If you want to get an effective workout and reach your fitness goals sooner, you should consider heart rate training. Heart rate training is the process of monitoring your heart's rate during your fitness routine and then actively raising and lowering it through the duration of your workout. Studies show that individuals who are heart rate training lose weight and reach their fitness goals sooner than people who are doing regular forms of exercise.

To begin heart rate training you must first find out your maximum heart rate. After you learn your maximum heart rate, you will take that number and base all of the heart rate zones around it. But, before you find out what your maximum heart rate is and do the calculations, you should judge what fitness level you are at:

Poor Shape: You have not exercised for a couple of months. Fair Shape: You exercise about three times a week-either walking or a form of aerobic activity. Good Shape: Your body is used to exercise because you run at least five miles a week or exercise most days.

Once you have chosen your level of fitness, the following test can help you learn the vicinity of your maximum heart rate.

One Mile Walking Test: Go to a local track, or use a treadmill to walk at an even and steady pace for one mile. Take your heart rate during the last leg of your mile. If you are in poor shape, add 40. If you are in fair shape, add 50. If you are in good shape, add 60.

Once you know what your maximum heart rate is, you can begin heart rate training. The easiest way to keep up with your heart rate during a workout is to use a machine that has a heart rate control monitor. Most quality treadmills and fitness machines come with heart rate control monitors. A monitor will tell you what your heart rate is during your workout so you know what heart rate zone you are in at any given time. A heart rate monitor becomes your personal trainer and takes the guesswork out of heart rate training. The readings let you know when you are over exerting yourself, or when you should give yourself a little extra push so you can stay in a target zone longer, or even push yourself up to the next heart rate zone.

Heart Rate Training Zones

The good news about heart rate training is it is short and intense. Routines should last between 20-30 minutes and you should rotate in and out of your individual heart rate zones throughout.

Healthy Heart Zone: Exercise is comfortable and you are able to carry on a conversation while you are in this zone. Your heart rate is 50%-60% of your maximum heart rate.

Fitness Zone: You find it is getting a little harder to talk and you are breathing heavier. You heart rate is at 60%-70% of your maximum heart rate.

Aerobic Zone: In this zone your heart rate is 70%-80% of your maximum heart rate and you should only be able to speak in phrases.

Anaerobic Zone: You are getting close to your maximum heart rate and your breathing is very heavy and labored. Your heart rate is at 80%-90% of your maximum heart rate.

Red Line Zone: In this zone you are at, or near, your maximum heart rate and breathing will be nearly impossible.

If you are looking for a workout routine that will help you lose weight, or reach your exercise goals sooner, consider heart rate training. To make your workout as efficient as possible, workout on a treadmill or other exercise machine, that has a heart rate monitor. Don't waste your time trying to judge and calculate your heart rate yourself. Let the machines do the monitoring so you can focus your time on your heart rate zones.

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