I don’t hear or read very much about it among training variables (load, reps, sets, tempo, rest, etc), is it too difficult to be accurate? Is it just not a useful thing to track and improve one’s target heart rate/bpm and use it in relation to rest/recovery when going for a max lift or in a fat loss program? Are “Energy Zones” a load of BS? Thanks!
Edit: this is what I’m taking about with the Energy Zones → Heart Rate Zones
Heart Rate isn’t that important when going for a max lift. Obviously, you don’t want to be sucking air with your heart beating out of your chest when you go for a heavy lift. Your heart rate will usually drop before your CNS recovers when lifting heavy.
As far as fat loss is concerned, the benefit of monitoring your heart rate would be to make sure you don’t go above your lactic threshold so you can exercise longer. Once your heart rate gets above your threshold it is going to be harder to put out a good effort and you will have to recover longer between sets.
For example; say an athlete has an lactic threshold of 175 BPM and is running a series of 5, 400 meter runs. If they break through their thresh hold on the first run and get their HR up to 190 BPM they won’t be able to run as fast on the following runs. They will likely hit the wall after 100-200 yards and will have to really push through and it will take extreme will power to finish all 5 runs. However, if they keep their HR under 175 during the runs they will be able to complete all 5 runs at a higher average speed (even though the first run or 2 will be slower compared to the 190 BPM run). So the benefit of monitoring HR is that an athlete can do more volume and and train at a higher average speed than someone that goes all out on every run.
You could also apply it to weight training if you are training for alactic capacity. There was a great article on here a year or two ago by a thrower (I think his name was Derek something) on developing alactic capacity in the weight room. Anyway, you could do 12 sets of 2 with 60-70% of your max and let your HR drop to the designated level before your next set. It will build your capacity so when you go to higher weights you will be conditioned to handle the stress and will have the capacity for your strength to improve.
Hopefully this makes sense.
Makes sense, thanks BillyHayes!
[quote]BillyHayes wrote:
Heart Rate isn’t that important when going for a max lift. Obviously, you don’t want to be sucking air with your heart beating out of your chest when you go for a heavy lift. Your heart rate will usually drop before your CNS recovers when lifting heavy.
.[/quote]
I agree, however heart rate prior to a max lift can be an indication of activation levels. Abadjiev said that if your heart rate wasn’t high enough (I don’t remember the exact figure) it means that you are good for more because the lift isn’t causing you any distress. He believed in working to the athletes maximum capacities and for him, when you are attempting max weights you should be nervous, if not anxious.
Furthermore, in competition your heat rate is elevated because of the stress and adrenalin. Which can be both a weapon or an obstacle… when you are activated your strength, speed and power potential are increased. However timing, precision and focus can be negatively altered.
But if we are talking energy zones, yeah, for strength training it isn’t that relevent. It’s more of an indirect measure of neural stress which can be used to prevent an athlete from going overboard with his strength work.