Issue #10: Max Heart Rate
Good morning. It's Friday, August 26th. Exhausted? We've only got one more test - but it's totally optional! Plus, today's Friday Flex Workout is for recovery and next week is all about Sleep!
Before we get to that, just wanted to call out some amazing wins from the Thrive25 community. No win is too small to celebrate!
Check out what we've heard from some Thrive25 readers:
"I've gone to the gym 4 times since Thrive25 kicked off (after more than 2 years off)."
"I've eaten broccoli 3 times since I read about it in last week's newsletter." (Issue #3)
"I'm going to do the stretch exercise today (Issue #5) - I think it'll help my golf game."
"I'm much more cognizant of what we're buying at the grocery store now." (Issue #4)
The goal of Thrive25 is to inspire and empower us to achieve our best health for the future - but also to do it on our terms so that we also enjoy life to the fullest today.
Keep these wins coming - it's what fuels us to keep these newsletters going!!
“The purpose of this glorious life is not simply to endure it, but to soar, stumble and flourish as you learn to fall in love with existence. We were born to live not to merely exist.”
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Number of times your heart beats in a year (avg heart rate = 75 beats/minute).
Weekly Insights
Here are the Physical Assessments from this week's Theme - "Your Fitness Today"
Metabolic Endurance (Issue #6) - Walk for 2 Hours (5-6 miles) and Tread Water for 15 minutes
Metabolic Intensity (Issue #7) - Run a mile (8 minutes); Bike for 12 minutes; Bike in an all out sprint for 1 minute (25+ calories)
Strength Tests (Issue #8) - Dead Hang for 1-2 minutes; 30 squats in 45 seconds or Wall Sit for 1-2 minutes
More Strength & Stability (Issue #9) - Do Push-Ups & Planks; Sit Up/Down 5x super fast; Stand like a Stork for 1 min
**Be sure to bookmark this week to come back to as you’ll want to reassess in 3, 6 or even 12 months as you continue your journey to Thrive.
Wanna share? Send us some of your results (team@thrive25.com) and we’ll be your biggest advocate.
What's Your Heart Say
Your heart rate indicates the amount of oxygen your body needs.
The world’s best athletes can have resting heart rates as low as 30-40 beats per min and this can increase to 220+ beats per min during the most intense workouts.
NOTE: Be sure your resting heart rate is below 90 beats per min or check-in with a medical professional.
Calculating Max Heart Rate
There is an easy way and a hard way.
The easy way (5th grade math):
HRmax Males = 208.609 - (0.716 x your chronological age)
HRmax Females = 209.273 - (0.804 x your chronological age)
NOTE: this study found the above calculation is more accurate than the older version of taking the number 220 - your chronological age.
The hard way: if you want to get the real number for you (not based on your age) - lace up your shoes, let's go!
Put on a heart rate monitor and find a hill that takes at least 2 min to sprint to the top
Warm up for 15 min on flat ground - building up to your normal running pace
Run up for at least 2 min at a pace you can manage for 20 min. Jog down
Run up again for at least 2 min at a pace you can manage for 10 min. Measure your heart rate. Jog down
Allow your heart rate to drop 30-40 beats per min from your peak in Step #4
Run up last time (promise) ALL OUT SPRINT (nothing left in the tank) for 1 minute
Measure your heart rate - this should be close to your personal max
Not that we probably have to say this - but make sure to cool down for at least 10 min
Suggest listening to the Rocky training montage for inspiration to achieve your true max.
So uhh...who's cool with just using the easy way?
Get In the Zone
With your max heart rate calculated, you can workout in your personalized zones.
The best fitness routine will focus mainly on pushing yourself at a sustainable level in Zone 2 (walk, jog, swim, etc.) with short bursts in Zone 5 (high intensity).
Zone 1 = 50-60% max heart rate (walking from couch to fridge)
Zone 2 = 60-70% max heart rate (warm-up; cool down - can easily carry-on a conversation)
Zone 3 = 70-80% max heart rate (sustainable for about 30 min)
Zone 4 = 80-90% max heart rate (sweat isn’t dripping, it’s running down your face)
Zone 5 = 90-100% max heart rate (you just want to scream or quit)
As your aerobic fitness improves, you’ll be able to do more and stay in a lower zone.
**Now you can input your max heart rate into this calculator to get your specific Zones.
This is what it will look like:
Credit: Polar
Pro Tip: To identify your personal heart rate threshold for aerobic exercise (vs. anaerobic), you can use the MAF 180 formula.
Programming Note: In a future week on Metabolic Training, we'll be covering additional metrics and tests, such as lactate threshold and VO2max.
What We’re Listening To
Peter Attia's podcast goes deep when it comes to exercise and physical fitness. He wants to participate in what he calls the "Centenarian Olympics" and be fully functional (i.e., pick up his great-grandkids) when he's 100 years old.
Friday Flex Workout
Hamstring / Adductor Recovery
We did a lot of movement with our legs this week.
This quick 5 min recovery video comes from Dr. Kelly Starrett, author of one of our favorite books, Becoming a Supple Leopard.
Check out how to really stretch those tight hamstrings and to open up your hip adductors.
Before we go...
I still get a little added boost of energy whenever "Lose Yourself" comes through my headphones during a workout.
Would love to know what gets you pumped up when you put on the running shoes or head out to the gym!
Which song most aligns with the type of music you jam during a workout?
Click the song link to submit your vote...
Here's a list of the alleged Top 50 Workout songs for inspiration. A few more for you to try out.
Have a great weekend!!
Check out the latest workout videos on our YouTube channel
Got feedback? Tell us what you think at team@thrive25.com
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Why Thrive25
We’re 40-something dads that felt our bodies and minds start to slow down and we’re not ready for that. We found too much information on every subject. So we started Thrive25 to transform what we’ve learned into something useful for the rest of us to spend just 3-5 min a day to optimize our health & longevity.
This newsletter is for you and we truly value your feedback. Never hesitate to reach out to us at team@thrive25.com.
To health!
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The information in this newsletter is for informational purposes only and may not be appropriate or applicable based on your individual circumstances. Thrive25, Inc. does not provide medical, professional, or licensed advice. Please connect with your healthcare professional for medical advice specific to your health needs.