Gayle Jackson is a certified personal trainer and co-owner of Results Personal Training Studio. She specializes in one-on-one personal training for all fitness levels.

Target Heart Rate Training: Are You in the Zone? by Gayle Jackson, CPT Published: July 2006 Target heart rate training is a scientific approach to tracking your improving levels of fitness. To gain the most from your workout, you might consider frequently monitoring your exercise intensity. If you’re not working hard enough, you may not be making the kind of progress you’re likely capable of. If you’re working too hard, you could injure yourself or simply “burn out.” There are many ways to measure your exercise intensity. The Ratings of Perceived Exertion and the Talk Test (see below) methods are two ways you can track your intensity level. However, determining your target heart rate (THR), and staying within your zone, is the most effective method of ensuring that you get the most out of each workout. Taking your pulse periodically throughout your exercise session can help you gauge your intensity level. Wearing a heart rate monitor is an easier and more convenient method of checking your heart rate throughout your workout. Because they require the user to wear a specialized wristwatch and a transmitter around the chest, these devices can accurately monitor a person’s heart rate. Modern heart rate monitors are designed to beep when you go above or below your selected training zone, thus enabling you to track each workout closely. And when you exercise within your selected intensity level, you’re more likely to get the most out of your workout. Click above for larger image

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