Base Training

The Myth Of Perceived Exertion

Working Your Heart

Speed Training

Plateaus

Planning To Peak

The Perfect Taper

Balance The Imbalance: Intro

Balance The Imbalance II: Mechanics

Balance The Imbalace III: Range Of Motion

Balance The Imbalance IV: Overcompensate

Balance The Imbalance V: Get Stronger

Balance The Imbalance VI: Core Movement 

Balance the Imbalance:Part VII Positive Image

Balance The Imbalance VIII Pace Your Race

Essential Tips For Your Best Race Ever

12 Best Strength Exercises

Early Season Training. 3 Tools To Refurbish The dormant Athlete

 Mark Allen On FaceBook

 Podcast Interview

Enjoy!   

--Jimmy

The following is from the base training link.

-If you are over about 55 years old or younger than about 25 years old, add another 5 beats to whatever number you now have.

-If you are about 60 years old or older OR if you are about 20 years old or younger, add an additional 5 beats to the corrected number you now have.

If the above is really correct, it sounds like once you hit 50 years old, you pretty much should just keep your MAF number for the next 10 years.  Am I reading this correctly? 

 

 

Well, as I figure it, with the basic MAF formula, it'd look like this:

 

55 yrs old = 130bpm (180-55+5=130)

56 yrs old = 129bpm

57 yrs old = 128bpm

58 yrs old = 127bpm

59 yrs old = 126bpm

60 yrs old = 130bpm (180-60+5+5=130)

61yrs old = 129bpm

etc...

 

Seems a little strange that you should suddenly jump up at 55 and again at 60 yrs. but, maybe staying within the 126-130 range for those ten years would not make a tremendous difference one way or the other, and I suspect that your conclusion is pretty realistic.

 

Mega thanks to Jimmy for the excellent links!!!

Maffetone talks about that somewhat in his book "The Maffetone Method" and you may not need to lower your MAF HR at age 56.

On page 63, there is a paragraph titled "Modifying Your Heart Rate" and it reads:

"Once you find your maximum aerobic heart rate and can exercise successfully at that rate, continue to use the same heart rate for about four to five years if health and fitness continue to progress. Then decrease the training rate by about 3 bpm. At that stage your training heart rate may not match the 180-Formula since your overall health and fitness will have improved. Thus, this formula is most beneficial at the start of a program and during periods of great progress. However, if you stop progressing, it may be because your exercise heart rate is too high; in some cases this may be because the 180-Formula was not calculated properly. It is important to be honest and objective in determining your maximum aerobic heart rate."

So if you use the 180-Formula at age 55 and calculate your MAF as 130, you can keep 130 for up to five years as long as you're progressing and healthy. At age 60, you add 5 and can then stay at 130.