd say. Even if i stay on the lowest intensity and speed but simply pedal faster it still goes up to 186

RayCun

Vicxas wrote: »

Depends on what age you are.

Think normally the max is 220 - your age.

But it does sound high, do you feel dizzy or sick when you're going that high?

That formula is bollocks.

You also have to consider how accurate the monitor is.

186 is nothing to worry about, but if you are concerned, talk to a doctor.

Alf Veedersane

cinnamony wrote: »

You mean how soon after beginning the workout it gets there?
When I'm warming up I'm going at the lowest intensity and speed then I increase it, takes around 1 minute to get that high I'd say. Even if i stay on the lowest intensity and speed but simply pedal faster it still goes up to 186

For how long is it in/around 186?

caviardreams

RayCun wrote: »

That formula is bollocks.

You also have to consider how accurate the monitor is.

186 is nothing to worry about, but if you are concerned, talk to a doctor.

This. What are you using to measure it - I presume it is not one of the built in monitors on cardio equipment as they can be very inaccurate. I also read some blog posts etc. that show the likes of fitbits can be out by 10-20 bpm especially at high rates, so it may not be as precise as you might think.

Getting up to max HR within a minute from absolute rest/stationary/starting is quite quick on a bike I would have thought though. Maybe no harm in getting things checked with a doctor etc. for peace of mind anyway, especially as you mention coughing.

Dtp1979

cinnamony wrote: »

exercises like sit ups etc leave me feeling so sick I have to stop immediately and get bed rest

Bed rest?? This would have me extremely concerned. Very unusual. Are you straining or pulling your head forward?
Couples together with your heart rate raising so quick it might be no harm to go get checked out.

Seth Brundle

Having done cardiac rehab in Blanch Hospital, whilst they obviously monitored heart rate, they seemed to treat the time to return to a normal rate as equally important.

JayRoc

The important question here is how you are measuring your heart rate.

cinnamony

I am using the monitor in the machine as I have no other way but didn't think it could be so far off.

I did get a stress test not long ago which came back abnormal and the dr said my heart rate even at rest was a bit high but because the ultrasound came back normal I was discharged which is why I'm not concerned anything is wrong was just curious if you guys experienced high readings as well as I'm an outlier among my friends

The thing with the situps I think might be motion sickness as I got my form checked with a PT before proceeding with a strength training routine and he said my form was good!

arybvtcw0eolkf

Without knowing your training experience etc its hard to give an opinion.

If you're relying on the machine to give you an accurate HR you're taking a [ very small] chance, but if the machines in your gym are compatible with Polar HR straps then I'd suggest buying a Polar H7 strap and letting the machine pick up from that rather than the sensors on the machine.

But if you're only curious about your HR then the H7 strap is expensive (retailing around €70).

Because I'm a competitive Judoka monitoring my HR has always been very important to me, and tbh I've found most machines to be accurate when compared to whatever HRM I'm using (usually a Suunto or Polar). But the problem is you can't log the HR from the machine.

If you're just casually monitoring your HR and you've no real health concerns IMO the machines are fine.

The only truly nasty monitors I've come across are the watches sold in Aldi & Lidl (made by Critiv).

Transform

cinnamony wrote: »

I am using the monitor in the machine as I have no other way but didn't think it could be so far off.

I did get a stress test not long ago which came back abnormal and the dr said my heart rate even at rest was a bit high but because the ultrasound came back normal I was discharged which is why I'm not concerned anything is wrong was just curious if you guys experienced high readings as well as I'm an outlier among my friends

The thing with the situps I think might be motion sickness as I got my form checked with a PT before proceeding with a strength training routine and he said my form was good!

186bpm average is not at all normal but get a proper monitor if you want to check it accurately e.g. polar monitor

overall if its shooting that high after a very short period of time while training its generally a sign of poor conditioning and you're approaching conditioning incorrectly if every time you exercise is going this high all the time. Spend 4-6 weeks working at 140-160bpm to build a good aerobic base first.

Also check for factors outside of the gym that can cause HR to get excessively high without really trying i.e. stress, poor sleep, inadequate nutrition etc and ive seen this lots in those over training also - constantly exercising at too high a heart rate too often that leads to high HR even during warm ups.

we use HR monitors all the time with clients to check and assess the training intensity and to ensure the training intensity is appropriate for how the client is feeling that day as there is no point overloading a system thats already struggling to deal with existing stressors

cinnamony

Thanks for the advice guys!
The machines we have at the gym have their own monitor to watch tv, wifi and stuff so I imagine they might have H7 connection but I'll check to make sure!

In terms of my training I started with walking (uneven surface) then brisk walking until I got a gym membership in february. I still do at least 1 hour of walking per day (brisk pace uneven surface) at the gym I've been doing LISS and gradually building it up. I'm thinking of starting HIIT today because Ive always preferred HIIT to normal cardio but with longer rests and then build up to shorter rests and after that build up to higher intensity. Is this the wrong way to do it?

