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Indoor Cycling Classes: Knowing Your Target Heart Rate

By: Jim Hofman

Have you ever taken a spin class, or do you prefer to do your cycling outdoors? Either way, you're not alone. Popularity of indoor cycling, also known as spin classes, is surging as more and more people recognize its cardiovascular and muscle toning benefits. Let's talk about a few ways to derive maximum benefit from cycling, either indoors or outdoors.

Whether you're cycling to stay in shape or to lose weight, your workout should suit your needs in the most optimal manner possible. You've probably heard or read about the term "fat burning zone". If you're trying to burn fat, you'll need to understand how your target heart rate impacts the amount of fat you'll burn off during your workouts.

If you're interested in spinning classes and decide to participate, you'll go through five distinct levels (zones) of intensity during a class. These zones are warm up, endurance, strength, interval, and race. In a typical one hour class, you'll move between the levels, which will help improve your cardiovascular fitness level.

You'll also want to know, and monitor, your target heart rate. The first step is to understand your maximum heart rate, or the highest heart rate you should reach during exercise. It's simple to calculate. Just subtract your age from 220, and that's your maximum heart rate. As an example, I'm 46 years of age so my maximum workout heart rate is 174.

Going back to the five zones, each zone has a heart rate range assigned to it, including upper and lower percentages. We'll explain in a minute. Basically, each of the five zones has a heart rate maximum and minimum, give or take a few percentage points. Each of these heart rate ranges are calculated by taking a percentage of your maximum heart rate (the rate we just calculated by subtracting your age from 220).

In the warm up range, also known as cool down, your heart rate should be 50% to 65% of maximum. Using my maximum heart rate of 174, my heart rate during warm up should be between 87 (50%) to 113 (65%). Let's quickly go through the other zones ...

Endurance Range: 65% to 75% of maximum heart range (MHR)

Strength Range: 75% to 85% of MHR

Interval Range: 65% to 92% of MHR

Race (also known as Sprint) Range: 80% to 92%

You'll work the hardest during the Interval and Race ranges. The endurance range is actually where you'll spend most of your time during the class. Not so coincidentally, that's the range where you'll burn the most fat!

Finally, the best way to check your heart rate while exercising is with a heart rate monitor. If you don't have one, you can place your index and/or middle finger on your neck artery where you can feel your pulse. Most spin instructors will do a six second heart rate check. Multiply your count by 10, and that's your heart rate. Compare your heart rate to the range you're at during the class, and increase or decrease your intensity accordingly. Here's to a great workout!

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
Jim Hofman has incorporated cycling and spin classes into his workout plan over the last six months, resulting in a 20 pound weight loss. If you want to learn more about spin classes and getting fit, visit Jim's recommended resource website dedicated to indoor cycling.

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