Is my heart rate too high????

[kristyj_05]

Usually when working out on the elliptical/treamill, my HR is averaging between 175-185. Is this too high??

[glossygraphics]

It is a bit near your max: 190...

Heart Rate Zone Beats Per Minute
Maximum Heart Rate 191
90% Anaerobic 172
80% Interval Training 153
70% Aerobic 134
60% Light 115

But if you're that concerned I would check with your doctor

[kristyj_05]

Thanks, thats helpful. My husbands HR is usually 135 he is 5'10 195lbs
I figure mine gets so high because im more overweight then he is, so i have more to burn off, and my intensity level is set higher then his when working out. BUT WHO KNOWS, thats just what i was thinking was the reason, but i thought i would post and get some opinions.

Thanks again!

[rez_rezi]

how should I keep my heart rate at if I want to lose fat? Is is 50-60

[mikedp124]

About two days ago on the treadmill, after an intense workout, my HR was 200. This was the highest I had ever gotten up to. Was it bad that my HR went up so high? im 18 btw, with no heart problems, etc.

[glossygraphics]

To answer all, I use this calculator as my basis: http://www.freedieting.com/tools/target_heart_rate.htm

It will vairy depending on your health.

[NoTimeLikeNow]

If your heartrate averages that over a prolonged amount of time you must be working at serious intensity. I mean the HIGHEST I ever got in my life is 186, and I needed superhuman strength just to get it to that point for 5 seconds for HIIT.

I mean can you even think straight after having your HR that high for a while, because I think I would barf and I have been working out hard for 2 years now.

[SocratesTX]

If your heartrate averages that over a prolonged amount of time you must be working at serious intensity. I mean the HIGHEST I ever got in my life is 186, and I needed superhuman strength just to get it to that point for 5 seconds for HIIT.

I mean can you even think straight after having your HR that high for a while, because I think I would barf and I have been working out hard for 2 years now.

Wow - you have a really low MHR then. I routinely run at 185-190 for tempo runs (holding that rate for ~20 minutes) and I'm 10 yeas older than you. Do you do much cardio?

[Berts]

Usually when working out on the elliptical/treamill, my HR is averaging between 175-185. Is this too high??

Did you just start doing cardio? If so its because you are out of shape. The more you do the better your body will adjust & before you know it you will want your heart rate that high but have a hard time gettign it up there because you are now in great shape.

On the elliptical I try to keep it at 150-160, then I up the intensity it gets up to the mid 180's.

If you are that nervious about your heart rate being so high talk to your doctor or slow it down & over a few weeks up the intensity.

[NoTimeLikeNow]

Wow - you have a really low MHR then. I routinely run at 185-190 for tempo runs (holding that rate for ~20 minutes) and I'm 10 yeas older than you. Do you do much cardio?

Well to be completely honest I do not do intense cardio anymore whatsoever, except with an occasional game of raquetball with my friends. I do recall my MHR being somewhere from 190-195 I think, so I hit the 90-95% range quite often doing HIIT about a year ago when I was more into it, but I never averaged over 170~ bmp over the entire 20 minute workout, and believe me I was kicking my own ass on the elliptical.

It seems extraordinary to me, but that's because I am using my own realm of fitness as the comparison

[badguy]

Don't really rely on the machine to tell you, usally their off.

Check your pulse.

[kristyj_05]

I should probably have mentioned also that i am taking LIPO6 before my workouts, so i know that may play a part in why its so high, but i just want to know, is this okay?

[crupiea]

I wouldnt put too much faith in the heart rate monitors the equipment has on it.

If you are breathing well and enjoying the workout then continue it.

I would ditch the lipo and see what happens. You dont need that, you just need to pay close attention to your diet.

Nice wedding avatar by the way.

[NoTimeLikeNow]

I should probably have mentioned also that i am taking LIPO6 before my workouts, so i know that may play a part in why its so high, but i just want to know, is this okay?

Yeah I have heard others say that they feel quite uncomfortable when taking lypo6 close to their workouts. Try taking it at another time, it's not like its effects will be compounded by taking it closer to a workout.

[Dirty Shoez]

Mine really gets up there to....170+ after a good 20 minutes or so, which is over 85% MHR for me. I would think being "out of shape" would mean NOT being able to run 30-60 minutes. So I'm always thinking, WTF? 8 months later, my endurance is increasing, but my HR doesn't seem to be improving

[tengster]

I always use a HRM and the chest belt to monitor my heart rate. My chest belt synchronise well with my gym cardio machines (brand- lifefitness). I realise they are pretty much consistent. I keep my heart rate to be at least 75-80% during cardio and 65-70% during cable weight (with star jump in between sets).

[andymott]

I use a HRM with chest strap when I'm going to train cardio. I start with weights then do cardio after so my HR is already up a bit. According to the 220-age calculation my max HR should be 181, but I've had it reach 185+ on some occasions (not for very long though!), and my last recorded session says my max HR reached 173. I regularly work in the 160-175 range.

You can usually add 5-10 bpm to the 220-age is you're in half decent shape with no heart problems, and working out at 80-90% shouldn't cause you any issues. If you feel dizzy or light headed then clearly you should stop, otherwise just keep going. My cardio sessions have increased in intensity as my fitness has improved, rather than me letting myself do the same workout with less effort - where's the point in that?