My diet is perfectly fine, I cook everything except one day a week where I eat out/get takeaway. Dont drink or smoke or do drugs. I am stressed however and this is due to depression and anxiety which also affects my sleep.

Transform

cinnamony wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys!
The machines we have at the gym have their own monitor to watch tv, wifi and stuff so I imagine they might have H7 connection but I'll check to make sure!

In terms of my training I started with walking (uneven surface) then brisk walking until I got a gym membership in february. I still do at least 1 hour of walking per day (brisk pace uneven surface) at the gym I've been doing LISS and gradually building it up. I'm thinking of starting HIIT today because Ive always preferred HIIT to normal cardio but with longer rests and then build up to shorter rests and after that build up to higher intensity. Is this the wrong way to do it?

My diet is perfectly fine, I cook everything except one day a week where I eat out/get takeaway. Dont drink or smoke or do drugs. I am stressed however and this is due to depression and anxiety which also affects my sleep.

if you cant keep heart rate down on LISS then its not going to magically get better doing HIIT.

Get a monitor and report back

Adding harder work to a system thats already possibly at its limit is not the best option.

Weight training and mobility work should feature there in a big way in your training also

cinnamony

Transform wrote: »

if you cant keep heart rate down on LISS then its not going to magically get better doing HIIT.

Get a monitor and report back

Adding harder work to a system thats already possibly at its limit is not the best option.

Weight training and mobility work should feature there in a big way in your training also

Oh I know I'm moving onto HIIT only because I prefer it over LISS its more enjoyable to me.

70 is a bit expensive for me atm but Ill see if i can borrow something off someone or whatever!

I have a weight training routine just havent started yet and I do stretching as well already

j@utis

I mainly lift weights and my average heart rate is ~130bpm, that's average, not HR max that's mostly discussed here. I have Polar H7 strap (one with bluetooth) and I can see my heart rate on my phone and all cardio equipment is Polar compatible in our gym. You can pick up H7 for much less money on ebay if you're patient, I've paid around ~30eur, I'm very pleased with it - no need for a watch on my wrist!

joey100

The machines in the gym you use should have an ant+ or bluetooth symbol on them, this will be the frequency that it broadcasts the Heart rate info. Once you know how it sends it you just get a strap to match. Can get cheap enough Hr straps online, once you know which frequency you are looking for. Once you have that you can start to work out your Hr training zones.

Buddy97mm

Vicxas wrote:

Think normally the max is 220 - your age.

The rough guide is max should be (220-your age) x 80%

RayCun

Buddy97mm wrote: »

The rough guide is max should be (220-your age) x 80%

Rough guide for what? I have often gone over 190 (for very short periods!) in my mid forties.

Transform

cinnamony wrote: »

Oh I know I'm moving onto HIIT only because I prefer it over LISS its more enjoyable to me.

70 is a bit expensive for me atm but Ill see if i can borrow something off someone or whatever!

I have a weight training routine just havent started yet and I do stretching as well already

enjoyable is not the same as appropriate

most gyms will have HR monitors you could get loan of

Transform

Buddy97mm wrote: »

The rough guide is max should be (220-your age) x 80%

no predicted max is simply 220 minus age

Transform

RayCun wrote: »

Rough guide for what? I have often gone over 190 (for very short periods!) in my mid forties.

which doesnt make it good nor bad.

Generally i notice the better clients conditioning the harder it will be to get heart rate to a predicted max and even then i would question whats the purpose or benefit when 9 times out of 10 clients are generally very stiff, weak and need a better aerobic base rather than pushing hard into red zone training

RayCun

Transform wrote: »

no predicted max is simply 220 minus age

But that prediction is nonsense. Some people have a higher max, some people have a lower max.

If you are going to monitor your heart rate, and exercise to a particular % of your heart rate max, you have to know what your heart rate max is.

You could have two 40 year olds. You say, okay, 220-age, your max heart rate is 180, so for this session I want you working at 160bpm. But one of them has a max heart rate of 190, and the other has a max of 170, so 160 represents something completely different for each one.

joey100

I thought the 220-age thing had been fairly disproven?

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109700010548

And in a less science-y way of writing

https://simplifaster.com/articles/age-predicted-heart-rate-calculators-hr-training-valid-invalid/

Transform

all these things are just estimates so the only way of truly knowing is a VO2 max text which most are not going to do

RPE might be a good option for those with a large training history though

Plus i see more issues with clients inability to maintain a low NOT a high heart rate (where the majority of sessions should be spent)

Read the work of Seiler et al - https://www.hmmrmedia.com/2018/02/gaincast-episode-104-polarized-training-with-stephen-seiler/

https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/toolbox/cycling-polarized-training-stephen-seiler/

RayCun

If you have a heart rate monitor, you can get an approximation of your max heart rate by running hill sprints until you puke

But if you aren't going to find your real max heart rate (to within about 5 bpm), there is no point using heart rate zones for training.

