[geargrrl]

I'm confused, hope some of you trainer types can help me.

We did a threshold class in spin, using HRM's to supposedly establish what our individual aerobic/anaerobic threshold is.

(keep in mind that the various instructors have everything from a health club certification to real athletic training degree, not sure what Catherine has)

the basis was the simple formula, 220-age as maximum. The class was based on this: warm up, ride for 20 minutes at the highest level you could hold consistently for 20 minutes, but not go higher than, recover for 2 minutes, then go another 20 minutes at that same level as before, then the cool down.

Using the hrm as a guide, I found I was able to maintain right at 88% of max ( with little swings to 87/89) but I could not mainatin above that... she says that I should consider 88 my threshold number.

so, how do I use this in the future... Just for awarness, or what?
Was this done properly? Or was this method rather simplistic...Is 88% a "good" number? I know my recovery was good, I dropped into the mid 60's pretty quickly during the two minute recovery...

any help interpreting this stuff would be appreciated!!

thanks

geargrrl

 

[Boomer-61]

I've been fooling with the HRM for ten years now and have come to a conclusion. It is a nice guide for training but it is not a perfect science. I think you need to establish your personal max heart rate to discern all your percentages from. A really great place to go to with the most information to put it all into perspective is a book by Lance Armstrong and Chris Carmicheal. I'm blanking on the name but it is the only one by the two of them. It will tell you how to best establish your max HR and give you several training guidelines. It costs about fifteeen bucks and is well worth it. If you really want to hurt your brain look into training with power meters. Get the book, if you have more questions PM me.

 

[Topaz]

When I first started to get back into shape I would begin to blowup at 170bpm. Now that I'm in shape I can hit my max ~190 near the top of a climb, recover on the downhill, and keep cranking. So your threshold can change depending on your current condition. You'll want to retest your threshold a few times during the year.

 

[MtnBikerChk]

I find that spinning instructors rarely know anything about real heart rate training. There are about a dozen threads on this topic in this forum - I think we've killed the topic.

read the book by sally edwards:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2UM39QJNKE&isbn=1931382042&itm=1

 

[geargrrl]

Originally posted by MtnBikerChk
I find that spinning instructors rarely know anything about real heart rate training. There are about a dozen threads on this topic in this forum - I think we've killed the topic.

read the book by sally edwards:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2UM39QJNKE&isbn=1931382042&itm=1

ok, they have it at the library!! thanks

I know what you mean about most health club "trainers"... seems like a lot of 'em get there certifications out of a cracker jack box or a weekend seminar
The latest scam is for trainers to call themselves PT's ( for personal trainers" which a) has no meaning and b) is really pissing off real PT's ( physical therapists)

geargrrl

 

[indieboy]

what your spin class instructor made you do is decently close to what most coaches would make you do to conclude on your AT(LT). there are SEVERAL ways to test and see what your threshold levels are, basically the one your SCI was made you do a 20 minute time trial which is a simple way to figure all of that out. if you realllllllllllllllllllllllllly wanted to be exact about your training then i'd spit out the $$ for a powertab. training by means of wattage is extremely effective

 

[Heidi]

Originally posted by indieboy
if you realllllllllllllllllllllllllly wanted to be exact about your training then i'd spit out the $$ for a powertab. training by means of wattage is extremely effective

Oh please.

 

[Heidi]

Originally posted by MtnBikerChk
I find that spinning instructors rarely know anything about real heart rate training. There are about a dozen threads on this topic in this forum - I think we've killed the topic.

read the book by sally edwards:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2UM39QJNKE&isbn=1931382042&itm=1

This book is awesome - I learned a lot from it.

 

[Jr_Bullit]

I don't know much about heart rate training, but my crew instructors used to have us (coxswains) work with our boats on maintaining specific heart rate targets at certain stroke rates and power levels.

I don't know that I could reproduce the charts any more that we would work off of...but basically each individual tested for their personal thresholds about three times a year, and about once a month we'd get everyone in one particular boat up on the indoor rowing machines...and the goal was to help train the athletes how to "maintain" or "target" a specific heart rate depending on the amount of pull or effort they put out.

It was all percentage based, and in the end, helped my boat at least maintain control during things like sprints, or portions of the race where the goal was to pick up speed through power, not through a faster stroke rate.

 

[Serial Midget]

I sometimes feel that heartrate training "by the book" is not all that helpful. Take the tips that work for you and develope your own program based on what you know you can do.

I monitor my HR but I am not a slave to it - it's a good tool but the only tool.

 

[indieboy]

Originally posted by Heidi
Oh please.

at natioanls if you hear someone yelling at you on a climb saying something along the lines of "see now if you had gotten yourself a powertab or polar wattage meter you'd be in the big ring on this climb" then you'll know it's me yelling at you ok? :devil: :devil: :devil: