Hello!

I've just started working out at a gym and have been trying out different cardio machines. I've been trying to check my heart rate, however I'm not sure where my target should be. I'm sure this number varies person to person, but any general ideas on this topic would be great. Thanks!

220 minus your age is your maximum heart rate.
for an efficient workout you should get to about 80-85% of your maximum heart rate. at least that's what jillian michaels recommends over and over again.

I know my trainer likes my heart rate to be around 150 at the peak of workouts. I'm 35, and using Willow's guide, 80% of my maximum heart rate is 148, so that sounds like he uses the same guidelines...

Oh wow, thanks! So, I'm 27; 220-27= 193; x 80% is 154...so somewhere between 154 and 164 is probably my best bet. Thanks so much!

Is there a problem if you workout and your heartrate goes over that number? I've had it peak at 173 (I was in the zone and pushed too hard).

your wearing yourself out and its defeating the purpose. your better off if you can keep it in that range

FWIW, Mine regularly gets to 185, I've seen it in the low 190s a few times. I do a lot of HIIT training and get the heart rate up pretty high for several intervals. I'm 37 and have had the same exercise pattern now for almost a year. I haven't noticed any ill effects from the higher heart rate, or that it wears me out. I have worn myself out from exercise, but that was from excessive time, not a high heart rate periodically during the exercise.

220 - your age is merely an ESTIMATE of your maxHR and unless you know what your true Max is a lot of the % are pretty meaningless. (I know that at 37 my true max HR was 191 not 183) Plus your HR response can vary from day to day due to a variety of reasons.

Not to mention that some of those HR monitors on cardio equipment are horribly unreliable. I was on one the other day barely working and it said 183. Nuh-uh, I KNOW what 183 feels like and that wasnt it.

Can you talk with some effort during the workout?

If you are gasping too hard to talk you are working out too hard. If you can carry on a conversation with someone and they cant even tell you are working out, it is too easy.

Try to stay between those two MOST of the time and occasionally push to the high end for brief moments.