TARGET HEART RATE
Determining and training within various heart rate ranges can help to
improve fitness, enhance performance, and prevent injury and overtraining. Target
Heart Rate is a way to determine your exercise intensity (or how hard you are
working out), and can be monitored during exercise by counting your pulse at your
wrist or neck or by wearing a heart rate monitor. Varying your workouts by
exercising at an easy, moderate, or hard level on alternate days will maximize your
results and minimize your risk of injury.
The following formulas, collectively called the Karvonen
Formula, will lead you through the process of calculating
your Target Heart Rate Ranges:
1. Estimate Maximal Heart Rate (MHR) (220 – age) = ________
2. Average Resting Heart Rate (RHR) (taken first thing in the morning):
Day 1 _____ Day 2 _____ Day 3 _____ Average ______
3. MHR minus Average RHR = Heart Rate Reserve (HHR)
__________ - __________ = __________
(#1)
(#2)
HHR
4. Training Intensity Range (Heart Rate Reserve x 50 – 85%):
Easy
Moderate
Hard
(HHR X 0.50) _________ x 0.50 = __________ beats per minute
(#3)
(HHR X 0.65) _________ x 0.65 = __________ beats per minute
(#3)
(HHR X 0.65) _________ x 0.65 = __________ beats per minute
(#3)
(HHR X 0.75) _________ x 0.75 = __________ beats per minute
(#3)
(HHR X 0.75) _________ x 0.75 = __________ beats per minute
(#3)
(HHR X 0.80) _________ x 0.80 = __________ beats per minute
(#3)
5. Add the Average Resting Heart Rate to the Training Intensity Range to find Your Target Heart
Rate Range:
Easy
_____ + ( _____ to _____ ) = _____ to _____ beats per minute
(#2)
(50% to 65% from #4)
Moderate
_____ + ( _____ to _____ ) = _____ to _____ beats per minute
(#2)
(65% to 75% from #4)
Hard
_____ + ( _____ to _____ ) = _____ to _____ beats per minute
(#2)
(75% to 80% from #4)