Do you ever feel like you’ve worked and worked in the gym without seeing any results? It’s possible you’re simply at the wrong heart rate.
In order to get the most out of your workouts, it’s essential to get your heart rate on target. But what is “on target” and how do you get there?
The American Heart Association provides all the information you need in order to exercise effectively. Essentially, your maximum heart rate is 220 minus your age. Keep in mind that the figures here are averages, so only use them as guidelines, or go to our easy to use calculator and get your specific numbers.
Age | Target HR Zone 50-85% | Average Maximum Heart Rate, 100% |
20 years | 100-170 beats per minute | 200 beats per minute |
30 years | 95-162 beats per minute | 190 beats per minute |
35 years | 93-157 beats per minute | 185 beats per minute |
40 years | 90-153 beats per minute | 180 beats per minute |
45 years | 88-149 beats per minute | 175 beats per minute |
50 years | 85-145 beats per minute | 170 beats per minute |
55 years | 83-140 beats per minute | 165 beats per minute |
60 years | 80-136 beats per minute | 160 beats per minute |
65 years | 78-132 beats per minute | 155 beats per minute |
70 years | 75-128 beats per minute | 150 beats per minute |
Once you know your target heart rate, you can adjust the intensity of your workout in order to reach it. You can monitor your heart rate manually or with a gadget.
To manually check your heart rate, periodically check your pulse. The AMA recommends this method:
- Take your pulse on the inside of your wrist, on the thumb side.
- Use the tips of your first two fingers (not your thumb) to press lightly over the blood vessels on your wrist.
- Count your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by 6 to find your beats per minute.
The other way to monitor your heart rate is with a heart rate monitor. When at the gym, they can be found on most cardio or aerobic equipment, but you can also purchase personal ones. We recently discussed heart rate monitor options in this blog.
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