Heart Rate Zone Running

Heart Rate Zone RunningHappy Heart Rate Zone Running ☺

I Won't Vilify Cardio

I won't vilify cardio. I didn't always love it, though. Growing up, I was a short-distance specialist. Sprints and speed were the only words of that type in my vocabulary. Spending time with dumbbells and barbells was far more appealing.

As I became more open-minded, I embraced cardio. Walking, running, biking, swimming. Anything with -ing on the end, I was there.

It helped that I was surrounded by optimistic people, who loved challenging themselves, supporting others, and had a positive relationship with "failure," meaning that they viewed it as a necessary and educational step on the path to success.

For our heart rate-based workouts, a track and a fitness tracker are recommended. You'll also want to have calculated your heart rate zones.

Skip ahead to the heart rate zone running workouts.

Today, I enjoy a harmony of enjoyment and practice of strength training and cardiovascular exercise. Heart rate zone training certainly helped.

Heart rate zone running workouts might be for you if:

  • Any mention of the word "cardio" sends shivers down your spine
  • You're spending countless hours on the treadmill and not feeling any closer to seeing results
  • You want to be a runner, but your form is "iffy" after a certain distance

First, Let's Calculate Your Heart Rate Zones

To take the guesswork out of determining target heart rate and specific zones, I use the Karvonen Formula.

It includes use of age and resting heart rate, making it more precise in defining zones for you individually.

The Karvonen Formula

Karvonen Formula: Step One

Establish your predicted, maximal heart rate (MHR) by using:

220 - age

Karvonen Formula: Step Two

Establish your resting heart rate (RHR) in beats per minute (bpm).

Best if recorded upon waking in the morning.

Karvonen Formula: Step Three

Choose your target training intensity percentage.

This can be a specific % or the formula can be used twice to establish top and bottom ends of specific training zones.

Heart Rate Training Zones

Zone

1

2

3

4

5

% of MHR

50-60%

60-70%

70-80%

80-90%

90-100%

Karvonen Formula: Step Four

(220 - Age) = Predicted Max Heart Rate (PMHR)

PMHR - Resting Heart Rate (RHR) = Working Heart Rate (WHR)

WHR x Intensity % = A

A + RHR = Target Heart Rate (THR)

Perform this for each desired percentage, or use our target heart rate zone calculator.

That's enough of the Science for now. Let's get to your heart rate zone running workouts!

Disclaimer

As detailed in our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy, by engaging in any physical activity or exercise program with Adelante Fitness, you acknowledge and agree that you have consulted with your medical professional and have obtained medical clearance to participate. The workouts and training programs shared on AdelanteFitness.com and in our newsletter contain only recommendations and are intended to be used for educational purposes only. Actual exercises, volumes, and intensities are undertaken at the user's sole discretion and are performed at the user's own risk. Adelante Fitness LLC makes no express or implied warranties regarding this content.

Your Heart Rate Zone Running Workouts

Heart Rate Zone Running Workout #1

400 Meter Repeats with Recovery to the Bottom of Zone 3

For this workout, it's ideal to have a fitness watch or other fitness wearable technology that tracks and displays your exercise heart rate and distance covered.

Track your:

  • Distance covered: _________
  • # of repeats completed: _________
  • RPE (rating of perceived exertion): _________

RPE can be tracked for each repeat and/or for the workout as a whole. Use a 1-10 scale (1 = no effort, 10 = maximum effort). Bring a training journal with you or use a digital option to log this info.

Description

For a total of 15 minutes, you'll run 1/4 mile (400 meters) at a time, stop for standing or walking recovery, and begin your next repeat as soon as your heart rate hits the bottom of your zone 3.

Recommendations

Perform this workout at a local, public track, where the 1/4 mile / 400 meter distance equals 1 lap.

It's possible to perform this workout away from a track, though you'll want to have measured a particular 1/4 mile distance or pay close attention to a GPS-enabled fitness watch during your workout. If choosing this option, save your route so you can repeat it in the future and determine progress.

Benefit

Because of the precise attention to remaining in zone 3 during recovery and zone 3 and above while running, consistent you'll find cardiovascular benefit. With practice, over time you may see:

  • Improved speed of heart rate recovery
  • Greater distance covered during the 15 minutes
  • Improved tolerance for running and heart rate zone intensities

Options

1. Standing recovery
You'll recover more quickly between repeats with this option

2. Walking recovery
You'll recovery more slowly between repeats with this option, and you'll cover more distance in total during the workout

Bonus

If you're into fitness wearable technology like Garmin, Suunto, Coros, or other fitness trackers, and syncing with Garmin Connect or Strava, use them to keep data collection and comparison simple.

Questions or Stories

Have a question about this workout? Did you give it a try and want to tell us how it went?

Share your question or story here!

Disclaimer:
This training program contains only recommendations and is intended to be used for educational purposes only. Actual exercises, volumes, and intensities are undertaken at the user's sole discretion and are performed at the user's own risk. Adelante Fitness LLC makes no express or implied warranties regarding this content.

Why It Helps To Use Running Intervals

Running a Marathon

It makes sense to us that we might perform 3 sets of 10 reps of the bench press, leading to a total volume of 30 repetitions.

If we tried to perform all 30 reps at once:

  • Our form would break down
  • We'd be unlikely to complete the task
  • We'd risk injury

There wouldn't be much sense in powering through without dividing the volume up into numerous sets.

Yet, when it comes to running, many of us power through even after the point at which we've reached dysfunctional movement patterns that delay progress and could lead to injury.

Take a page from strength training protocol, apply it to running in the form of intervals, and watch the quality of your form, function, and enjoyment improve!

Yours in fitness,
Boh

David Bohmiller

David Bohmiller, MBA, MS, CSCS, TSAC-F
Founder and Lead Trainer at Adelante Fitness LLC
(He/him/his)

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