Beyond Spinning Shoes - Knowing Your Heart Rate Zones

It takes more than a good pair of spinning shoes to get what you want out of spinning. You've probably heard from more than one person about how when they started spinning, they lost the 5 pounds that they thought were impossible. That's probably true, but to really understand how to maximize the benefits you'll receive from spinning, it is critical you understand heart rate zones.

No question your instructor talks about heart rate zone constantly. If you're a beginner, you're certainly trying to take your heart rate while on the fly. Most instructors have you measure your heart rate for 5 seconds and have you multiply your result by 10. Ok, that KINDA works.

If you are going to be a long time spinner, you're going to need a heart rate monitor and you'll need to know exactly why you are in each heart rate zone. Get to know the benefits of each zone. Follow the directions of your instructor and stay within the zone they specify. Going all out for an hour is not necessarily the best way to spin. Follow the heart rate zones carefully.

Zone 1: Normally thought of as the heart healthy zone. It is 50-60% of the heart rate considered the maximum for your fitness level and age. Fitness level is really the most important factor. Zone 1 for some 30 year olds is not zone 1 for other 30 year olds. It is unique to your body. A lot of people question the benefit of zone 1. They think it is too easy. No pain no gain type of mentality. Don't sell zone one short by any means. If all you did is work out in zone one, you'll see a drop in blood pressure and cholesterol over time. You won't necessarily get in better shape or get any aerobic benefit when working out in zone 1, but there is certainly benefits to be had while in zone 1. It is used in spinning many times as a simple warm up and warm down zone.

Zone 2: Commonly thought of as the temperate zone. If you want fat burning, this is your zone. Maximum fat burning is done here. You would think the faster you go, the more fat you burn, but that is really not the case. Zone 2 is 61-70% of the heart rate considered the maximum for your age and fitness level. You achieve the maximum ratio of calories burned from fat versus carbohydrates. If your goal is to lose weight, you need to spend significant time working out in this zone. As you get down to lower weights, you'll want to work out in higher zones. Until that time, you might even work out in zone 2 when the instructor is calling for a higher zone. Remember, burning fat is done in zone 2.

Zone 3: Ah yes, the ever popular aerobic zone. Everyone loves zone 3. You can identify when you are in zone 3 because you can generally go for long periods of time here you really feel like you are getting a world-class workout. You should be at 71-80% of the heart rate considered the maximum for your age and fitness level. People seeking to get in 'better shape' will probably benefit the most from this zone. You'll do wonders for your lung capacity and your respiratory rate will improve significantly. Cardiac health is maximized here. Your heart will be very happy you are here. You actually don't burn quite as much fat as zone 2, but you really start to burn off today's sins. Calories are burned off at a 50/50 ration with existing fat. You'll probably find quite a bit of spinning class is spent working in this zone. It is a very popular zone because of the benefits.

Zone 4: Hey, this is where 'no pain, no gain' was invented. This zone is called the anaerobic zone or anaerobic threshold. This zone is 81-90% of the heart rate considered the maximum for your age and fitness level. When you are working out and you know that you can spend some time at the level you are at but it will be impossible to sustain it for more than a few minutes at a time, you are likely in zone 4. You'll find yourself breathing hard and likely can't really hold a conversation due to the respiratory demands of your body. Your muscles will start to fail after several minutes here. Yes, you'll be feeling the burn. Conditioning is at its best here. Instructors will use zone 4 sparingly during your workout but almost all classes will spend a little time in zone 4. You'll see significant improvements if you use zone 4 a few times during your spin class.

Zone 5: Not much time is spent in zone 5. You are literally working yourself to exhaustion in this level. You'll know you are in zone 5 if you honestly can't imagine how you would be able to maintain your heart rate for more than about a minute. It is 91-100% of the heart rate considered the maximum for your age and fitness level. If you do interval workouts or sprinting workouts, you might go 30 seconds in an attempt to hit this zone. It is dangerous to most to attempt much more than a minute in zone 5. The stresses on your heart are the greatest. Unless you are a fairly high level conditioned athlete, you likely really don't need zone 5 much at all.

Again, your instructor is almost certainly trained to get you in to heart rate zones that have a master plan for your overall health. Just because you are capable of exceeding the heart rate zone being done at the current time in the class doesn't mean you should race past your class. You are likely doing yourself a disservice and will not continue to improve as fast as possible. Remember, the majority of people actually over-train. Don't be one of those.

Get out the spinning shoes and hit the class this week with a renewed sense for what you need to do for spinning class. Follow the instructor and you'll find your results exceed what you had even hoped. Go get 'em!