To review: Zone 1 (Heart healthy, 50 to 60% maximum heart rate); Zone 2 (Temperate, 60 to 70% max hr); Zone 3 (Aerobic, 70 to 80% max hr); Zone 4 (Threshold, 80 to 90% max hr).

Zone 5    The Red Line Zone   90 - 100% of Max HR

This is "going all out" and is used primarily for "interval" training and in short bursts. Even world-class athletes stay in this zone for just minutes at a time. It's not an exercise zone for most people since working out here can be painful.

Put 'em to work

Okay, we have our Max HR; we know the range of our bpms for each zone. What now?

Put 'em to work!  Even though we haven't completed all the elements of fitness yet or laid out our goals or created our own fitness program, we can still use what we've learned.

Whatever our choice is for aerobic exercise — running, biking, walking, jumping rope — we can use what we know about the different zones to maximize the benefits of our workouts.

Continued...