So long as you can manage it, keep going. Don't worry about the fat-burn/fitness ranges, just work your ass off and feel the results. Diet gets rid of the fat, cardio helps build a deficit but is more about health and fitness in my opinion.

Andy

[Fall13]

Hey girl

I hope you are using a personal heart rate monitor and not relying in the machine. The machines are usually based on a 140 pound person for calories and what not. Buy a good heart rate monitor, I have a POLAR F4 AND A F6 and I love them both! Totally worth it! Also how long are you doing your cardio for? Your are prolly near your max. When I am doing doing cardio depending on the day on the elliptical I'll do from 155-166 or slower longer cardio I keep it around 135-145. When I run I am about 180. Def. ditch the Lipo 6 in it will get rid of some water but other than that it might set you back. Stay focused!

[FatScottishGuy]

You can usually add 5-10 bpm to the 220-age is you're in half decent shape with no heart problems, and working out at 80-90% shouldn't cause you any issues. If you feel dizzy or light headed then clearly you should stop, otherwise just keep going. My cardio sessions have increased in intensity as my fitness has improved, rather than me letting myself do the same workout with less effort - where's the point in that?

So long as you can manage it, keep going. Don't worry about the fat-burn/fitness ranges, just work your ass off and feel the results. Diet gets rid of the fat, cardio helps build a deficit but is more about health and fitness in my opinion.

Andy

Agreed, the 220-age is a guideline, not gospel...I frequently go over it, as long as you are fit and are not feeling dizzy/sick then (in my opinion of course) you are good to go.

[trance__dreamer]

You can usually add 5-10 bpm to the 220-age is you're in half decent shape with no heart problems, and working out at 80-90% shouldn't cause you any issues. If you feel dizzy or light headed then clearly you should stop, otherwise just keep going. My cardio sessions have increased in intensity as my fitness has improved, rather than me letting myself do the same workout with less effort - where's the point in that?

So long as you can manage it, keep going. Don't worry about the fat-burn/fitness ranges, just work your ass off and feel the results. Diet gets rid of the fat, cardio helps build a deficit but is more about health and fitness in my opinion.

^^ this. @ the end of a h.i.i.t. treadmill session, my heart rate's @ around 35-40 beats per 10 seconds. so, 35 or 40 x 6 = 210 to 240 beats per minute. i always feel spent but fine & definately always still in control of my body & have yet to actually throw up & have never even come close to passing out. like most of you on here, along my health journey, i've seemed to have developed an increasing tolerance for greater levels of endurance pain. moreover, on a rare occasion, i'll look @ myself in the mirror in the weight room & ask myself "who are you?! =O <3"

[snarkrob]

If you are up there, pay attention to your body. A couple years ago I did 4 days straight of HIIT switching between machines and doing a set of 10 pushups every 2 minutes, averaging somewhere in the mid-upper 180's for at least 20 minutes... the week after while attempting the same thing, I felt dizzy and all around nauseous before I got in the upper 160's. I decided that was it for the day, and wrapped it up with some light lifting and some stretching. Moral of the story is that there will be some point where your body says enough, and you'll know the difference between something you can push through and something that you should not chance it with.

On the other hand, it was rumored that Lance Armstrong keeps his heart beating in the 190's during a race.

[BRH]

There are some seriously high numbers in this thread..... are you all using heart rate monitors or gym machine read outs? I know my gym has machines that tell me my heart rate is 200+ at times, when it is obviously not.

I have a Polar F6, and I have to say it is a really useful bit of kit.

I have tried a bit of HITT on the elliptical, I usually do 60 seconds max effort and 120 second at normal (150bpm), for a total work out time of 20 mins........ I then usually follow that up with a further 20 mins at a normal pace which is again about 150 ish.

The highest I have managed during HITT is 175bpm, and that required a lot of effort, to the point where I am feeling a bit sick and dizzy...... anything over 170 makes me feel pretty gross tbh.

my resting pulse is about 55, so I don't know if I am unfit? I know I can keep a moderate effort (say 145 to 150) going for pretty much as long as I like, or till I get bored anyway.

[Tanulean]

It's fine. I've hit ~195 on many occasions.



Most important advice: Listen to your body.

[tam_ironcup]

ive just started working out myself, horribly unfit, and i average 170+ all the time, especially on the elliptical and cycle, and when jogging on the treadmill. i did ask the the same question here as i was worried, but apparently its not that big a deal XD
just keep exercising more and hopefully ur body would adjust, but if ur body is feeling discomfort during the session, reckon you should go see a doctor.

[rdemarce]

There isn't a problem with getting your heart rate up if you are controlling it. When you exercise, it's going to go up depending on how hard you're exercising. You should only be concerned if you can't get it back down. You should be able to control your heart-rate. Different people have different heart rates based on their fitness level. There's a funny thing about limits...no one knows what their limit really is...you're body is capable of doing more than you're willing to put it through.

[Xbrutalx233]

I've had mine hit 199. I was going at it pretty intense... but mine averages 150-155 normally on moderate cardio

[BRH]

If my heart rate ever got up above the 185 mark I would be worried about having a heart attack!

[Tehcelltech]

I dont have much faith in the standard forumla for calculating max HR. I think it can vary alot depending on genetics. I was worried too when I first got my montior and found I was consistantly hitting over 200 while doing hiit and even reached as high as 218 once, so it may not be somethign to worry about. If you feel pain in your jaw or shoulder I would stop though. But you should prolly just check with your doc to be on the safe side.