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Heart rate zones - advise needed

More of a general training question rather than a Forerunner 935 specific question, but do people calculate their training zones in Garmin Connect based on Max HR or Hear Rate Reserve? For instance, my coach always says that your HR during a 800m interval session should be no higher than 85%. I assume this is 85% of max. HR? If so, I would want to set my watch so that the transition point from threshold to maximum was 85% of max. HR. Is this correct, or should I be factoring in my RHR?

Another question: my max heart rate was 200 in a race last weekend, at the end of a 8 mile race. The last month I've done 4 races and I have had max HR values of 191, 198, 200 and 203, so it's fairly consistent, but always higher on hot days as I struggle more when running in the heat. I always use the Garmin HRM-Tri chest strap, which I have found works a lot better for me than the optical HR, especially at faster heart rates. The reason I ask is that I am 34 and therefore according to the 220 minus your age formula, my theoretical max HR should be 186. But I know that if I train at 85% of 186 my pace of my tempo and interval training would be really slow compared to how I normally train.

Also, if I work out my zones using HRR, what RHR should I use? For instance, at the moment my 935 is showing a low heart rate of 46 on the last 4 hours screen, but when I look the last 7 days the avg. RHR is 56. Should I use the very lowest reading of the day on that last 4 hours screen or use the average RHR for the week?

Thank you!

0 Zako over 6 years ago

phew, that's a big topic right there.
couple of thoughts:
heart rate and especially heart rate zones are individual, you can't compare it to others, it differs from person to person, therefore you can simply ignore the 220-age "formula"

differentiate resting HR and 'waking HR'. garmin most probably displays 'waking HR' as it measures it during sleep. resting HR is the HR that you have e.g. when you get sit or lie down confortably and rest for 5 minutes.

resting HR is a variable measurement. it depends on your training load, stress, hydration, how much you sleep, your health, your alcohol consumption and a lot more. I'd suggest go for the average in a time period where everything was 'normal', no unusual things, etc. a hard party or sickness.

you can't get accurate and trustworthy zones without going to a lab and have them test you.
but if you aren't willing to spend on a lab test, the best (or should I say least bad) way to estimate your HR zones is the Karvonen formula, look it up, it's quite well documented.
Though I'd advise to do a separate max HR test as an 8 mile race is not exactly the best way to do that.

0 scotthunter2 over 6 years ago

Thanks for that. I should add that I only wear my 935 during the daytime. Therefore, when using the Karvonen Formula, or any other method, to obtain my RHR value can I just go on the GC website, go to the all day HR section and pick the lowest point on the graph for my RHR value, and use that in my calculation? Or alternatively, pick the low reading on the 4 hour widget on the watch? Those readings would have probably been from sitting at an office desk or driving in the car. I assume the watch has to record that heart rate for more than 60 seconds for it to register as a low point?

0 Dr Phil over 6 years ago

Accepted practice is to take resting heart rate shortly after waking up in the morning. However, if you are able to sit quietly for 5 minutes or more, you can get close enough for it not to matter. Assuming of course that you have not undertaken some exercise within 2 hours. By the time you mangle the numbers through Karvonnen, any small differences end up trivial.