Maffetone 180 Heart rate

[Bearcat323]

I'm using the Maffetone method of 180 minus your age instead of the 220. How do I adjust my Surge to reflect my new max heart rate?

[Heybales · Accepted solution]

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@Bearcat323 wrote:

I'm using the Maffetone method of 180 minus your age instead of the 220. How do I adjust my Surge to reflect my new max heart rate?

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Good program.

Sadly, the Surge isn't going to really help you stay in that zone as max HR to NOT go over.

You can set the custom zone for that 10 beat spread that is needed.

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Surge/custom-heart-rate-zones-menu-option-stated-in-manual-doesn-t/m...

There are no alarms or such - you'll have to stare at it until you get used to going slower and can feel the difference.

I used breathing rate to help slow down and keep me slow. Breath in through nose on 2 step count, out through mouth on 3 step count.

Getting faster does happen, it's a good program. Took me about 3 weeks of slowing down while running and eventually I reach the same pace at much lower HR, pace went up from there with much less stress doing the run.

Sadly, I coudln't accomplish the same on the bike, waaaayyyyy to slow when hills are involved, not enough low gearing. And I enjoy going fast too much.

And his premise is that all the cardio should be in that range or you ruin the effect.

I still got benefits though.

So I still use the principle mainly that the running is done down at that level to train the aerobic fat burning endurance system, but the biking for fun is the training the upper aerobic carb burning, lactate increasing endurance system.

Seems to work well.

I found through some digging though that the formula was attempting to approximate about mid-aerobic level as based on lactate threshold, and since I know that I use that now. Otherwise the original formula would have me down in my active recovery HR zone all the time.

[Bearcat323]

@Heybales Thank you for your response. I'm only using it with the Elliptical and I have notice after 3 weeks my speed had picked up with the lower HR. Do you know if the new update cues will beep of I go over my max HR If I set it to?

[Heybales]

I don't know. I've never heard anyone say they got warnings when out of range.

More of a system of letting you know what you did, rather than attempting to do.

Which frankly to me means it's missing a vital aspect of a HRM for those serious about cardio exercise - being in the right zone for the right reason for a certain effect.