HR ZONES
The most useful way to utilise a heart rate monitor when training is to workout within specific Heart Rate Zones, based on percentages of your Maximum Heart Rate..
| HR ZONE | % of Maximum Heart Rate |
|---|---|
| Zone 1 | 50-60 |
| Zone 2 | 60-70 |
| Zone 3 | 70-80 |
| Zone 4 | 80-90 |
| Zone 5 | 90-100 |
However, you’ll find that the sport you do, and the plan you’re following will often give you different ranges from above. That’s ok. My suggestion is to follow the plan you’re following, and don’t mix methodology. The most important thing is that you know your maxHR:
Calculating maxHR
THE RIGHT WAY
The best way to find your maxHR is to do a Step Test. There are calculators and formulas (you can find them below) but they aren’t accurate. If you’re serious about training with your HR zones, then you need to be serious about the way you find your maxHR!
The test opposite is the best way to find your maxHR on the rowing machine (based on the Australian 7-step test).
You will need:
1) A heart rate monitor that you know you can trust
2) To be healthy enough to row at maximum effort
3) To not have trained already that day
4) A machine like Concept2/RP3 with /500m pace display
5) A water bottle/towel
6) An accurate timer (if your monitor isn’t enough)
7) A soft landing point when you fall off the machine, exhausted!
DO NOT SKIP NUMBER 2. If you have any medical doubts about working at a maximum intensity, don’t do this. Check with your doctor first.
The maxHR Step Test
Enter your current (not PB) 2000m time into the box below. Not your desired 2000m time. Your ACTUAL current 2000m time.
A table will drop down providing you with the paces to row 6×4 minute increments at (with no rests between).
Stroke rate is up to you, do what you need to hit the paces provided in the table below. It starts off easy, and gets harder – but the progression is designed to allow you to hit the last 4 minutes properly.
Because, you’ll take 1 minute rest (active, or stopped, whatever you prefer), and do one final 4 minute piece at your MAXIMUM effort.
DO NOT START SLOW, ONLY TO SPRINT THE FINISH – THAT WILL NOT TAKE YOU TO YOUR MAXIMUM HEART RATE IN THIS TEST!!
In this last 4 minutes, hit max pace within the first few strokes, then row at the fastest you can manage from start to finish. Ideally, faster than your current 2000m pace.
After the test, analyse your heart rate data, and your maxHR will be revealed (ignore any single reading spikes which may be monitor error)
Here’s the data table used for the above calculator – From the Rowing Australia 7 stage Step Test
| Current 2000m Time | <5:50:0 | 5:50.0 – 6:00.0 | 6:00.0 – 6:10.0 | 6:10.0 – 6:20.0 | 6:20.0 – 6:30.0 | 6:30.0 – 6:40.0 | 6:40.0 – 6:50.0 | 6:50.0 – 7:00.0 | 7:00.0 – 7:10.0 | 7:10.0 – 7:20.0 | 7:20.0 – 7:30.0 | 7:30.0 – 7:40.0 | 7:40.0 – 7:50.0 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Interval 1 (mm:ss.s) | 02:00.7 | 02:07.4 | 02:07.4 | 02:10.0 | 02:15.9 | 02:15.9 | 02:12.8 | 02:19.3 | 02:25.2 | 02:21.2 | 02:27.3 | 02:23.1 | 02:27.3 |
| Interval 2 (mm:ss.s) | 01:52.7 | 01:57.8 | 01:58.7 | 02:01.7 | 02:06.2 | 02:07.4 | 02:06.2 | 02:11.4 | 02:15.9 | 02:14.3 | 02:19.3 | 02:17.6 | 02:21.2 |
| Interval 3 (mm:ss.s) | 01:46.6 | 01:50.5 | 01:52.0 | 01:55.2 | 01:58.7 | 02:00.7 | 02:00.7 | 02:05.0 | 02:08.7 | 02:08.7 | 02:12.8 | 02:12.8 | 02:15.9 |
| Interval 4 (mm:ss.s) | 01:41.6 | 01:44.8 | 01:46.6 | 01:49.8 | 01:52.7 | 01:55.2 | 01:56.0 | 01:59.7 | 02:02.7 | 02:03.8 | 02:07.4 | 02:08.7 | 02:11.4 |
| Interval 5 (mm:ss.s) | 01:37.4 | 01:40.1 | 01:42.1 | 01:45.4 | 01:47.8 | 01:50.5 | 01:52.0 | 01:55.2 | 01:57.8 | 01:59.7 | 02:02.7 | 02:05.0 | 02:07.4 |
| Interval 6 (mm:ss.s) | 01:33.8 | 01:36.1 | 01:38.2 | 01:41.6 | 01:43.7 | 01:46.6 | 01:48.5 | 01:51.3 | 01:53.5 | 01:56.0 | 01:58.7 | 02:01.7 | 02:03.8 |
| 1 minute rest | REST | REST | REST | REST | REST | REST | REST | REST | REST | REST | REST | REST | REST |
| Interval 7 (mm:ss.s) | MAX | MAX | MAX | MAX | MAX | MAX | MAX | MAX | MAX | MAX | MAX | MAX | MAX |
Finding maxHR the wrong way
Some people just don’t want to ‘go there’ yet. Maybe you've just started your journey, and just want a ballpark for the time being.
So the alternative is to use a formula based on your age. As a general population guide, it’s ok. But it can be off by at least 10bpm for a lot of people – and for some ‘outliers’ it can be massively off. So if you’re serious about Heart Rate Zone training, PLEASE do a proper step test as described below.
If you want to check what your HR zones would be based on your age though, here is a calculator for you. Using this formula to calculate your maxHR isn't an exact result. It may be off by 10bpm. The only way to know for sure is to do a test