Hey guys, I just had a question about cardio in regards to my resting heart rate. I noticed that my resting heart rate is about 80-90 BPM, which I believe is high (am I right on this?). If it is high will it go down with more cardio, or with me training with cardio at higher intensities? I recently just started doing cardio again and my resting heart rate is about 135. When I do cardio and stay in this range of 135-140 it feels like I am doing close to nothing. Should I go higher or stay in the 65% range. Does my high resting heart rate mean I need to workout at a higher intensity or should I just realize that low intensity cardio "Seems" easy and just wait and see if the pounds melt off? Please guys let me know what to do so I don't waste any unneccesary time on that damn treadmill walking for longer than I have to or not doing a sufficient enough workout. I just want an efficient workout. I will check this before I do my morning cardio tomorrow!

[size]

Your resting heart rate is relatively high but not alarming. Typically ones resting heart rate is around 70. However, how and when did you take your pulse? The best way to measure your resting heart rate is in the morning after waking. Doing this will give you a better indication of what it truly is.

For exercise, to lower your resting heart rate you need to be active. I would simply stick with doing cardio and mixing up the intensity level and duration.

Endurance athletes have unbelievable low resting heart rates. For instance, Lance Armstrong's resting heart rate is about 35.

[DieTrying]

Originally Posted by size

Your resting heart rate is relatively high but not alarming. Typically ones resting heart rate is around 70. However, how and when did you take your pulse? The best way to measure your resting heart rate is in the morning after waking. Doing this will give you a better indication of what it truly is.

For exercise, to lower your resting heart rate you need to be active. I would simply stick with doing cardio and mixing up the intensity level and duration.

Endurance athletes have unbelievable low resting heart rates. For instnace, Lance Armstrong resting heart rate is about 35.

Agreed. 90 is high, but I've seen much higher. As size asked, when did you take it? What method did you use to take it (machine, Dr, radial, carotid,etc.)? Are you using any supps/drugs that may alter it?

For what you're trying to achieve (gaining muscle and/or losing fat), I wouldn't worry about it. As long as you're healthy (BP isn't too high, etc.) just keep doing what your doing. One of the first adaptations to an endurance training program is a decrease in heart rate and an increased stroke volume (CO=HRxSV), so if you really wanted to get it down, just start running and don't stop (probably not what you want in bodybuilding)

[Sticks]

Bump on what size said. Working out at 65% of your max heart rate will help to lower your resting heart rate. Also check you heart rate first thing in the morning. If your goal is weight loss then stick to 65% this is the most efficient way to get your body to use fat as an energy source.

A higher resting HR normally indicates a lower cardiovascular fitness level. So working out at 65% will still produce good results. This is not the rule however as some people may just have a higher resting HR.

Give it a month or two, and i'm sure you'll notice a decrease in your heart rate. I would also be willing to bet that if you check you HR in the morning it will be closer to 70. Good luck and keep us updated.

[ryansm]

60-90 is consider within the normal range. Athletes and such typically have below 60. Cardio is the best long-term way to bring it down. Also like it was mentioned in another thread Potassium will help lower it. About 6 months ago my resting heart rate was in the 90's, today after better conditioning, and supplementation I have got it down to 50-55.

[glenihan]

wait .... so 140 isn't a normal resting heartrate?? ... lol

[ryansm]

Affraid not.

[Sticks]

Originally Posted by glenihan

wait .... so 140 isn't a normal resting heartrate?? ... lol

Look on the bright side. It's like doing cardio while you sleep, you're so lucky...j/k

Sorry Glen, that's just a normal resting heart rate when YOU are on CLEN LOL! Hope your heart rate is still going back down to normal bro. Thanks everyone who responded. I just wanna know, which was my main question, is 65% when doing cardio supposed to feel so "Easy". I guess I still have that football mentality where sprints are effective as I lost a lot of weight (key word weight, not fat). It just seems that doing cardio on a treadmill at 65% for me is like 130-140 bpm, which is like a level 3 incline at 2.5-3 miles an hour. I can talk fine during this as well. Sincemy resting heart rate is a little high should I increase the intensity to "equal out" or continue doing cardio this way and see what happens. I took my resting heart rate in the middle of the day, does this make any difference????? I took it with my heart rate monitor on! It sometimes seems that by looking at my heart rate I can make it go higher! Thanks for all the answers so far guys!

[Sticks]

Yeah, working out at around 65% of max heart rate isn't going to be overly tough. I think you'll see your self making progress and it will be much harder to hit this target. For me I have to walk around 4.5 mph, w/the incline set to 3.0.

It sounds like to me that you haven't done cardio in a while, and it's not taking much at all to get your heart rate up. As you continue w/the cardio it will get harder to hit this target, and the workouts will "feel" more difficult.

Again if fat loss is your goal then stick to 65% max HR. Maybe try using the elliptical, or stationary bike.

Thanks Sticks, you always come to my rescue bro!

[Lean One]

I saw this late, but I'll put my 2 cents in. Low intensity cardio is supposed to be easy. that's the type of activity that burns fat efficiently.(and trains your body to burn more fat even when resting). Other than that, I would just be repeating what everyone else said.

[hypo]

I have to do my cardio at about 125 bpm to stay at my 65%. Talk about boring! I hate cardio but I must say that by simply incorporating some low intensity cardio within the last two weeks I've definately noticed some fat loss and no loss of muscle... So I'm going to keep on doing it.

Thanks EVERYONE....hypo keep up the good work bro, hopefully I will see similar results as I will stay with this! THank you everyone!