Your heart rate is a great tool to use when performing different styles of workouts at varied intensities. The first question you need to answer is what kind of workout you are wanting to achieve. For instance, if you’re doing a cardio workout you’ll want to exercise around 65-75% of your maximal effort (AKA your max HR) and move consistently for the majority of the workout. Or, if you’re doing an interval workout, you’ll want to be pushing yourself to 85-90% of your max HR, with rest in between the short bursts of activity.
Before we talk numbers, we want to remind you that there are ALWAYS caveats with formulas. Our bodies, metabolisms, and familiarity with exercising are all so different that a simple formula isn’t a cut and dry answer. See your heart rate numbers as the guideline they were meant to be, and not a hard and fast rule. We recommend using the formula below, known as Karvonen’s formula to generate your HR numbers.
To find your heart rate that you should be aim for during your workout goes as follows:
RHR= resting heart rate (while sitting at rest, find your pulse in your wrist using your opposite hand and count the number of beats over 1 minute.
(220- your age) – RHR = Maximum Heart Rate #
The number you just calculated can then be multiplied by the percent of maximum intensity you are wanting for your workout. In this example, we will do a cardio workout at 70% max. Then, add back in your RHR.
[# x .7)] + RHR = your heart rate you should *approximately* be at during your workout!
Trainer Grace’s example is below:
(220-29) – 52= 139
(139 x .7) + 52= 149.3
Trainer Grace will use 149 as a ballpark heart rate for her cardio workout.
At the end of the day, if you moved your body and produced endorphins as a result, be proud of yourself. We call that a win.