It's like telling someone that the average person can run a km in X, so they should go run a km in X + 30 seconds, or the average person can deadlift Y, so they can start with an easy weight of 60% Y.

If someone was trying to lose weight, and they had weekly weight loss targets, would you put them on a scales that you knew could be off by 5kg in either direction?

Transform

I have zero problem using HR monitors on clients daily but its all for lower HR zone work (135-145bpm range work) not for higher work which i see too much off anyway in people that often time have terrible mobility, poor strength and poor management of lifestyle factors outside of the gym

RayCun

Transform wrote: »

I have zero problem using HR monitors on clients daily but its all for lower HR zone work (135-145bpm range work) not for higher work which i see too much off anyway in people that often time have terrible mobility, poor strength and poor management of lifestyle factors outside of the gym

Why are you using a heart rate monitor when you don't know what the output means? 135-145bpm means nothing unless you know the max.

Transform

RayCun wrote: »

Why are you using a heart rate monitor when you don't know what the output means? 135-145bpm means nothing unless you know the max.

I dont need the max, I’m just looking to Get them to work at a lower intensity which most struggle to do from the testing we do with clients all the time

RayCun

Transform wrote: »

I dont need the max, I’m just looking to Get them to work at a lower intensity which most struggle to do from the testing we do with clients all the time

Joe has a heart rate during the session of 135.
Jack has a heart rate during the session of 145.

Both are in the lower intensity range you prescribe.

But Joe has a max heart rate of 190.
Jack has a max heart rate of 170.

They are doing completely different sessions.

DabllDoYa

To check your heart rate a little more accurately, ask a buddy to help.

Put your finger to the vein in your neck and count how many times it throbs in 10 seconds,
Then multiply by 6.

Transform

RayCun wrote: »

Joe has a heart rate during the session of 135.
Jack has a heart rate during the session of 145.

Both are in the lower intensity range you prescribe.

But Joe has a max heart rate of 190.
Jack has a max heart rate of 170.

They are doing completely different sessions.

Not completely different, both working at fairly low(er)
Intensity and certainly nowhere near top end efforts

We use hrv to check response to training and don’t find a pace as mentioned to stress the system much regardless of age and max (predicted HR) and we use rpe during session to gauge intensity. Phil maffetones aerobic guide of 180-age isn’t a bad predictor for most people but as mentioned I don’t find you have to keep dialing downwards as you get beyond 40-50yrs old

cinnamony

Hi guys so I managed to borrow a strap from a friend and decided to test things on a treadmill.
I tested 3x all of them with the same pattern, unfortunately I didnt have anyone with me to take notes so I remembered only the most important details.

At 4.5 kph my heart rate stabilised at around 136bpm this is the pace I warm up at.
I then upped it to 8 kph and my heart rate stabilized at 190 within the first minute. I decided not to go any further than this even though I know its not very fast, just as a precaution.

I then tested decreasing the speed back to 4.5kph it took about 2 minutes to stabilize back to 136bpm, within the first minute I was down to 160..

RayCun

That's... pretty weird

If your max heart rate is close to 190, you are not going to be thinking about whether to hang around at that level or slow down.

But (not meaning to be critical) you don't seem very fit, so I don't know.

To be honest, I don't see why you are paying so much attention to heart rate at your training level.

cinnamony

RayCun wrote: »

That's... pretty weird

If your max heart rate is close to 190, you are not going to be thinking about whether to hang around at that level or slow down.

But (not meaning to be critical) you don't seem very fit, so I don't know.

To be honest, I don't see why you are paying so much attention to heart rate at your training level.

I said in my reply that I did not push beyond 8kph because my heart rate hit 190 not that I can't go beyond this point

RayCun

cinnamony wrote: »

I said in my reply that I did not push beyond 8kph because my heart rate hit 190 not that I can't go beyond this point

yes, which suggests that your heart rate could go significantly higher. Which is pretty strange.

cinnamony

RayCun wrote: »

yes, which suggests that your heart rate could go significantly higher. Which is pretty strange.

Yeah I actually got confused for a second thinking the treadmill was set to mph rather than kph to tell you the truth...
I just realized my stupid arse forgot to mention i set the treadmill to 5 incline because it was bouncing too much. Though I'm not sure if this affects it much..

Mellor

Transform wrote: »

overall if its shooting that high after a very short period of time while training its generally a sign of poor conditioning and you're approaching conditioning incorrectly if every time you exercise is going this high all the time. Spend 4-6 weeks working at 140-160bpm to build a good aerobic base first.

Or that his MHR is runs above average. It's hardly uncommon.

we use HR monitors all the time with clients to check and assess the training intensity and to ensure the training intensity is appropriate for how the client is feeling that day as there is no point overloading a system thats already struggling to deal with existing stressors

That's a rough guide. But without knowing the individual clients actual MHR it's not all that accurate. I've gone above my predicted max on hard 5km runs.