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Hi all,

 

Ive been cycling for 2 years now, im 36 years old. Before that i played rugby and different other sports.

 

Im struggling to get my heart rate down, compared to a friend (46 years old) of mine on a strava segment(Big hill) he is almost 2 minutes faster with a avg heart rate of 145, my vg heart rate is 179, same hill just 2 minute slower than he is.

 

What is the cause of this and how can i fix this with training or should i just accept that hes got the better genes than me?

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Fitness, train it more and you will go faster.

 

Your HR will probably stay the same, thats genetics.

 

Some people have higher max HR than others. Your HR compared to another does not equate to effort given, that is done by power (ie powermeter and W/KG)

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Hi all,

 

Ive been cycling for 2 years now, im 36 years old. Before that i played rugby and different other sports.

 

Im struggling to get my heart rate down, compared to a friend (46 years old) of mine on a strava segment(Big hill) he is almost 2 minutes faster with a avg heart rate of 145, my vg heart rate is 179, same hill just 2 minute slower than he is.

 

What is the cause of this and how can i fix this with training or should i just accept that hes got the better genes than me?

 

Your theoretical max HR is 220- your age. So your max is 184 and your mates is 175. There are variances but this is a good place to start.

 

So naturally your mate is going to have a lower heart rate than you just because he is older than you. 

 

Also as you get older it becomes harder to rev that motor to max. when you are a youngster you are like a 2 stroke. High reving but with less torque. As you get older you become more like a 4 stroke. Then when you hit your 40's you become a big ol diesel. loads of power and go but not so much top end.

Edited by Duane_Bosch
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Don't compare heartrate.

Understand yours and manage it.

Your "higher" heartrate can be influenced by genetics as well as your riding style.

Experiment with cadence and power to find what makes you go faster up the hill while reducing/managing your heartrate.

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Weight, temperature, fitness all has an effect on HR.

It's unfortunately not a one-size fits all measurement.

 

You should probably focus more on Rate of perceived exertion (if you and your mate will be honest with each other)

 

If he goes up the hill, and at the end says he felt the effort was easy, moderate of difficult, you can draw a more fair comparison.

 

I guess what I'm trying to say is: using HR only is not a great way to compare yourself to others.

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Your theoretical max HR is 220- your age. So your max is 184 and your mates is 175. There are variances but this is a good place to start.

 

So naturally your mate is going to have a lower heart rate than you just because he is older than you. 

 

Also as you get older it becomes harder to rev that motor to max. when you are a youngster you are like a 2 stroke. High reving but with less torque. As you get older you become more like a 4 stroke. Then when you hit your 40's you become a big ol diesel. loads of power and go but not so much top end.

Hehehehehe...mooi verduidelik!

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I must say he weighs about 70kg and im 87, he was a scrumhalf ins his better years and i played hooker if that helps to explain our body types. 

 

Will strength training be the answer or should i train completely different?

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Heart rate is a great indicator of your fitness. Your friend is just fitter than you, should give you motivation to train more. Good luck. 

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Your theoretical max HR is 220- your age. So your max is 184 and your mates is 175. There are variances but this is a good place to start.

 

 

 

NO, this is not a good place to start.

 

Using this outdated crap formula, my max is supposed to be 186, which is actually my LTHR.

 

 

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I must say he weighs about 70kg and im 87, he was a scrumhalf ins his better years and i played hooker if that helps to explain our body types.

 

Will strength training be the answer or should i train completely different?

Weight plays a massive role in your climbing speed. If you both put out the same amount of watts but he is lighter then you are then he will win every time.

 

Just an interesting article regarding this.

 

https://www.bicycling.com/training/g20033781/by-the-numbers-how-losing-weight-improves-cycling-performance/

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NO, this is not a good place to start.

 

Using this outdated crap formula, my max is supposed to be 186, which is actually my LTHR.

 

Ok cool. Noted. So where does one start?

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Enjoy the LTHR test...

I have a power meter. Hehe. This is good stuff to know. I've basically been lying to myself for a year.

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