I like using the treadmill at the health club, where the incline varies to maintain a target heart rate. Walking at a brisk pace on an incline can get your heart rate going just fine, and is easier on my knees at least.
Usually I follow the 'cardio' heart rate that the machine comes up with based on your age, and go for 20 or 30 minutes. This is the normal aerobic workout that all the experts say everyone is supposed to do a few times a week.
If I wanted to concentrate on an event like the 500 free, which lasts 5-6 minutes (hopefully closer to 5 if I can repeat my times from 20 years ago), should I alternate the normal cardio workout setting a higher heart rate (still below max for my age of course) and go for 5 minutes?
I've been checking my heart rate for 6 seconds on some swimming sets, and although this method is not as accurate, on sets like 100s or 200s my heart rate is well above the standard 80% of 220 minus age.
I didn't say that I use it, I was just pointing out that the old formula has been updated. I only have two advantages in the sport of swimming. One of them is the ability to maintain a higher pulse rate than most other people. When I was 15, I practiced with a faster group because I could make their intervals, even though I was the worst swimmer there, technique-wise. The coach would assign sets by distances, intervals, and target heart rates. Day after day, I would do fine with the first two but be way off on the heart rate. For a sprint crawl set, the target would be 180, for example, but I might have been at 210 or more at the end of the set, taking 25 or more strokes per 25 yards. During that season, I once measured my pulse at 240. I should mention that I don't/can't go that hard anymore; I focus on efficiency now. Yesterday I swam a warmup 300 yard free at 13 strokes per length, 5 SDK's off each wall. But I keep "caveman mode" in my back pocket for close races...
I didn't say that I use it, I was just pointing out that the old formula has been updated. I only have two advantages in the sport of swimming. One of them is the ability to maintain a higher pulse rate than most other people. When I was 15, I practiced with a faster group because I could make their intervals, even though I was the worst swimmer there, technique-wise. The coach would assign sets by distances, intervals, and target heart rates. Day after day, I would do fine with the first two but be way off on the heart rate. For a sprint crawl set, the target would be 180, for example, but I might have been at 210 or more at the end of the set, taking 25 or more strokes per 25 yards. During that season, I once measured my pulse at 240. I should mention that I don't/can't go that hard anymore; I focus on efficiency now. Yesterday I swam a warmup 300 yard free at 13 strokes per length, 5 SDK's off each wall. But I keep "caveman mode" in my back pocket for close races...
