Unlocking max HR

[fraz101]

I am 44 years old. Been cycling for around 1 year of proper training.

My max HR is 176 (once) and around 172 thereafter.

A lot of my cycling buddies are able to achieve a much higher rate than this (180 plus) on most of our club rides.

I understand each individual is unique in their HR max. However some people have been saying I need to train my heart rate to get the most out of it.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it possible to unlock more potential from my HR with specific training?

 

[HLaB]

I am 44 years old. Been cycling for around 1 year of proper training.

My max HR is 176 (once) and around 172 thereafter.

A lot of my cycling buddies are able to achieve a much higher rate than this (180 plus) on most of our club rides.

I understand each individual is unique in their HR max. However some people have been saying I need to train my heart rate to get the most out of it.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it possible to unlock more potential from my HR with specific training?

There's no specific training I'm aware of but finding a long course and going continually helps you realise it. Outdoors is usually best and generally the fitter you are the more likely you can actually realise it. Basically your legs don't give up before your heart. I find a good TT gives me good numbers. FWIW I'm 48 in a month and I go off 197bpm and looking at my past season that's still valid. My training tends to have VO2max and Threshold workouts.

 

[fraz101]

There's no specific training I'm aware of but finding a long course and going continually helps you realise it. Outdoors is usually best and generally the fitter you are the more likely you can actually realise it. Basically your legs don't give up before your heart. I find a good TT gives me good numbers. FWIW I'm 48 in a month and I go off 197bpm and looking at my past season that's still valid. My training tends to have VO2max and Threshold workouts.

View attachment 714567

Thankswhere is the spreadsheet from and how did you get it ?

 

[CXRAndy]

I am 44 years old. Been cycling for around 1 year of proper training.

My max HR is 176 (once) and around 172 thereafter.

A lot of my cycling buddies are able to achieve a much higher rate than this (180 plus) on most of our club rides.

I understand each individual is unique in their HR max. However some people have been saying I need to train my heart rate to get the most out of it.

Does anyone have any experience with this? Is it possible to unlock more potential from my HR with specific training?

Everybody's HR max is different. One year of cycling is still quite small. I suggest doing the 80-20 training principle if you want to maximize your abilities. 80% is zone 2 riding building up in time to multi hour rides in this zone. The other 20% is doing maximal high intensity interval training.

A good diet, rest periods after progressive increasing training load. Most do 4 week cycle, 3 weeks increasing training load, then a week of recovery rides, repeat with slightly higher intensity etc

 

[HLaB]

Thankswhere is the spreadsheet from and how did you get it ?

That's a screen shot of Garmin Connect

 

[Ajax Bay]

Don't know about "unlocking your potential" but systematically training at higher percentages of your actual HRMAX (but not hard efforts on consecutive days) will likely increase the maximum you see recorded.
Consider what metric is most useful to determine your fitness level: top tip: it's not your HRMAX.
Take minimal notice of others' reported HRMAX - as @CXRAndy says "everybody's HR max is different."
As interesting is your (and others') HRREST - best measured while still supine on waking - and that will drop (a bit) as you get fitter.
It'd be worth riding out to a long steady hill and doing a 100% time trial up it (not the day after a hard ride). That'd give you a benchmark. Then after following a training plan (you choose) ride that same hill - progress?
I'm assuming the OP hasn't got a power meter. That is a useful metric (obv): the power a cyclist can maintain for a minute, 5 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour are all useful (depends on what you're training for).

 

[fraz101]

Don't know about "unlocking your potential" but systematically training at higher percentages of your actual HRMAX (but not hard efforts on consecutive days) will likely increase the maximum you see recorded.
Consider what metric is most useful to determine your fitness level: top tip: it's not your HRMAX.
Take minimal notice of others' reported HRMAX.
As interesting is your (and others') HRREST - best measured while still supine on waking.
It'd be worth riding out to a long steady hill and doing a 100% time trial up it (not the day after a hard ride). That'd give you a benchmark. Then after following a training plan (you choose) ride that same hill - progress?
I'm assuming the OP hasn't got a power meter. That is a useful metric (obv): the power a cyclist can maintain for a minute, 5 minutes, 20 minutes, an hour are all useful (depends on what you're training for).

Thanks for the response

Yes I also use PM on both my bikes.

 

[Ajax Bay]

In that case use the PM as your metric. After all that's what gets you up the hills and up to speed on the flat.

 

[HLaB]

Thanks for the response

Yes I also use PM on both my bikes.

Use power for most training then. %HRmax is good only for Endurance/ Recovery rides if you have power. And with VO2 max sessions you probably want to use neither power or %HRM and just push to the unconstrained maximum as its an oxygen based zone rather than a Power/HR one. Some folk find power zones align for VO2max sessions but a lot of people find their true VO2max zone is a lot higher than the theoretical power zone. https://www.empiricalcycling.com/po...ur-vo2max-and-why-not-rnnestad-3015-intervals

 

[fraz101]

Use power for most training then. %HRmax is good only for Endurance/ Recovery rides if you have power. And with VO2 max sessions you probably want to use neither power or %HRM and just push to the unconstrained maximum as its an oxygen based zone rather than a Power/HR one. Some folk find power zones align for VO2max sessions but a lot of people find their true VO2max zone is a lot higher than the theoretical power zone. https://www.empiricalcycling.com/po...ur-vo2max-and-why-not-rnnestad-3015-intervals

I absolutely find that my HR and Power zones do not match up.

if I sit at z2 power my HR is a lot lower than what my HR z2 is

 

[Ajax Bay]

I absolutely find that my HR and Power zones do not match up.
If I sit at z2 power my HR is a lot lower than what my HR z2 is

How have you defined the zone boundaries for power and HR?
The only purpose of defining zones is to inform training and allow specified intensities to be maintained.

 

[cougie uk]

What's your goal ? To get a higher HR or to get faster?

 

[fraz101]

What's your goal ? To get a higher HR or to get faster?

Obviously the ability to go faster for longer.

I thought maybe being able to withstand pain better and unlocking more potential in being able to hold a higher HR would enable that.

But I have no relative experience in that, hence me asking for some advice

 

[fraz101]

How have you defined the zone boundaries for power and HR?
The only purpose of defining zones is to inform training and allow specified intensities to be maintained.

From previous hard efforts

 

[CXRAndy]

I absolutely find that my HR and Power zones do not match up.

if I sit at z2 power my HR is a lot lower than what my HR z2 is

Obviously the ability to go faster for longer.

I thought maybe being able to withstand pain better and unlocking more potential in being able to hold a higher HR would enable that.

But I have no relative experience in that, hence me asking for some advice

The heart rate training in conjunction with power meter is a powerful tool to learn how to improve fitness.

Ride to HR Z2 and record the power for analysis. A block of 3-6 months consistent regular Z2 training should see you gradually increase power output for the same HR.

Quite a few riders use this software to gather your ride data from Strava. It provides a more detailed analysis of your training.
https://intervals.icu/

You could also sign upto some indoor training plan to keep focus over winter