Fitness Tips
Heart Rate Control™
HRC (Heart Rate Control™) Made Simple
Your heart rate is the best measure of how much effort your
body exerts, both physically and mentally. It ranges from a
resting heart rate (RHR), which is your heart beat while you
are totally still and in a flat position, to your maximum heart
rate (HRmax), which is the highest rate at top physical effort
after several minutes.
A good way to think of your heart rate is as a percent of
your estimated maximum (see sidebar). For example, if your
maximum estimated heart rate is 180, 80% would be 144 beats
per minute (0.80 x 180 = 144).
Your heart rate is such a good measure of training effort
that sports experts often use it to set up workout programs.
For example, the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)
suggests that people who do not currently exercise should keep
their heart rate between 55% and 64% when they begin a workout
routine.
The Magic of TRUE’s HRC (Heart
Rate Control™)
TRUE’s HRC feature makes it simple
to program your workout intensity. Once you pick the best
target heart rate for your
workout, (see For Your Safety), your TRUE Fitness equipment
will adjust your workout to keep you at that heart rate level.
This advanced feature allows your equipment
to automatically adjust to your physical condition at the
time of your workout.
If you are very tired one day, your cardio machine will choose
an easier workout level. If you are well rested and feel great,
your machine will push you to work harder. As your fitness
level improves, TRUE’s HRC feature will boost your workout
strength so each exercise session delivers the best return
on your training investment.
Since you choose your target heart rate, you can change it
at any time to work toward new training goals. For example,
the ACSM suggests that healthy people begin their workout routine
with a target heart rate of 65% HRmax and then slowly increase
to 85% after a 24 week training program.
TRUE’s HRC feature gives you the
best possible workout every time with the added bonus safety
and comfort designed
into every machine. TRUE Fitness exercise equipment offers
you the tools you need to burn calories effectively and achieve
your fitness goals.
- For Your Safety: Before you
begin any exercise program, please talk to your medical doctor.
He will
look at your
current health and physical condition and help you to
select the best target heart rate to start with.
- Heart Rate Monitoring: For best results, we suggest
you use a transmitter chest strap. This device will deliver
the most accurate read out and allow you to release the
heart rate grips on your exercise machine. While the best
hand-touch
heart rate monitoring methods (also known as contact heart
rate [CHR] systems) can be very accurate at lower levels,
they may lose accuracy as you go to higher levels of exertion.
- Before You Begin Heart Rate Control Training: We suggest that you monitor your heart rate through several
workouts
before you begin to use the HRC programs. This will allow
you to find the best target heart rate based on how you feel
during
and after your workout.
- Examples of Heart Rates Found in Everyday Life: An average 40 year old might have a resting heart rate
of 65 beats per minute (bpm). After 10 to 15 minutes of brisk
exercise,
it may climb to 140 bpm. A maximum heart rate for this
person could be at 185 bpm.
A 35 year old in top physical shape might
have a resting heart rate near 55, and maintain a heart
rate of 160 bpm for 20 minutes during exercise.
Some world-class runners or cyclists have
been known to have resting hearts rates as low as 45 bpm.
-
Maximum Heart Rate: Your maximum heart
rate can be estimated by using this simple equation:
HRmax = 220 – your age
TRUE Fitness has now begun to use a new
equation developed in 1994 and determined to be the most
accurate in 2002. That method is:
HRmax = 205.8 – (0.685 * your age)
Please keep in mind that these are
only estimates. Even the best formulas have a range of
error of plus or minus 10 beats per minute.
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