Resting Heart Rate

[KILL KILL]

Ok guys, haven't checked my heart rate in a while. Checked it about a half hour after waking up and it was at 50 (which is pretty good). Average person is between 60-70. What is your resting heart rate???

 

[rckvl]

Honestly I have never cared to check.

 

[KILL KILL]

you should. It's a good indicator of how well your cardio program is progressing

 

[Flippant]

Last checked it was sixty five IIRC, and my BP was 120/60.

 

[PowerHungry]

you should. It's a good indicator of how well your cardio program is progressing

Cardio program?

 

[rckvl]

you should. It's a good indicator of how well your cardio program is progressing

What's this cardio you speak of?

 

[KILL KILL]

Cardio program?

haha I knew merging the Strength with the Conditiong forum was a bad idea.

 

[Donut62]

My resting heart rate is 49bpm and I haven't done cardio in ages. There's a lot more to it than just that.

 

[KILL KILL]

My resting heart rate is 49bpm and I haven't done cardio in ages. There's a lot more to it than just that.

Say I start at 60bpm, and begin a cardio program and it drops to 45bpm. That's a dramatic decrease. That is an indicator that it is working and health is increasing. I imagine you lift weights regularly, that too is a way to lower your resting heart rate.

 

[KILL KILL]

I may not have explained myself very well. A resting heart rate is a general tool used in fitness to test a person's general level of health. Many things effect your resting heart rate, diet, excercise, stress, smoking, high cholesterol, diseases, age, elevation, etc etc. BUT by guaging your heart rate, you can view your progression. An average person's heart rate is typically between 60-70 depending on age group. An "athlete" or anyone that works out heavily, will have a much lower restiung heart rate. Long distance runners stay around low 40's.

This is NOT the ONLY way to gauge progress. Testing VO2 levels is also a way. Doing intense exercise until reaching your target heart rate then guaging how quickly it drops is another good test.

 

[pliftkl]

you should. It's a good indicator of how well your cardio program is progressing

If my RHR is 55 and I do a 3 month conditioning program, the fact that my RHR has not changed may have no relationship with how effective that conditioning program was. It's only a good indicator if the adaptation expected by that conditioning program is reduction in heart rate.

When people ask "How do I improve my conditioning?", I usually ask what RHR is. If it's above 60, then I agree that the most helpful thing you can do (from a cardio perspective) is to bring your RHR down under 60. If it's already under 60, then the aspects of conditioning that I would suggest working on would not necessarily cause any adaptation that would further reduce RHR...

 

[zx]

Ok guys, haven't checked my heart rate in a while. Checked it about a half hour after waking up and it was at 50 (which is pretty good). Average person is between 60-70. What is your resting heart rate???

I don't think average person measure it right after waking up.

 

[KILL KILL]

I don't think average person measure it right after waking up.

I woke up, took a piss, then had to sweep the entire kitchen because the twins got into the the shelves and threw dog food everywhere. It may have been lower if I did check it right after waking. The best time to check your resting heart rate is directly after you wake because that is when you are at your lowest level of activity and can get an accurate assessment of what yours is.

 

[KILL KILL]

If my RHR is 55 and I do a 3 month conditioning program, the fact that my RHR has not changed may have no relationship with how effective that conditioning program was. It's only a good indicator if the adaptation expected by that conditioning program is reduction in heart rate.

When people ask "How do I improve my conditioning?", I usually ask what RHR is. If it's above 60, then I agree that the most helpful thing you can do (from a cardio perspective) is to bring your RHR down under 60. If it's already under 60, then the aspects of conditioning that I would suggest working on would not necessarily cause any adaptation that would further reduce RHR...

what other aspects are you talking about exactly in a cardio program? In my other post I stated that reaching your target heart rate (which can be found using the Karvonen formula) and cease activity and gauge how quickly your heart rate drops. If those 2 aren't effected by your program, then what exactly is?

 

[scoopj]

I measured mine the other day and it was about 50/51. I thought, "Sham f-ing wow!" You followin me camera guy?

 

[zere0wn]

Cardio program?

Whats the story behind this picture? The look from the chick is funny.