Heart rate too high?

lynda

Cathlete
Okay, this is for Cathe or anyone who can help. I've been working out with Cathe tapes for a while, five times per week, and it seems that each time I do a heart-rate check, my heart rate is 28-29 beats in the 10-second count time. I'm 35 years old, and for me, this is off the charts. I feel like I'm working hard, but I don't feel like I'm going to collapse or anything. I'm already doing all my workouts at the 4-inch height. Do I need to modify down, or should I listen to my body and stay at this rate? I don't want to sacrifice fat-burning. Can working out with too high a heart rate do this? Will lowering my heart rate be less effective? I'm very confused. Please help!
 
Hi!

I'm responding because I have the same problem, except mine goes even higher, and I've posted out several times pleading for help :)

I am hoping Cathe answers, because I'd like to see what she says.

I have read to keep your heartrate in the 66-85% of max zone to have maximum fat loss, which I find impossible in Cathe's tapes.
I have resorted to lowering to a 4" step (don't like it that low either, but decided to take the advice of everyone here and do it), and I did get thru Step & Intervals alot better tonight.

I'd say if you are at 4" and still feeling like you are maxing out, keep it there. I had suggestions to do more interval training, which I am planning on doing.

I'm not exactly sure what happens when your HR goes over the 85%, as far as how much fat burning is actually going on. Maybe Cathe can say? I love her workouts, and keep plugging away trying to get my endurance built up.

My HR goes up in the 180-190 zone.. I'm 38 and my "max" according to the generic formula is 182, I am actually over max probably 90% of the workout!! I just stop, rest and go back to it.

Cathe... what kind of help can you give us?

Thanks :)
 
Hey my also goes way over. I would love to see what Cathe has to say. I had no idea that if you go over it can slow the weight loss progress. I hope not. I know it is impossible to keep my hr down with Cathe's workout but I do enjoy how I feel after the workout.
 
Is your heart rate really too high? The generic formula for calculating Max Heart rate is only good for 60% of the population according to Covert Bailey. I can work out above 100%! of my 220-age max heart rate and still carry on a conversation. A good test would be to see what your heart rate is when you can still talk in short sentences. That's likely to be 80-85% of your heart rate. Then just fake your age to make the maximum work. Another quicky test some people have found helpful (works for me) is 210-half your age to estimate a max heart rate.

Good Luck,
Andy
 
Hi-

I know this is a very difficult subject and there is no perfect answer, but as for my HR, when it starts getting up over my "max", is when I start feeling like I really need to slow down, and occasionally if I don't, I will get the side pains/stitches, someone called them. This makes me think mine is probably pretty accurate. I do slow down when it goes that high and I can tell when I need to. I don't want it to sound like I'm killing myself just trying to get thru a tape.


I feel as though I am trying, and lowering the step is my first step in the right direction (no pun intended :)), but it's still very annoying to me that I want to do these tapes so bad, and just get too winded.

Still hoping to see some reply from Cathe. Sometimes I wonder if I'll ever get to the point where I can get thru the tape without having to pause.
 
Okay, I found this site, and using my resting heart rate of 69, and selecting the option of "fit" female, I got results that were more on target with what I'm doing. The site is:

http://www.stevenscreek.com/goodies/hr.shtml

I think I'm going to just keep plugging on at the higher rate, though, because I feel good there. Not "laying on the beach" good, but "pumped" good...like I want to keep going. I suppose I'll just listen to my body over the chart. I heard that it's supposed to be a better gauge anyway, and that's why many instructors have switched to perceived exertion tests. I just hope I'm doing right here.
 

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