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.
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Former Member
I'm still going at the treadmills 3x week on days I don't swim. They got some new treadmills at the gym that have a fitness test program which maintains a constant speed and increases the incline progressively while monitoring your heart rate, then computes a score. they call this 'VO2 sub max'. I've gotten scores that bounce around a bit and I suspect this is not a highly accurate test, just a general guide. There is also a 'firefighter's fitness test' which sounds daunting and which I haven't attempted yet.
I found one reference on-line (which I don't have handy) that said that training at above 80% of your max heart rate is a point of diminishing return. Also, in my case, age 36, 220-age and the alternate formula 215-(age*.7) don't give very different values.
I'm still going at the treadmills 3x week on days I don't swim. They got some new treadmills at the gym that have a fitness test program which maintains a constant speed and increases the incline progressively while monitoring your heart rate, then computes a score. they call this 'VO2 sub max'. I've gotten scores that bounce around a bit and I suspect this is not a highly accurate test, just a general guide. There is also a 'firefighter's fitness test' which sounds daunting and which I haven't attempted yet.
I found one reference on-line (which I don't have handy) that said that training at above 80% of your max heart rate is a point of diminishing return. Also, in my case, age 36, 220-age and the alternate formula 215-(age*.7) don't give very different values.
