Even though the heart rate is a huge element to achieving an optimal workout, and its been around forever, many individuals do not know what theirs is, or how to measure it, or even to care about it. So I am going to clarify this simple yet important component to fitness.

Over time, your heart becomes more efficient at delivering the oxygen and fuel required by the muscles to maintain this higher level of performance. The skeletal muscles also becomes better at extracting oxygen from the bloodstream. With continued consistent exercise, the cardiovascular system continues to consistently improve.

- track your heart rate while you exercise, getting a heart rate monitor is helpful

- resting heart rate (measured in beats per minute) is averagely about 70 bpm for men and 75 bpm for women
- know your max heart rate - subtract your age from 220. Example if you are 28 years old your max heart rate would be 192, it's going to be an estimated number and will vary for each person but this is the number you don't want to go over
- find your target heart rate, there are a few methods for doing this
- Karvonen method
The Karvonen method factors in Resting Heart Rate (HRrest) to calculate Target Heart Rate (THR):
THR = ((HRmax "" HRrest)