{"id":10297,"date":"2015-03-04T08:05:26","date_gmt":"2015-03-04T16:05:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/averagejoecyclist.com\/?p=10297"},"modified":"2022-02-05T08:47:32","modified_gmt":"2022-02-05T16:47:32","slug":"monitor-your-exercise-intensity-heart-rate-monitor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/averagejoecyclist.com\/monitor-your-exercise-intensity-heart-rate-monitor\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Monitor Your Exercise Intensity to Get Fit the Smart Way"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you seriously want to get fit on your bike, you need to consider how you are going to monitor the intensity of your workouts.<\/strong> Our advice is to consider getting a decent heart rate monitor. This post includes a chart so that you can use perceived rate of exertion to start getting fit. However, we recommend that you use the precision of a heart rate monitor to take it to the next level.<\/p>\n

Ways to Monitor Your Exercise Intensity<\/h2>\n

There is a range of ways to monitor your exercise intensity, ranging from very easy to very technical. And also from free to expensive!<\/p>\n

Aerobic Training Zones: Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE), and Related Heart Rate Percentages<\/h3>\n

The Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE)<\/strong> is the easiest way to measure exercise intensity. In the chart below I have added in the heart rate percentages as well (more about that further down in this article). The RPE table used here is a simplification of the Borg Perceived Scale of Exertion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
Zone<\/th>
RPE Level (Rate of Perceived Exertion)<\/th>
Level of Exertion<\/th>
How it Feels<\/th>
What it Does<\/th>
Percentage of Maximum Heart Rate <\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Zone 1 (Low intensity)<\/td>1 to 2<\/td>Light<\/td>I'm so comfortable I could do this all day!<\/td>Strengthens your heart. Contributes to reducing body fat, cholesterol, and blood pressure. <\/td>50% to 60% of maximum heart rate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zone 2 (Weight Control)<\/td>3 to 4<\/td>Moderate<\/td>I can feel that I am exercising, but I feel good and can easily carry on a conversation<\/td>Strengthens your heart and your mitochondria (the powerhouses of your cells). Contributes to reducing body fat, cholesterol, and blood pressure. 65% of calories burned in this zone are calories from fat.<\/td>60% to 70% of maximum heart rate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zone 3 (Aerobic)<\/td>5 to 6<\/td>Intense, but not exhausting<\/td>I am a bit breathless now, and I don't want to talk<\/td>Great zone for weight loss, strengthening muscle, and general fitness. Burns 50% carbs and 50% fat.<\/td>70% to 80% of maximum heart rate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zone 4 (Anaerobic)<\/td>6 to 8<\/td>Intense and exhausting<\/td>Breathing is labored, and talking is not an option unless in cases of emergency. Most people should only do this in short spurts, 2 to 3 days per week<\/td>Improves both endurance and fitness. Cannot be sustained for long enough to be significant for weight loss.<\/td>80% to 90% of maximum heart rate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Zone 5 (Maximum)<\/td>9 to 10<\/td>As Intense as is Physically Possible for You<\/td>In this zone, you can only focus on the activity, such as cycling or running as fast as possible. Talking is out of the question. Loud grunts might be possible (think power lifting competitions).<\/td>Can only be done in short bursts, around 1 to 2 minutes. It is used to improve athletic performance, but comes with a high risk for injury. Mainly used as a training tool only by competitive athletes.<\/td>90% to 100% of maximum heart rate<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Using the above scale, an exertion level from 1 to 3 will keep you in the low middle of your aerobic training zone, and would be a good place for a beginner to start with aerobic exercising such as cycling.<\/p>\n

Related Post: Average Joe Cyclist’s Beginner Cyclist Training Plan, Phase 1<\/a><\/h4>\n

Precision is Better than Guess Work<\/h2>\n

The chart above is based on your self-perception. Unfortunately, that can sometimes be way off. Personally, I used to under-exercise based on self-perception. I thought I was working way harder than I actually was!<\/p>\n

So, if you seriously want to get fit, you should have a higher level of precision than just your self-perception<\/strong>. It\u2019s better to actually know<\/strong> that you are in the correct training zone. It is also pretty much essential to be able to record how long you stay in the correct zone.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s where equipment such as a heart rate monitor comes in, or a smart watch, such as the Garmin Forerunner 745. This is an awesome tracker that gives you detailed daily workout suggestions based on your recent training load. It will also report on the intensity and volume of your seven-day training load, which is very helpful to prevent over-training.<\/p>\n