Max Heart Rate

[Alethea]

So, as we all may or may not know, you use your maxiumum heart rate to calculate the ideal intensity of all sorts of activities. The general rule of thumb is:

90% - intense, Anaerobic

80% - Cross-training / interval

70% - Moderate aerobic

60% - Light aerobic

But how do we find our maximum heart rate to begin with? According to the book "Ultimate Fitness", by Gina Kolata, disregard the standard charts. They're supposed to be standard for everyone, and thus aren't accurate for anyone. The best way to find your maximum heart rate is as follows:

"Run two to four miles at an easy pace. Then do some sprints. Then run up a steep hill five times, and on the final climb run the last hundred yards at a full sprint. When you're at the top of the hill and feeling ''blown out'' and ''gasping for breath and grabbing your knees for support,'' an expert says, it's time to start counting your heartbeats. "

Count your heartbeats for 20 seconds. muliply by 3. That's your maximum heart rate per minute.