prime winner

So I'm clinically obese, 5ft 10in @ just under 230lbs for a BMI of 33. Four months ago I was just a little over 260lbs for a BMI of over 37. Since May 1st I have got back in to riding and have gone on 20 rides of 9-20 miles, with fourteen of the ride being 10 miles. About a month ago my physician recommended I keep my heart rate between 55 and 75 % max. It's been tough and the best I have done was a 10 mile ride this morning with an average 135 beats per minutes with an average speed of 10.7 mph. A few days ago I did a 20 mile for and had an avg of 152 bpm and 10.5 mph. So is my heart rate so high, compared to my slow speed, because I'm so out of shape?

insignia100

What's your resting heart rate?

I ask, because a few years ago I was diagnosed with inappropriate sinus tachycardia, a benign condition that causes increased heart rate. My resting heart rate was around 100-110 BPM. After an echocardiogram to make sure I didn't have any strange underlying condition (and after being diagnosed with sleep apnea and got started on treatment), I was put on a beta blocker to bring my HR under control. Now my resting HR is ~75 BMP while taking my meds every other day.

I'll also tell you I'm 34 years old, 5' 7", and just dropped down to 260 lbs. My 28 mile ride today had me at an average HR of 152. According to the calculation from the Mayo Clinic's website, my max HR is 186, which puts my HR right around zone 3-4 (though I tend to think I still run a bit high during exercise, even with meds). I also do feel like this will improve as my overall fitness improves and I continue to lose weight.

fooferdoggie 

the easiest way I counted my heart rate is cadence. mostly I have trouble getting it up enough so spinning faster does a much better job then pushing harder.

prime winner

My resting heart rate is usually between 55-75. If I'm working (sitting at computer) is usually low 70s, sometimes up to low 80s. When I'm really resting like sitting and watching TV the rate is high 50s to high 60s. I get the resting numbers from an apple watch, riding numbers from a garmin forerunner 35 with chest strap.

Congrats on the 28 mile ride!

prime winner

Haha, thanks, I'm trying to keep it low, not go higher.

fooferdoggie 

yes but you can control it with cadence. find the cadence that gives you the heart rate you want.

prime winner

Gotcha, thanks. I don't have a cadence meter but I guess I could try what feels like too fast (little resistance) or too slow (working harder).

fooferdoggie 

in cycling spinning faster and not pushing as hard will give your heart a better workout and and you wont tire as fast. I have a garmin watch and it will work like a bike computer a 25 cadence sensor will connect to it and give me that. once you know it you can sense the speed pretty well but its hard to know right off.

dabac

Don’t concern yourself with speed.
Speed is only important when:
- figuring out if you can join a group ride
- you need to be someplace at a set time
- as a tool to track your progress

For solo training rides, I ride by cadence and heart rate.
I know my knees are happier if I keep the average cadence above 85.
I know I recover better, can ride longer if I don’t stay over 160 bpm.

pdlamb

First off, congratulations on taking off 30 pounds. That's good work, keep it up!

I'm usually a "follow your doctor's orders" kind of person, but this one I'd take with a grain of salt. (Though that might increase your blood pressure.) First, unless you really push hard, you don't know what your maximum heart rate is. (Hint: it's probably NOT 220 - age.) Second, you're apparently just beginning a new cycling program, and honestly you need to push it a bit, at least for short periods, to get better. Third, I don't know about Apple watches, but most wrist-based pulse meters suck when you start exercising hard. Fourth, what kind of exercise does your doctor do? Way too many docs will tell you "exercise more and eat less" without any idea what level of exercise is appropriate. It's not a popular option, but you might think about finding another doctor who bicycles or runs and either switch to that doc, or at least getting a second opinion from them.

squirtdad

In a simple answer: yes your heart rate is high because you are out of shape. as you get in better aerobic shape, you will have a lower heart rate for the same level of exertion. but measuing exertion is not simple ie 10mph with a tail wind is totally different than 10mph with a headwind. for now just watch the rate and keep it in the range, if you are consistent you will see changes pretty fast

prime winner

Thank you on the congrats. I hope to take off another 25-30 lbs.

I actually only use the apple watch when I'm not riding. When I ride I use a garmin HR strap. And my physician is actually a cyclist, but does trail riding.

prime winner

Thanks for the simple answer. I am going to try my best to stay consistent. When I used to jog I got bored while jogging, but with riding I am way more entertained, so I think I will be able to keep it consistent.

Bmach

Why does he want your hr low? Is there a medical reason? My doc suggested hiit which gets the hr high.

chadtrent

Does the Garmin strap do cadence too? I have the Wahoo strap and it does. I thought someone said the Garmin did too.

prime winner

He suggested 55-75% which is in the fitness zone for me. I'm 47 and am getting back to regular exercise.

prime winner

My chest strap is for HR only. I don't know they have a strap that did both.

chadtrent

I didn't either honestly. I bought mine for HR. But was surprised when I uploaded the data that it tracked cadence too. I was skeptical at first but I got on my indoor bike which has an actual cadence meter and compared the two. They were within 1-2 RPM of each other and that's good enough for me.

The Wahoo strap will work with anything that the Garmin will work with.and they aren't that expensive. May be worth looking into if your Garmin strap doesn't do it.

Wanderer

Ride what is comfortable for you. As you get into better shape, comfortable will have changed.

Be mindful of what you are doing... If comfortable is 45 RPM, so be it, Maybe in two or three weeks, 50RPM will be in the comfort zone so bump it up, and within a few months, 70 might be your magic number.

Take your time, and you will get there.

Good Luck, and good health.

prime winner

Cool, thanks for the info. I will look in to it.

prime winner

Thanks for the encouragement, I appreciate it

Miele Man

For cadence you can count in 1,000s which is pretty darn close to one second ie. 1001 1002 is one second to say. We used that in the army a lot. Counting from 1001 to 1006 should take six seconds and multiple the number of pedal revolutions in that time by ten and you have a pretty good idea of what your cadence is.

Cheers

genejockey 

This is very, very true. At 62, my estimated maximum heart rate by the 220 - age formula would be 158, which is about 5 bpm below my aerobic threshold. My actual max HR is somewhere above 180, which I know because I've hit that within the last year or so. Max HR is individual and can only be determined empirically, which is REALLY HARD to do. Imagine pushing as hard as you possibly can, to where you're gasping for air and thinking your chest will explode, then sprinting. THAT'S how hard you have to be going to find your max HR. And you'll know when you reach it. Trust me.

BUT!!! Don't even think about trying to figure it out yourself without checking with an actual doctor first. There may be a reason he suggested going no more than 150 bpm.

genejockey 

If he's got an Apple watch, couldn't he just set it to count down 30 seconds, count his pedal strokes in that time and multiply by 2? I personally find it impossible to count two sets of numbers at different rates at the same time.