Target Heart Rate

As a very general rule of thumb, your maximum heart rate can be estimated by subtracting your age from 220 (226 for women, because our heart rate is naturally a little higher). I am 33, so my estimated maximum heart rate is 193. This means that theoretically, my heart can beat at a maximum of 187 beats per minute before I reach complete and total exhaustion. Again, this is a very general formula. There are many tests that can be done in an exercise physiology lab to get a more precise number, but for our purposes, this will do. Once you have that number, we can figure out a range.

The ranges are as follows:

60%-70% Max Heart Rate (MHR) = Fat Burning

70%-80% MHR = Endurance Training or Aerobic Phase

80%-90% MHR = Performance Training or Anaerobic Phase (you don't usually train in this zone for extended periods of time, more for sprinters)

For a basic workout, I tell people to stay within 65%-75% of their MHR. This way you get a little fat burning and a little endurance training. For me, this would mean that for the 20 minutes of my cardio workout, not including warm up or cool down, I would want to keep my heart rate between 126 and 145 beats per minute.

If you don't have a heart rate monitor, just take your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by 6.

You may notice that your heart rate is super high when you first start working out. It will regulate over time. The reason your heart beats so hard and fast when you first start to workout, is because it is working on overdrive to get the blood pumped to the rest of your body. As you become more fit, your heart will become stronger and more efficient. You will also notice that your resting heart rate will slightly decrease for the same reason.