Your weekend workout: Take a heart rate fitness test

November 6, 7:22 AMMinneapolis Fitness ExaminerMalia Frey

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Polar heart rate monitor.  Photo source

Heart rate training is a tool used by many exercisers to maximize the benefits of their workouts. They know their target heart rate, monitor their pulse and train within target heart rate zones to reach weight loss or athletic goals. It is helpful for these exercisers, or for anyone who spends time working out, to be able to measure progress along the way. This fitness test developed by heart rate training coach Philip Maffetone will help exercisers do that. Anyone can take the test at any point in their training. It simply acts as a benchmark so that moving forward an exerciser can retake the same test to measure progress.

The Maffetone MAF test

This Maximum Aerobic Function test is performed by many runners who use the Maffetone method of heart rate training.

You perform the MAF test on a track with your monitor, running at your *maximum aerobic heart rate. Three to five miles provides good data, although a one-mile test still has value. The test is done following an easy warmup.

Record your time for the distance that you ran. As you progress in your training, the time it takes to repeat that distance will decrease.  Consider repeating this test after 4 weeks of heart rate training.  *Keep in mind that maximum aerobic heart rate refers to the top of the aerobic zone, which is different from the maximum heart rate which is an extreme effort.

More information about this test may be found at Road Runners Club of America

Read more about heart rate training:

• Use heart rate training to reach your fitness and weight loss goals
• Three methods for measuring heart rate during exercise
• How to determine your exercise heart rate
• Using heart rate zones for effective fitness training
  
• Target heart rate and weight loss: Is there really a fat burning zone?
• Use resting heart rate to measure fitness progress