Don't go breakin' my heart!

This Valentine's Day, CF hopes you don't suffer a broken heart, spurned by the one you love. Your dreams of commitment dashed against the rocks of unrequited passion....oh, sorry....

Instead, hopefully the only heart-wrenching that you'll experience will be from a tryst with a High Intensity Heart Rate Circuit.

Heart rate is where the action is when you consider conditioning. First and foremost, you have to condition (train) your body to move blood and oxygen to your muscles, and subsequently, condition (train) your muscles to efficiently use that oxygen.

That's gotta happen first. Once you do that, then you can train longer. Then training longer allows you to build strength, endurance, speed, power, etc. More importantly, being able to train longer means burning more calories, hurray! So, that's right, have that second Cherry Cordial!

We shouldn't be winded going up a flight of steps, right? Exactly, because the body knows how to mobilize and utilize fuel efficiently. Similarly, we shouldn't be too winded after 3 minutes of KB swings, Minute of Doom, a regular circuit, or 30 seconds of Burpees.

So how is Heart Rate involved. Well it gives you a gauge of training zones.

First thing is to count your heart beats in the morning before you even raise your head! (Count for one minute). This is your Resting HR.

Next thing is to calculate Max HR (choose one...but not the Older one)
Older Way: 220-Age = Max HR
Newer Way: 208-(.7 x Age) = Max HR
Newer Way: 205.8 − (0.685 × age) = Max HR
Newer Way: 210 - (.5 x Age) - (.05 x Weight) + 4 if male (or + 0 if female) = Max HR

Then consider your Training Zones. Say for an Intensity of 85% (which is good for CF):

Target HR = ((HRmax − HRrest) × .85) + HRrest

Example:

THR = (188 - 70) x .85) + 70 = 170bpm

So, if I have a Resting HR of 70 and a Max HR of 188, then when at CF, I want to hit a High HR Circuit at about 170bpm to be in the Anaerobic Threshold (85% Zone).

Another way to keep all this straight is to purchase a HR monitor! See reviews here.

And, even, another way (for those Math Phobics) is called Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE). That, simply, is your subjective perception of how you feel! Basically, you know what 50% feels like. And you know, when that HR starts coming up your throat, that it feels like 90% of Max HR. So always listen to your body and intuition. A subcategory of the RPE is the Talk-Test...can you hold a conversation? If you can talk (run your mouth, chatty Kathy, etc)...then you're working at a comfortable zone...about 50%-60%...and at CF during a High Intensity Heart Rate Circuit, that means you better pick it up!

Happy Valentine's Day everyone!