Heart rate training is a widespread and easy way for athletes to improve their individual performance capability in a targeted manner. The most important tips.

Runners preparing themselves for a goal know: you need to skilfully combine the different intensities to ensure you make progress in endurance sports. But when is a slow training unit called for and when a fast? And what exactly do slow, fast, or very fast mean?

In practice, the easiest way to control the intensity is with your heartbeat. There are of course other ways to determine the individual zones, such as targeted performance diagnostics (lactate level test or spiroergometry) or – as a result of the rapid development of GPS sports watches – also tempo training. Tempo training, however, has a disadvantage in that your running speed varies enormously according to the terrain and therefore only makes sense on flat ground. And while performance diagnostics may indeed be enlightening, it requires time and money, which not all are willing to invest.

Heart rate is simple and efficient

Measuring your own heart rate and assigning it to different levels of intensity, on the other hand, can be easily and efficiently done by anyone. The number of identified levels depends on how ambitious an athlete is when training. Three to five load levels make sense (very relaxed, relaxed, medium, rigorous and extremely rigorous). Since «very relaxed» or «rigorous» can mean something different for everyone, running frequently uses figurative comparisons, such as: very relaxed = possible to speak in complete sentences with subordinate clauses; medium = possible to speak in short sentences; rigorous = no longer possible to speak or only haltingly.

To assign the heart rate values, you only need a heart rate monitor and a longer training unit in which you go through all the zones. To put it in concrete terms: deliberately set the heart rate monitor so you can assign all five levels of intensity. First run at a “very relaxed” pace for 10 minutes to warm up and measure your heart rate (the average values can only be evaluated on the computer after the training). Then run at a “relaxed” pace for 10 minutes, a “medium” pace for 5 minutes, and a “rigorous” pace for 5 minutes. Then take a break or run at a very relaxed pace for 5-10 minutes before running at a “very rigorous” pace for 5 minutes. You will thus have assigned 5 intensity levels to your corresponding individual heart rate values.

An even simpler option is to determine your maximum heart rate after a 10-minute warm up by continuously increasing your pace for 3-4 minutes (slightly uphill is best) and then running at maximum speed for about 2 minutes until you reach your absolute limit. The highest heart rate value corresponds to your maximum heart rate. You can use your maximum heart rate to define 5 intensity levels which are graded by percentage and assigned to the corresponding forms of running training.

Tip 1

As your personal heart rate values are subject to fluctuations and not the same every day, slight deviations may occur (not enough sleep, stress, hard training / training camp, a cold, etc.). It is therefore worthwhile observing your heart rate values over a longer period of time and also in normal everyday situations (after getting up, at work, etc.). This will give you valuable insights into how your body reacts in different situations and also promote your body awareness.

Tip 2

If you “only” run two or three times a week, it makes sense to train in a polarised manner, i.e. doing one relaxed unit, one alternating between relaxed and rigorous, and one rigorous unit. Many amateur athletes usually train in “medium” mode and neglect the two poles “very relaxed” and “very rigorous”. “Very relaxed” consolidates your foundation and “very rigorous” improves your tempo, which is why both intensities are extremely important.

Tip 3

If you run more than three times a week, a day of rest should follow an intensive training unit.

Conclusion

The heart rate is a proven and easy means for beginner and advanced athletes to get to know the reactions of their bodies and thus manage their training. However, everyone’s heart rate is subject to considerable fluctuations, which is why the defined heart rate training zones are not always meaningful. Experienced runners therefore often do tempo training to define their training levels and take a performance test to monitor their progress.

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