. During your second run you should get a higher maximum reading than with any other method – although you or a helper should use a heart rate monitor to take readings throughout the interval, because your pulse may peak before the finish.

GETTY IMAGESIf you're the proud owner of a new heart rate monitor, you’ll doubtless be wondering just how high you can make it go. And it wouldnt be a bad idea. Coaches and athletes often like to establish a maximal heart rate (or MHR) in order

Q I know three ways of calculating maximum heart rate (MHR): 220 – age; 214 – (0.8 x age); and 205 – 1/2 age. For a 30-year-old, they all come out at 190, but for a 60-year-old, the results are 160, 166 and 174 – a large range. Which is the most

Q I’m in my mid-40s, push myself quite hard in training, and feel great and in good shape. However, after buying a heart rate monitor, I was shocked to find that my resting heart rate was 46, and that I could reach a maximum of 202bpm during hard

How To Find Your Maximum Heart RateA heart rate monitor can help to ensure that you don’t work too hard – or take it too easy! – in training sessions. Depending on the session, your target heart rate will be anywhere between 60 and 95% of your

, but your new training paces might come as a surprise too. Before you get started, work out the right benchmarks to work towards by finding your maximum heart rate. If you're a complete beginner, start off with this very approximate formula: 214 - (0.8 x

Q Following your advice, I did a treadmill test using a heart rate monitor to work out my maximum heart rate. The result was 177bpm. However, during 40-minute steady runs my pulse easily reaches 165bpm, about 94 per cent of max! Am I training too

maximum of 170 (220-50, my age). That’s well below the 80-90 per cent suggested in RW. Am I doing something wrong?A Heart rate monitors have had a positive impact upon runners’ ability to train ‘smart’. But what many users don’t fully appreciate

When you go on holiday, you'll no doubt want to take your training with you. After all, you are off to enjoy yourself. However, this will often mean running in conditions that can affect your heart rate quite dramatically, both at rest

are 30 years old and fit into the second category: 180 - 30 = 150, and 150 - 5 = 145. This is your maximum aerobic heart rate. Maffetone believes you should train at or below this level for at least three months before adding speedwork, threshold runs